Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Acquires 89,550 Shares of Fastenal Company $FAST

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST) by 10.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 945,111 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 89,550 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC owned 0.08% of Fastenal worth $44,845,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Quantum Portfolio Management LLC increased its stake in Fastenal by 40.4% in the third quarter. Quantum Portfolio Management LLC now owns 11,165 shares of the company’s stock valued at $548,000 after acquiring an additional 3,214 shares during the period. Amalgamated Bank boosted its holdings in Fastenal by 0.6% during the third quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 270,879 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,284,000 after purchasing an additional 1,597 shares in the last quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Fastenal in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $268,000. Donoghue Forlines LLC acquired a new position in shares of Fastenal in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,220,000. Finally, Resonant Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Fastenal by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 33,039 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,620,000 after buying an additional 526 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.38% of the company’s stock.

Fastenal Trading Up 0.2%

FAST opened at $42.72 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a current ratio of 4.26. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $41.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $44.43. Fastenal Company has a twelve month low of $35.31 and a twelve month high of $50.63. The firm has a market cap of $49.05 billion, a PE ratio of 39.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.90.

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.26. The firm had revenue of $2.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.04 billion. Fastenal had a net margin of 15.34% and a return on equity of 32.69%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.46 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Fastenal Company will post 2.15 EPS for the current year.

Fastenal Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 29th will be paid a $0.24 dividend. This is a boost from Fastenal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 29th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Fastenal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 89.72%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Hsenghung Sam Hsu purchased 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $49.58 per share, for a total transaction of $49,580.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 10,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $495,800. This represents a 11.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Sarah N. Nielsen purchased 1,000 shares of Fastenal stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $39.60 per share, with a total value of $39,600.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 5,000 shares in the company, valued at $198,000. This trade represents a 25.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.37% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Fastenal

Here are the key news stories impacting Fastenal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS matched consensus at $0.26 and revenue grew ~11% year‑over‑year, showing continued underlying demand across product lines. Fastenal Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Management is pushing digital-led growth and said investments (including AI/automation) should improve operational quality and sales over time; cash from operations rose materially, supporting the dividend and capital returns thesis. Fastenal Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Balance sheet remains healthy (very low leverage) and the company continues a long streak of dividend increases, which supports income-focused investor interest. MarketBeat Fastenal Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Company published the formal press release, slide deck and earnings call transcript — useful for digging into segment trends and the slide-by-slide details. Business Wire: Fastenal Reports 2025 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed the consensus by about $10M (reported $2.03B vs. ~$2.04B expected) and commentary flagged rising inventory costs and tariffs that compressed gross margins. That drove investor concern about near‑term profitability. Fastenal shares slide after Q4 results show margin pressure
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts reacted by keeping conservative stances—several firms maintained Hold ratings and mid‑$40s price targets, citing eroding pricing power and margin headwinds; that limited upside in the near term. TipRanks: Pricing Power Erodes
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction was negative on the combination of the revenue miss and margin commentary, with shares falling after the release—short‑term momentum is impacted while investors digest whether cost pressures are temporary. Investing.com: Fastenal shares fall

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on FAST shares. Barclays set a $43.00 price target on shares of Fastenal in a research report on Wednesday. UBS Group raised Fastenal from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $45.00 to $52.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Fastenal from $53.00 to $49.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wolfe Research cut their price target on Fastenal from $43.00 to $42.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $48.55.

Fastenal Company Profile

Fastenal (NASDAQ: FAST) is a wholesale distributor of industrial and construction supplies, best known for its broad assortment of fasteners such as bolts, nuts, screws and anchors. Founded in Winona, Minnesota, Fastenal has grown from a regional supplier into a national and international distributor serving a wide range of end markets, including manufacturing, construction, maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), and government customers. The company is publicly traded and operates through a network of locally staffed branches combined with national distribution capabilities.

Product offerings extend beyond fasteners to include tools, safety and personal protective equipment, power transmission components, cutting and welding supplies, janitorial and material handling items, and other industrial consumables.