Robert W. Baird Issues Positive Forecast for Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) Stock Price

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) had its price objective hoisted by Robert W. Baird from $51.00 to $52.00 in a research report released on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. Robert W. Baird currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $46.00 target price on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley reissued a “positive” rating and issued a $45.00 price target on shares of Fastenal in a research report on Thursday. Raymond James Financial set a $48.00 price target on Fastenal in a research note on Thursday. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of Fastenal in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $48.83.

Fastenal Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of FAST traded down $0.84 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $46.46. 8,186,584 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,310,522. The company has a quick ratio of 2.41, a current ratio of 4.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.24, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.88. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $44.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $44.31. Fastenal has a 1 year low of $35.31 and a 1 year high of $50.63.

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.26. Fastenal had a net margin of 15.35% and a return on equity of 32.83%. The business had revenue of $2.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.46 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Fastenal will post 2.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Fastenal Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 29th were paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 29th. This is a positive change from Fastenal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Fastenal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 87.27%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Scott Satterlee sold 15,964 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.19, for a total value of $705,449.16. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 50,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,209,500. This represents a 24.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Reyne K. Wisecup sold 36,920 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.34, for a total value of $1,747,792.80. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 40,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,893,600. The trade was a 48.00% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Fastenal

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in shares of Fastenal during the fourth quarter valued at about $496,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC boosted its stake in Fastenal by 2.4% during the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 6,276 shares of the company’s stock valued at $487,000 after buying an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in Fastenal during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in Fastenal by 173.5% in the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 15,895 shares of the company’s stock worth $668,000 after acquiring an additional 10,084 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sigma Planning Corp raised its holdings in shares of Fastenal by 70.7% during the 2nd quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 16,121 shares of the company’s stock worth $677,000 after acquiring an additional 6,675 shares in the last quarter. 81.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Fastenal News

Here are the key news stories impacting Fastenal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: February sales acceleration beat expectations, showing continued demand momentum that supports revenue growth and could underpin further upside for FAST. Fastenal’s February: Continued Sales Acceleration Tops Expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target to $52 and maintained an “outperform” rating, implying roughly double-digit upside vs. current levels — a clear near-term positive signal from a reputable sell-side firm. Baird raises Fastenal price target to $52
• Positive Sentiment: Technical/market commentary highlighted improved relative strength for Fastenal, which can attract momentum and quant-driven buying if the trend continues. Stocks generating improved relative strength: Fastenal
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays nudged its target up to $44 but kept an “equal weight” rating — a modest lift in valuation but still signaling limited near-term upside from that shop. Barclays adjusts price target on Fastenal Company to $44 from $43; maintains equal-weight rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Benzinga published an analyst-roundup summarizing where Fastenal sits with the sell-side — useful context for consensus positioning but not a single catalyst. Where Fastenal Stands With Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Published short-interest data shows an implausible “0 shares” figure and NaN increases — this appears to be a reporting glitch, so it should not be interpreted as a real rise in short interest. (No reliable article link available.)
• Negative Sentiment: Director Reyne K. Wisecup sold 36,920 shares (~$1.75M at the sale price), cutting their holding by 48%. Insider selling at this scale can spook investors even if there are benign reasons; it’s a notable near-term negative signal. Insider sale: Reyne K. Wisecup sold Fastenal shares

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.