FAST · NASDAQ · STOCK
Fastenal (FAST) Stock Analysis
$51.26
52W $38.97 – $52.92
59/100
$58.82B
43.4
0.71
Is FAST Bullish or Bearish?
Mixed.
Innellis AI committee rates Fastenal (FAST) Watch with a composite score of 59/100
, based on 6 analysts with 50% agreement.
Last updated August 24, 2026.
What Would Change This View
- Upgrade to Buy
- Requires a committee score of 60.0 — +0.88 from today. Applies on the first day at or above the line; upgrades are never dampened.
- Downgrade to Reduce
- Requires the score to fall below 40.0 — -19.12 from today. The band boundary is 45.0, but a one-step downgrade must clear a further margin first. A score oscillating around the line should not change the rating every night.
Executive Summary
The committee is genuinely divided. Risk Analyst sees a compelling case — low leverage (debt-to-equity 0.03) -- balance sheet can absorb a shock. Growth Analyst remains cautious — 4 consecutive earnings misses -- execution concerns. This disagreement is itself the signal — the setup is not clean in either direction.
Bull & Bear Case
Bull Case
- ROE of 34.0% shows genuine earnings power backing the valuation — Value
- Price structure making higher highs and higher lows — Technical
- Weekly trend (uptrend) confirms the daily trend -- multi-timeframe agreement — Technical
- Low leverage (debt-to-equity 0.03) -- balance sheet can absorb a shock — Risk
- News sentiment is positive (+0.20 across 16 articles, 14d) — News
Bear Case
- P/E of 43.9 is expensive by classic value standards — Value
- Price-to-book of 11.7x prices in significant intangible value — Value
- 4 consecutive earnings misses -- execution concerns — Growth
- Growth rate is decelerating quarter over quarter -- the trend line matters more than the level — Growth
- MACD histogram negative -- bearish momentum — Technical
- Price structure (LH_LL) contradicts the uptrend -- mixed signals — Technical
Both cases are generated from quantitative data signals, not qualitative or
forward-looking judgement. They summarise what the numbers say today.
Price History (6M)
AI Investment Committee
Committee Consensus
As of August 24, 2026
Overall Committee Score
59/100
Agreement
50%
Analysts
6
Conviction
Contested
Sector Rank
Top 46%
of 226 Industrials peers
Value Analyst
neutral
49
/ 100 · High confidence
Fair value -- neither a bargain nor obviously overpriced
+ ROE of 34.0% shows genuine earnings power backing the valuation
− P/E of 43.9 is expensive by classic value standards
Growth Analyst
bearish
40
/ 100 · High confidence
Growth story is weak, decelerating, or inconsistent
− 4 consecutive earnings misses -- execution concerns
Technical Analyst
neutral
57
/ 100 · High confidence
Mixed or range-bound price action
+ Price structure making higher highs and higher lows
− MACD histogram negative -- bearish momentum
Risk Analyst
bullish
80
/ 100 · Low confidence
Risk profile is manageable -- leverage, volatility, and event exposure all look contained
+ Low leverage (debt-to-equity 0.03) -- balance sheet can absorb a shock
Macro Analyst
bullish
65
/ 100 · Low confidence
Macro backdrop is supportive of risk assets generally, and this name's beta works in its favor
News Analyst
bullish
64
/ 100 · Low confidence
News flow and recent filings/analyst actions are net positive
+ News sentiment is positive (+0.20 across 16 articles, 14d)
Portfolio Manager
neutral
45
/ 100 · High confidence
Portfolio-level factors are mixed -- worth a deliberate sizing decision, not a default-size position
+ Portfolio position concentration is currently healthy
− Sector concentration is already high (HHI 3069.37)
Investment Thesis Evolution
Committee score moved marginally from 59.1 to 59.1.
Comparing 2026-08-23 to 2026-08-24 (1 day apart).
Technical Analysis
RSI (14)
58.7
Neutral
MACD Histogram
-0.078
Bearish Momentum
Trend Direction
Uptrend
Weekly: Uptrend
Market Structure
Lh Ll
Bollinger %B
0.65
Inside Bands
Price vs Moving Averages
EMA 9
$51.08
Above
EMA 21
$50.11
Above
EMA 50
$48.44
Above
EMA 200
$45.74
Above
Fundamental Analysis
Valuation
0
Growth
46
Profitability
85
Financial Health
100
Cash Flow
70
Valuation
P/E Ratio
43.4×
P/B Ratio
14.46×
PEG Ratio
3.23
Dividend Yield
1.87%
52W High
$52.92
52W Low
$38.97
Quality & Growth
ROE
3191.0%
ROA
2490.4%
Gross Margin
4470.1%
Operating Margin
2029.0%
Revenue Growth YoY
—
Debt / Equity
0.11
AI Fundamental Assessment
P/E ratio of 43.4 (rich relative to a 15-40x range); Price-to-book of 14.5x; PEG ratio of 3.2 (under 1.0 suggests growth is undervalued relative to price); Return on equity of 31.9%; Return on assets of 24.9%; Net margin of 15.5%; Gross margin of 44.7%; Current ratio of 4.18 (healthy short-term liquidity); Debt-to-equity of 0.11; Free cash flow per share is positive (0.90); Most recent quarter missed estimates by 1.3%; 4 consecutive earnings misses; EPS growth decelerating (+15.4% -> +10.0% QoQ); Average YoY EPS growth of 13.8%; Analyst estimates rising over recent quarters
Get the Full FAST Analysis
Interactive charts · Live committee votes · Trade plan · Paper trading · AI Q&A
Open in Terminal →