Fastenal's stock rose by 3.30% as it reached a 20-day high, reflecting positive investor sentiment following its recent earnings report.
The company reported Q4 2025 net sales of $2.03 billion, an 11% increase year-over-year, driven by strong customer spending and digital transformation initiatives. Despite meeting earnings expectations, the gross margin declined to 44.3%, indicating challenges in maintaining profitability amid rising costs. Management remains optimistic about double-digit sales growth in 2026, supported by ongoing investments in technology and customer relationships.
This performance highlights Fastenal's resilience in a sluggish industrial environment, although the decline in gross margin and active customer sites suggests potential headwinds ahead. Investors will be keen to see how the company navigates these challenges while capitalizing on its growth initiatives.
Wall Street analysts forecast FAST stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for FAST is 45.00 USD with a low forecast of 38.00 USD and a high forecast of 52.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
9 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast FAST stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for FAST is 45.00 USD with a low forecast of 38.00 USD and a high forecast of 52.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
3 Buy
3 Hold
3 Sell
Hold
Current: 43.620
Low
38.00
Averages
45.00
High
52.00
Current: 43.620
Low
38.00
Averages
45.00
High
52.00
Barclays
Equal Weight
downgrade
$44 -> $43
2026-01-21
Reason
Barclays
Price Target
$44 -> $43
AI Analysis
2026-01-21
downgrade
Equal Weight
Reason
Barclays lowered the firm's price target on Fastenal to $43 from $44 and keeps an Equal Weight rating on the shares post the Q4 report. The firm says the company's volume growth is coming at the expense of lower pricing.
Deutsche Bank
Nikita Papaccio
Buy
maintain
2026-01-16
Reason
Deutsche Bank
Nikita Papaccio
Price Target
2026-01-16
maintain
Buy
Reason
Deutsche Bank analyst Nikita Papaccio raised the firm's price target on Fastned to EUR 30 from EUR 27 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares.
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Jefferies
Stephen Volkmann
Hold
to
Buy
upgrade
$45 -> $52
2025-12-14
Reason
Jefferies
Stephen Volkmann
Price Target
$45 -> $52
2025-12-14
upgrade
Hold
to
Buy
Reason
Jefferies analyst Stephen Volkmann upgraded Fastenal to Buy from Hold with a price target of $52, up from $45. The firm cites its increased confidence in the company's ability to post low-double-digit sales growth into 2026 for the upgrade. Fastenal's growth will be driven market share growth resuming and positive pricing, with potential upside from an end market recovery, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Jefferies expects Fastenal's share gains to continue on increased large account penetration and the benefit of vending installations over the past 12-18 months.
Wolfe Research
Peer Perform -> Underperform
downgrade
$43
2025-11-13
Reason
Wolfe Research
Price Target
$43
2025-11-13
downgrade
Peer Perform -> Underperform
Reason
Wolfe Research downgraded Fastenal to Underperform from Peer Perform with a $43 price target. The company's sales have been decelerating, and Wolfe now sees inflationary pressures beginning to weigh on its gross margins, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm says that while Fastenal's multiple has been normalizing lower, there is risk of further compression since the stock's relative valuation "remains challenging."
About FAST
Fastenal Company is engaged in the wholesale distribution of industrial and construction supplies. The Company is a distributor of threaded fasteners, bolts, nuts, screws, studs, and related washers, as well as miscellaneous supplies and hardware, such as pins, machinery keys, concrete anchors, metal framing systems, wire rope, struts, rivets, and related accessories. Its business tools include Fastenal Managed Inventory (FMI), Bin stock (FASTStock and FASTBin) and Industrial vending (FASTVend). The Company also invests in digital solutions that aim to deliver value for its customers, leverage local inventory for same-day solutions, and provide service. It serves general and commercial contractors in non-residential end markets as well as farmers, truckers, railroads, oil exploration companies, oil production and refinement companies, mining companies, federal, state, and local governmental entities, schools, and certain retail trades.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
