<div id="readability-page-1"><div><p>Fastenal (FAST) has quietly outperformed many industrial names this year, up about 17% year to date despite a roughly 12% slide over the past 3 months. This has left investors reassessing its positioning.</p> <p>See our latest analysis for Fastenal.</p> <p>At a share price of $41.75, Fastenal’s recent pullback sits against a solid backdrop, with a year to date share price return of 17.42% and a three year total shareholder return of 87.65%. This suggests longer term momentum remains constructive even as near term sentiment cools.</p> <p>If Fastenal’s mix of cyclical swings and steady compounding appeals to you, it might be worth broadening your radar to discover fast growing stocks with high insider ownership.</p> <p>With earnings still growing and the share price only modestly above analyst targets, the key question now is whether Fastenal is quietly undervalued or if the market has already priced in the next leg of its expansion.</p> <h2>Most Popular Narrative Narrative: 4% Undervalued</h2> <p>Fastenal’s fair value in the most popular narrative sits just above the recent $41.75 close, framing a modest upside that depends on execution.</p> <blockquote> <p><em>The analysts have a consensus price target of $44.35 for Fastenal based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of $53.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $29.5.</em></p> </blockquote> <p>Read the complete narrative.</p> <p>Want to see why steady, mid single digit growth assumptions still support a premium earnings multiple? The narrative leans on richer margins and disciplined discounting. Curious which specific long term profit and revenue paths justify that valuation gap? Read on to unpack the full playbook behind this fair value call.</p> <p><strong>Result: Fair Value of $43.46 (UNDERVALUED)</strong></p> <p>Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what's behind the forecasts.</p> <p>However, mounting trade tensions and slowing industrial demand could squeeze margins and undermine the premium multiple that supports this undervaluation narrative.</p> <p>Find out about the key risks to this Fastenal narrative.</p> <h2>Another Lens on Valuation</h2> <p>Fastenal may look modestly undervalued versus analyst targets, but its 39.1x price to earnings stands far above peers at 20.5x and a fair ratio of 26.6x. That premium leaves little room for error. Is the real risk that expectations are simply too high?</p> <p>See what the numbers say about this price — find out in our valuation breakdown.</p> <figure><img height="476" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://images.simplywall.st/company/586d6a07-e1e7-43fc-b9c0-9f2e6acf9d5e/chart/pe-multiple-vs-industry?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="746" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://images.simplywall.st/company/586d6a07-e1e7-43fc-b9c0-9f2e6acf9d5e/chart/pe-multiple-vs-industry"/><figcaption>NasdaqGS:FAST PE Ratio as at Dec 2025</figcaption></figure><h2> Build Your Own Fastenal Narrative</h2> <p>If you see the story differently or want to dig into the numbers yourself, you can build a personalized view in just minutes: Do it your way.</p> <p>A great starting point for your Fastenal research is our analysis highlighting 2 key rewards and 1 important warning sign that could impact your investment decision.</p> <h2>Looking for more investment ideas?</h2> <p>Fastenal might suit your strategy, but you will miss some of the market’s most compelling opportunities if you stop your research here instead of using tailored screeners.</p> <ul> <li>Capture emerging market leaders early by targeting these 3605 penny stocks with strong financials that already show strong financial resilience and room to scale.</li> <li>Position yourself for the next wave of innovation with these 25 AI penny stocks that harness artificial intelligence to reshape entire industries.</li> <li>Strengthen your income stream through these 12 dividend stocks with yields &gt; 3% that combine attractive yields with fundamentals built to last.</li> </ul> <p><em> This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. <strong>We provide commentary based on historical data     and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice.</strong> It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your     financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data.     Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.     Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.</em></p><div><p>Mobile Infrastructure for Defense and Disaster</p><p>The next wave in robotics isn't humanoid. Its fully autonomous towers delivering 5G, ISR, and radar in under 30 minutes, anywhere.</p><p>Get the investor briefing before the next round of contracts</p><p><span>Sponsored On Behalf of CiTech</span></p></div></div></div>

FAST

<p>Fastenal (FAST) has seen a 17% increase year-to-date despite a recent 12% decline, prompting investors to reassess its valuation. Analysts have a consensus price target of $44.35, with some seeing it as undervalued at $43.46. However, its high P/E ratio of 39.1x compared to peers suggests limited room for error. The article encourages investors to explore other opportunities and provides a general analysis without offering specific financial advice.</p>

Fastenal (FAST): Reassessing Valuation After Recent Pullback and Strong Multi‑Year Shareholder Returns