- Prev close
- $52.99
- Day range
- $51.94 – $53.17
- From 52-wk high
- -3.6%
- Next earnings
- in 73 days
Fastenal’s recent move looks tied to a still-rich valuation after an earnings update that showed 13.5% revenue growth and 15.6% EPS growth, so the setup is mixed rather than clearly deteriorating.
FAST
FASTENAL CO
As of Nov 1, 2026
58/100
Worth keeping an eye onHealth ScoreWhy it moved
FAST fell -1.2% while the S&P 500 fell -1.8% and the Nasdaq 100 fell -3.5%, so the session itself was not a market-led drop. The more important context is the intraday path: it opened at $53.06, traded to $53.3, then finished at $51.91, which reads as a fade from strength rather than a broad selloff. With no peer move data supplied and recent company notes focused on earnings and valuation, the primary driver is stock-specific valuation pressure, not the macro tape.
Volatility check
This looks like ordinary-to-moderate volatility for a stock trading at 42.0 times earnings and 37.4 forward earnings, with a PEG of 3.54 — the PEG is P/E divided by growth, so it shows investors are paying 3.54 times the EPS growth rate. Fundamentals are still solid, with revenue up 1.2% YoY (TTM), the latest quarter up 1.2% YoY, EPS up 1.2% YoY (TTM), gross margin at 44.6%, operating margin at 20.5%, and net margin at 15.6%. The beta is 0.66, which points to lower-than-market sensitivity, but the valuation is rich enough that even a small move can reflect repricing rather than business deterioration.
Earnings preview
The facts supplied do not include a next earnings date, so I cannot place the report on a calendar this period. The most recent earnings snapshot was third quarter 2026, with sales of US$2,463.3 million, net income of US$401.6 million, and earnings per share of US$0.35 from continuing operations. Recent commentary says AI driven data center demand played a material role, while the market has been focused on whether the current share price properly reflects the earnings stream given the 42.0 PE and 3.54 PEG. The key items the market will want to see next are whether revenue growth stays in the 13.5% to 15.5% range, whether margins remain near 44.6% gross and 20.5% operating, and whether AI-related data center demand continues to support order flow.
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