The stock of Fastenal Co (NASDAQ: FAST) has increased by 0.81 when compared to last closing price of 83.08. Despite this, the company has experienced a 2.38% gain in its stock price over the last five trading sessions. zacks.com reported 2024-11-15 that The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Fastenal, Beacon Roofing Supply and Tecnoglass have been highlighted in this Industry Outlook article.
Is It Worth Investing in Fastenal Co (NASDAQ: FAST) Right Now?
Fastenal Co (NASDAQ: FAST) has a higher price-to-earnings ratio of 41.62x compared to its average ratio. FAST has 36-month beta value of 0.99. Analysts have mixed views on the stock, with 3 analysts rating it as a “buy,” 6 as “overweight,” 12 as “hold,” and 2 as “sell.”
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The public float for FAST is 571.74M, and currently, short sellers hold a 2.32% ratio of that float. The average trading volume of FAST on November 26, 2024 was 2.59M shares.
FAST’s Market Performance
The stock of Fastenal Co (FAST) has seen a 2.38% increase in the past week, with a 10.42% rise in the past month, and a 23.74% gain in the past quarter. The volatility ratio for the week is 1.23%, and the volatility levels for the past 30 days are at 1.64% for FAST. The simple moving average for the past 20 days is 2.88% for FAST’s stock, with a 18.45% simple moving average for the past 200 days.
Analysts’ Opinion of FAST
BofA Securities, on the other hand, stated in their research note that they expect to see FAST reach a price target of $85. The rating they have provided for FAST stocks is “Buy” according to the report published on October 07th, 2024.
Morgan Stanley gave a rating of “Equal-Weight” to FAST, setting the target price at $72 in the report published on September 06th of the current year.
FAST Trading at 9.43% from the 50-Day Moving Average
After a stumble in the market that brought FAST to its low price for the period of the last 52 weeks, the company was unable to rebound, for now settling with -1.33% of loss for the given period.
Volatility was left at 1.64%, however, over the last 30 days, the volatility rate increased by 1.23%, as shares surge +9.23% for the moving average over the last 20 days. Over the last 50 days, in opposition, the stock is trading +19.49% upper at present.
During the last 5 trading sessions, FAST rose by +2.38%, which changed the moving average for the period of 200-days by +19.61% in comparison to the 20-day moving average, which settled at $81.41. In addition, Fastenal Co saw 29.30% in overturn over a single year, with a tendency to cut further gains.
Insider Trading
Reports are indicating that there were more than several insider trading activities at FAST starting from JAMES C. JANSEN, who proposed sale 19,564 shares at the price of $83.08 back on Nov 22 ’24. After this action, JAMES C. JANSEN now owns shares of Fastenal Co, valued at $1,625,279 using the latest closing price.
Miller Charles S., the SENIOR EXECUTIVE VP of Fastenal Co, sale 23,480 shares at $83.92 during a trade that took place back on Nov 13 ’24, which means that Miller Charles S. is holding 0 shares at $1,970,393 based on the most recent closing price.
Stock Fundamentals for FAST
Current profitability levels for the company are sitting at:
- 0.2 for the present operating margin
- 0.44 for the gross margin
The net margin for Fastenal Co stands at 0.15. The total capital return value is set at 0.38. Equity return is now at value 32.70, with 24.74 for asset returns.
Based on Fastenal Co (FAST), the company’s capital structure generated 0.06 points at debt to capital in total, while cash flow to debt ratio is standing at 5.19. The debt to equity ratio resting at 0.07. The interest coverage ratio of the stock is 199.88.
Currently, EBITDA for the company is 1.71 billion with net debt to EBITDA at 0.14. When we switch over and look at the enterprise to sales, we see a ratio of 6.45. The receivables turnover for the company is 6.23for trailing twelve months and the total asset turnover is 1.58. The liquidity ratio also appears to be rather interesting for investors as it stands at 4.40.
Conclusion
To put it simply, Fastenal Co (FAST) has had a better performance in recent times. Analysts have a bullish opinion on the stock, with some rating it as a “buy” and others as a “hold”. It is worth mentioning that the stock is currently trading in close proximity to its 50-day moving average and its 52-week high.
