The stock price of Fastenal Co (NASDAQ: FAST) has surged by 1.75 when compared to previous closing price of 74.77, but the company has seen a 6.21% gain in its stock price over the last five trading sessions. seekingalpha.com reported 2025-01-17 that Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST ) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Transcript January 17, 2025 10:00 AM ET Company Participants Taylor Ranta – Accounting Manager Dan Florness – CEO Holden Lewis – CFO Conference Call Participants Ryan Merkel – William Blair David Manthey – Baird Tommy Moll – Stephens Stephen Volkmann – Jefferies Operator Greetings, and welcome to the Fastenal 2024 Annual and Q4 Earnings Results Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode.
Is It Worth Investing in Fastenal Co (NASDAQ: FAST) Right Now?
The price-to-earnings ratio for Fastenal Co (NASDAQ: FAST) is 37.97x, which is above its average ratio. Moreover, the 36-month beta value for FAST is 1.01. Analysts have varying opinions on the stock, with 2 analysts rating it as a “buy,” 0 as “overweight,” 12 as “hold,” and 3 as “sell.”
The public float for FAST is 571.74M and currently, short sellers hold a 2.11% of that float. On January 20, 2025, FAST’s average trading volume was 2.71M shares.
FAST’s Market Performance
FAST stock saw a decrease of 6.21% in the past week, with a monthly decline of -2.64% and a quarterly a decrease of -2.17%. The volatility ratio for the week is 2.53%, and the volatility levels for the last 30 days are 2.02% for Fastenal Co (FAST). The simple moving average for the past 20 days is 3.67% for FAST’s stock, with a 6.95% simple moving average for the past 200 days.
Analysts’ Opinion of FAST
Many brokerage firms have already submitted their reports for FAST stocks, with Stifel repeating the rating for FAST by listing it as a “Hold.” The predicted price for FAST in the upcoming period, according to Stifel is $86 based on the research report published on December 11, 2024 of the previous year 2024.
HSBC Securities, on the other hand, stated in their research note that they expect to see FAST reach a price target of $70. The rating they have provided for FAST stocks is “Reduce” according to the report published on December 11th, 2024.
FAST Trading at -2.96% 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 -10.37% of loss for the given period.
Volatility was left at 2.02%, however, over the last 30 days, the volatility rate increased by 2.53%, as shares sank -2.01% for the moving average over the last 20 days. Over the last 50 days, in opposition, the stock is trading -2.24% lower at present.
During the last 5 trading sessions, FAST rose by +6.21%, which changed the moving average for the period of 200-days by -0.29% in comparison to the 20-day moving average, which settled at $73.39. In addition, Fastenal Co saw 5.80% 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 Jansen James C, who sale 19,564 shares at the price of $83.08 back on Nov 22 ’24. After this action, Jansen James C now owns 26,176 shares of Fastenal Co, valued at $1,625,279 using the latest closing price.
JAMES C. JANSEN, the Officer of Fastenal Co, proposed sale 19,564 shares at $83.08 during a trade that took place back on Nov 22 ’24, which means that JAMES C. JANSEN is holding shares at $1,625,279 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 33.04, with 25.12 for asset returns.
Based on Fastenal Co (FAST), the company’s capital structure generated 0.12 points at debt to capital in total, while cash flow to debt ratio is standing at 2.42. The debt to equity ratio resting at 0.13. The interest coverage ratio of the stock is 387.18.
Currently, EBITDA for the company is 1.51 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 5.81. The receivables turnover for the company is 6.81for trailing twelve months and the total asset turnover is 1.61. The liquidity ratio also appears to be rather interesting for investors as it stands at 4.67.
Conclusion
To wrap up, the performance of Fastenal Co (FAST) has been mixed in recent times. The stock has received a bearish of “sell” and “hold” ratings from analysts. It’s important to note that the stock is currently trading at a significant distance from its 50-day moving average and its 52-week high.
