Analyst Consensus ?
ConsensusHold30 ratings
Bullish1136.7%
Neutral1756.7%
Bearish26.6%
1 unmapped firm rating excluded from the percentages.
Fastenal Company · FAST · FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026
Fastenal sales growth and margin gains lead Q3 update
Fastenal’s Q3 analysis supports a constructive operating picture: share gains, digital adoption and productivity drove strong sales and margin performance. The thesis is less certain beyond the quarter because management did not provide explicit forward growth or margin guidance and highlighted price/cost, mix and fuel risks.
Reported Before market openNASDAQIndustrials
$59.02B market cap
80quality score
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensus
Reported EPS
—
Consensus $0.34
EPS surprise
—
Reported versus consensus
Reported revenue
—
Consensus $2.44B
Revenue surprise
—
Reported versus consensus
Market reaction
prior-close to event-session close
Stock move
+1.1%
Event window
SPY move
-1.2%
Same window
Abnormal move
+2.3%
Stock minus SPY
Volume
2.8×
Versus trailing sessions
Subsequent drift
0.0%
Up to 20 sessions
FASTSPY benchmark
Ask FN2 about FAST FY2026 Q3
Transcript, numbers and history already loaded
What drove FAST's +1.1% move after FY2026 Q3 earnings?What changed in FAST's guidance and outlook in FY2026 Q3?Give me the bull and bear case for FAST after FY2026 Q3 earnings.
Free account. Your question opens in FN2 with this report's transcript and numbers attached.
Transcript intelligence
What changed
Compared with the prior quarter, Fastenal’s reported sales growth accelerated from 14.7% to 15.5%, operating margin expanded to 21.5%, and management disclosed a small AI-related acquisition. Digital sales were 61.4% of total sales, while the company continued to emphasize key-account expansion, FMI adoption and higher planned investment in hubs and automation.
Guidance delta
Management did not provide explicit forward margin or growth-rate guidance. It cited a full-year target of 27,000–29,000 weighted FMI device signings and plans for $310–$330 million of full-year capex.
Key takeaways
- Sales increased 15.5% year over year, driven by key-account wins and contract growth.
- Operating margin expanded 90 basis points to 21.5%, supported by SG&A leverage and productivity.
- Digital sales reached 61.4% of total sales, while FMI adoption continued to expand.
- Management highlighted pricing, mix, fuel costs and potentially nonrecurring timing benefits as pressure points.
Management priorities
- Expand FASTBin, FASTVend, FMI and FAST 360 adoption
- Continue data-center pods and on-site solutions
- Invest in hubs, automation, transportation assets and IT
- Use the AI-related acquisition to improve quoting and inventory optimization
Follow FAST with an agent that reads every filing, transcript, and price print. Free to start.
Try FN2 freeEarnings History
Estimate
Beat
Miss
Match
Analyst 52W Price Targets
$52Current
$42Low
$54.4Average
$86High
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted current price from FN2's market snapshot as of Oct 14, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.
Firm-level rating actions
FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.
| Firm | Rating | Prior rating | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Stanley | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Jul 16, 2026 |
| Barclays | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Jul 16, 2026 |
| DA Davidson | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jul 15, 2026 |
| Baird | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Apr 14, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Dec 15, 2025 |
| Wolfe Research | Underperform | Peer Perform | Downgrade | Nov 13, 2025 |
| JP Morgan | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Sep 4, 2025 |
| Stephens & Co. | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Jul 15, 2025 |
| Loop Capital | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Jul 8, 2025 |
| William Blair | Outperform | Market Perform | Upgrade | Mar 10, 2025 |
| Stifel | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Jan 21, 2025 |
| HSBC | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Apr 15, 2024 |
| Argus Research | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 15, 2022 |
| UBS | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jul 14, 2022 |
| Wells Fargo | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Apr 14, 2022 |
| Raymond James | Underperform | Market Perform | Downgrade | Sep 8, 2020 |
| Deutsche Bank | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 27, 2020 |
| Buckingham Research | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jan 21, 2020 |
| Buckingham | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Jan 21, 2020 |
| KeyBanc | Overweight | Downgrade | Feb 12, 2019 | |
| Longbow Research | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Dec 4, 2018 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Jul 13, 2018 |
| Argus | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | May 5, 2018 |
| Credit Suisse | Outperform | Neutral | Upgrade | Apr 19, 2017 |
| Avondale Partners | Market Outperform | Market Perform | Upgrade | Jan 12, 2017 |
| Susquehanna | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | Aug 27, 2015 |
| Northcoast Research | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Apr 7, 2015 |
| Cleveland Research | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Apr 7, 2015 |
| Edward Jones | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Jul 28, 2014 |
| Wunderlich Securities | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Oct 12, 2012 |
| Wunderlich | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Oct 12, 2012 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted current price $52. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D.A. Davidson | Chris Dankert | $51 | $50.78 | -1.9% | Oct 13, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | David Manthey | $54 | $51.22 | +3.8% | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Christopher Snyder | $52 | $45.36 | +0.0% | Jul 16, 2026 |
| Redburn Partners | William Blunt | $55 | $46.49 | +5.8% | Jul 13, 2026 |
| Wolfe Research | Analyst unavailable | $47 | $46.13 | -9.6% | Jul 9, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $48 | $47.11 | -7.7% | Jul 8, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $47 | $48.6 | -9.6% | Jul 6, 2026 |
| D.A. Davidson | Analyst unavailable | $46 | $46.1 | -11.5% | Jun 15, 2026 |
| Barclays | Guy Hardwick | $46 | $44.73 | -11.5% | Jun 3, 2026 |
| Bernstein | Analyst unavailable | $42 | $45.8 | -19.2% | Apr 14, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | David Manthey | $50 | $45.8 | -3.8% | Apr 14, 2026 |
| Raymond James | Analyst unavailable | $48 | $47.16 | -7.7% | Mar 5, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Chris Snyder | $45 | $47.75 | -13.5% | Mar 5, 2026 |
| Robert W. Baird | David Manthey | $51 | $47.87 | -1.9% | Feb 6, 2026 |
| UBS | Amit Mehrotra | $46 | $44.11 | -11.5% | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $43 | $42.62 | -17.3% | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Stephen Volkmann | $52 | $42 | +0.0% | Dec 15, 2025 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $45 | $42.33 | -13.5% | Oct 14, 2025 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $49 | $47.45 | -5.8% | Oct 7, 2025 |
| Morgan Stanley | Chris Snyder | $40 | $43.13 | -23.1% | Jul 3, 2025 |
| Morgan Stanley | Christopher Snyder | $76 | $77.16 | +46.2% | Oct 14, 2024 |
| Loop Capital Markets | Chris Dankert | $72 | $76.82 | +38.5% | Oct 14, 2024 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Brian Butler | $86 | $76.82 | +65.4% | Oct 14, 2024 |
| Robert W. Baird | David Manthey | $80 | $76.82 | +53.8% | Oct 14, 2024 |
| Stephens | Tommy Moll | $75 | $76.82 | +44.2% | Oct 14, 2024 |
| Stephens | Tommy Moll | $56 | $70.55 | +7.7% | Oct 10, 2024 |
| Morgan Stanley | Christopher Snyder | $72 | $65.18 | +38.5% | Sep 6, 2024 |
| Jefferies | Stephen Volkmann | $74 | $63.88 | +42.3% | Jun 6, 2024 |
| Robert W. Baird | David Manthey | $67 | $64.76 | +28.8% | May 29, 2024 |
| Loop Capital Markets | Chris Dankert | $66 | $70.45 | +26.9% | Apr 15, 2024 |
| HSBC | Wesley Brooks | $64 | $70.45 | +23.1% | Apr 15, 2024 |
| Wolfe Research | Nigel Coe | $62 | $69.97 | +19.2% | Apr 12, 2024 |
| Robert W. Baird | David Manthey | $71 | $69.88 | +36.5% | Apr 12, 2024 |
| HSBC | Wesley Brooks | $59 | $75.9 | +13.5% | Apr 10, 2024 |
| Robert W. Baird | David Manthey | $57 | $55.85 | +9.6% | Oct 11, 2023 |
| Jefferies | Stephen Volkmann | $50 | $52.56 | -3.8% | Apr 13, 2023 |
| UBS | Chris Snyder | $50 | $48.3 | -3.8% | Jul 26, 2022 |
| Robert W. Baird | David Manthey | $48 | $47.32 | -7.7% | Jul 14, 2022 |
Track every rating change on FAST the moment it posts. Free to start.
Start freeCompany context
Snapshot as of publicationFastenal Company, along with its associated entities, operates as a global wholesale supplier of industrial and construction materials, with significant operations throughout North America, including the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and other international markets. Branded as Fastenal, the company offers a comprehensive range of fasteners, such as threaded bolts, nuts, screws, studs, and washers, which are vital for manufacturing processes, building developments, and equipment servicing. Beyond fasteners, its product catalog extends to diverse hardware and miscellaneous items like pins, machinery keys, concrete anchors, metal framing systems, wire ropes, strut products, and rivets, along with their related accessories.…
Historical context
All FAST earningsIndustrials peers this season
Latest reports in the same sector| Company | Quarter | EPS surprise | Market move | Headline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL Delta Air Lines, Inc. | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026 | -2.8% | +0.0% | Delta reports strong Q3 demand while costs and capacity remain key watchpoints |
Latest beats and misses
Who reports nextBeat on EPS
Missed on EPS
Get the FAST recap when the next report posts
One email per quarter with the scorecard, the market reaction and what changed on the call. No account needed.
Sources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-10-14T20:04:25.521916+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-10-14T01:23:13.658205+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-10-14T20:10:42.831737+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-10-14T20:10:42.829099+00:00
Methodology
Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.
Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.
Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.
By FN2 Research · Updated · As of 2026-10-14. For educational purposes only; not investment advice.