Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) Director Hsenghung Sam Hsu Purchases 1,000 Shares

Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST) Director Hsenghung Sam Hsu purchased 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $49.58 per share, for a total transaction of $49,580.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 10,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $495,800. This trade represents a 11.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Hsenghung Sam Hsu also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, October 16th, Hsenghung Sam Hsu acquired 1,000 shares of Fastenal stock. The stock was acquired at an average price of $42.45 per share, with a total value of $42,450.00.

Fastenal Stock Down 0.7%

FAST traded down $0.30 during trading on Friday, reaching $40.45. The company had a trading volume of 6,339,112 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,555,445. The company has a market cap of $46.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.80, a PEG ratio of 3.75 and a beta of 0.92. Fastenal Company has a 12 month low of $35.31 and a 12 month high of $50.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 4.26 and a quick ratio of 2.19. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $44.89 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.37.

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 14th. The company reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.30 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $2.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.13 billion. Fastenal had a return on equity of 32.69% and a net margin of 15.34%.The company’s revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.26 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Fastenal Company will post 2.15 EPS for the current year.

Fastenal Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 28th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 28th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Fastenal’s payout ratio is presently 82.24%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on FAST. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Fastenal from $41.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 4th. Northcoast Research initiated coverage on Fastenal in a report on Thursday, August 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Barclays dropped their target price on Fastenal from $45.00 to $44.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Wolfe Research upgraded Fastenal from an “underperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating and set a $43.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Fastenal in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.32.

Institutional Trading of Fastenal

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. 1248 Management LLC purchased a new stake in Fastenal in the 1st quarter worth $36,000. Riverview Trust Co increased its holdings in shares of Fastenal by 100.0% in the second quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 584 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. lifted its position in shares of Fastenal by 71.6% in the third quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 611 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Fastenal in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new position in Fastenal during the first quarter valued at approximately $49,000. 81.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Fastenal Company Profile

Fastenal Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the wholesale distribution of industrial and construction supplies in the United States, Canada, Mexico, North America, and internationally. It offers fasteners, and related industrial and construction supplies under the Fastenal name. The company’s fastener products include threaded fasteners, bolts, nuts, screws, studs, and related washers that are used in manufactured products and construction projects, as well as in the maintenance and repair of machines.