KBC Group NV Acquires 43,881 Shares of Fastenal Company $FAST

KBC Group NV raised its holdings in shares of Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST) by 21.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 253,151 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 43,881 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Fastenal were worth $11,747,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Fastenal during the fourth quarter valued at $646,046,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Fastenal by 243.5% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 12,095,194 shares of the company’s stock worth $485,380,000 after buying an additional 8,574,208 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in Fastenal by 106.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 15,431,393 shares of the company’s stock worth $648,118,000 after buying an additional 7,943,217 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Fastenal by 14.0% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 18,215,875 shares of the company’s stock valued at $893,307,000 after acquiring an additional 2,242,116 shares during the period. Finally, Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich boosted its holdings in shares of Fastenal by 1,039.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 2,337,722 shares of the company’s stock valued at $94,253,000 after acquiring an additional 2,132,593 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on FAST. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “underperform” rating on shares of Fastenal in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $55.00 target price on shares of Fastenal and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Fastenal from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $48.83.

Fastenal Trading Up 0.7%

Fastenal stock opened at $45.33 on Thursday. Fastenal Company has a 52-week low of $38.97 and a 52-week high of $50.63. The company has a market cap of $52.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 4.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $45.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $45.30.

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.33. Fastenal had a net margin of 15.45% and a return on equity of 34.03%. The company had revenue of $2.39 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.34 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.29 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 14.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Fastenal Company will post 1.25 EPS for the current year.

Fastenal Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 28th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. This is a boost from Fastenal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. Fastenal’s dividend payout ratio is 81.36%.

More Fastenal News

Here are the key news stories impacting Fastenal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Fastenal’s dividend profile is drawing interest as the company was highlighted among high-yield, stable cash flow names, reinforcing its appeal for income-focused investors. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage says Fastenal is extending industrial sales growth through contract wins and digital tools, suggesting its business model is still gaining traction. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s dividend increase and links to data-center-driven demand add to the bullish case, with investors viewing Fastenal as a beneficiary of long-term industrial infrastructure spending. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are offering mixed views, with one note focusing on whether Fastenal’s premium valuation is justified by growth and execution. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also watching the Q2 2026 earnings call transcript for guidance on margins, demand trends, and management’s outlook. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Fastenal’s international revenue mix is being reviewed as a factor that could affect stability and future growth, but the impact is more analytical than immediately market-moving. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Several reports warn that margin pressure and rising costs remain a key risk, which could limit upside if growth slows. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Another note said Fastenal’s stock has been lagging some peers, indicating recent relative underperformance versus competitors. Article Title

Fastenal Profile

Fastenal (NASDAQ: FAST) is a wholesale distributor of industrial and construction supplies, best known for its broad assortment of fasteners such as bolts, nuts, screws and anchors. Founded in Winona, Minnesota, Fastenal has grown from a regional supplier into a national and international distributor serving a wide range of end markets, including manufacturing, construction, maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), and government customers. The company is publicly traded and operates through a network of locally staffed branches combined with national distribution capabilities.

Product offerings extend beyond fasteners to include tools, safety and personal protective equipment, power transmission components, cutting and welding supplies, janitorial and material handling items, and other industrial consumables.