Fastenal stock holds steady as UBS maintains Neutral rating on strong sales

Published 15/07/2025, 15:38
Fastenal stock holds steady as UBS maintains Neutral rating on strong sales

Investing.com - UBS maintained its Neutral rating and $41.00 price target on Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST), currently trading at $45.48 and near its 52-week high of $46.04, following the company’s positive quarterly performance that showed accelerating sales growth. According to InvestingPro analysis, the stock appears to be trading above its Fair Value, with multiple valuation metrics suggesting premium pricing.

Daily sales growth at Fastenal accelerated to 9.8% year over year, improving from 9.3% in May and 6.5% in April, slightly exceeding UBS’s expectation of 9.5% growth. The industrial distributor reported overall quarterly sales growth of 8.6% year over year, contributing to its impressive YTD return of 26.75%. The company maintains strong profitability with a gross margin of 45% and has consistently paid dividends for 33 consecutive years.

All three of Fastenal’s end markets and product categories experienced similar acceleration as the quarter progressed, with pricing contributing only about 1.5 percentage points to the quarterly sales growth, lower than the 2-3% UBS had anticipated.

UBS noted that Fastenal’s total number of customer sites decreased by 7% year over year while revenue increased by 8.6%, resulting in an 18% year over year increase in sales per site, reflecting the company’s strategy to pursue larger shares of its biggest customers.

The financial services firm characterized the results as partly Fastenal-specific due to its customer strategy, while also indicating a broader demand environment that "remains stable."

In other recent news, Fastenal Company reported its Q2 2025 earnings, showcasing a robust performance with earnings per share (EPS) of $0.29, exceeding the forecast of $0.28. Revenue reached $2.08 billion, marking an 8.6% year-over-year increase and surpassing expectations. Fastenal’s digital sales also expanded, now accounting for over 30% of total sales. In a related development, JPMorgan raised its price target for Fastenal to $41.00 from $38.00, maintaining a Neutral rating, citing strong margins and higher pricing projections in the fourth quarter. The company’s management reaffirmed its view on maintaining margins as price increases take effect, and JPMorgan has adjusted its 2026 profit estimates for Fastenal upward by approximately 2.5%. Despite the positive earnings report, JPMorgan noted that valuation remains a concern, with Fastenal trading at historically high levels. Fastenal anticipates double-digit sales growth in the second half of 2025 and plans to implement potential pricing actions by year-end. These developments highlight Fastenal’s ability to sustain growth amid a challenging market environment.

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