Baillie Gifford & Co. Has $76.59 Million Position in Fastenal Company $FAST

Key Points

• Baillie Gifford & Co. cut its stake in Fastenal by 21.5% in Q4, selling 522,815 shares and leaving 1,908,484 shares worth about $76.59 million.
• Q1 results were in line: Fastenal reported $0.30 EPS and $2.20B revenue (up 12.4% YoY), but management warned of margin pressure from higher oil/tariffs and elevated capex, helping drive a ~6.9% stock decline and mixed analyst ratings (average "Hold", target ~$49.17).
• The company declared a $0.24 quarterly dividend (annualized $0.96, ~2.1% yield, ex‑div April 28), while insiders have been selling shares and institutional ownership remains high at ~81.4%.

Baillie Gifford & Co. cut its position in Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST - Free Report) by 21.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,908,484 shares of the company's stock after selling 522,815 shares during the quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. owned 0.17% of Fastenal worth $76,587,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in FAST. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of Fastenal by 106.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 15,431,393 shares of the company's stock valued at $648,118,000 after buying an additional 7,943,217 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Fastenal by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 151,515,539 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,430,322,000 after buying an additional 2,346,045 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 2,242,116 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Fastenal by 90.7% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,590,292 shares of the company's stock valued at $176,068,000 after purchasing an additional 1,707,396 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Fastenal by 112.1% during the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 2,771,861 shares of the company's stock valued at $116,418,000 after purchasing an additional 1,464,781 shares during the last quarter. 81.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Fastenal Trading Down 6.9%

Shares of NASDAQ FAST opened at $45.78 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 2.41 and a current ratio of 4.85. Fastenal Company has a 52-week low of $38.97 and a 52-week high of $50.63. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $46.13 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $43.76. The stock has a market cap of $52.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.84.

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 13th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.30. Fastenal had a net margin of 15.35% and a return on equity of 32.83%. The firm had revenue of $2.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.52 EPS. The company's revenue was up 12.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Fastenal Company will post 2.15 EPS for the current year.

Fastenal Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 28th will be given a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 28th. Fastenal's dividend payout ratio is 87.27%.

Insider Activity at Fastenal

In other Fastenal news, Director Reyne K. Wisecup sold 36,920 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.34, for a total value of $1,747,792.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 40,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,893,600. This represents a 48.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Scott Satterlee sold 15,964 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.19, for a total transaction of $705,449.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 50,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,209,500. This trade represents a 24.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Fastenal

Here are the key news stories impacting Fastenal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Top-line strength — Q1 sales rose ~12% to $2.20B driven by contract wins, pricing and stronger daily sales, showing demand resilience. Fastenal 1Q Sales Jump on Pricing, Contract Wins
• Positive Sentiment: Improving U.S. manufacturing exposure — executives said business has been ramping up since last summer, supporting revenue durability if production trends continue. Fastenal CEO says business has been ‘slowly ramping up’ since last summer
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings in line — GAAP EPS of $0.30 met estimates and revenue roughly matched consensus, leaving little upside surprise to immediately boost the stock. Fastenal Company Reports 2026 First Quarter Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Shareholder return maintained — company announced its quarterly dividend, keeping yield steady and supporting income-focused holders. Fastenal Company Reports 2026 First Quarter Earnings (dividend)
• Negative Sentiment: Margin squeeze from tariffs and energy — management warned that higher oil, transportation and tariff costs are outpacing the company’s ability to raise customer prices, compressing gross margin and worrying investors. Fastenal Sees Pricing Challenges From Higher Oil, Tariffs Flux
• Negative Sentiment: Higher capex and cautious outlook — Fastenal reiterated elevated 2026 capex (~$310–$330M / ~\$320M in some commentary) and called Q2 “challenging,” which raises near-term profit and free-cash-flow risk. Fastenal sees Q2 as challenging as it targets ~$320M 2026 CapEx amid tariff-driven price/cost
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and limited upside — with results in-line and clear near-term headwinds, analysts and investors signaled the stock may lack immediate upside at current premium multiples, driving selling pressure. Fastenal's Plunge Doesn't Make It Cheap Enough For An Upgrade

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FAST has been the topic of several research reports. Wolfe Research lifted their price target on shares of Fastenal from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Raymond James Financial set a $48.00 price target on shares of Fastenal in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Fastenal in a report on Friday, March 27th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Fastenal from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a "positive" rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of Fastenal in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $49.17.

About Fastenal

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.

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