Should I buy Fastenal (FAST) stock or is it too late?

Fastenal · Industrials · price $51

⭐ What the most reliable analysts say · those who beat their sector, targets replayed on real prices

⭐ The most reliable of them, either direction: DA Davidson — 78% of its targets hit on this sector (77 calls tested). It aims for $46 (-10 %), call made on July 16, 2026, maturing on July 16, 2027 (43 d ago).

The 3 reliable analysts $46-10 %

The 2 other firms $52.50+2.7 %

How to read it: the 3 reliable firms are not filtered by optimism — 1 aim above the price, 2 below, hence their $46 median. “The 2 others” are the firms that don't pass our reliability filter on this sector.

Firm-by-firm track record on Fastenal

Here the hit rate is measured <b>on this stock specifically</b> (matured targets replayed against real prices, minimum 5 calls tested) — the green block above measures reliability <b>across the whole sector</b>, which is the criterion behind JPI selections. “Aims for” = the firm's most recent target on this stock; “—” means it hasn't published one recently.

Firm	% right	Gain vs sector	Calls	Aims for
Baird	100 %	+31.7 %	5	$50 -2%
Stifel	80 %	+9.9 %	10	$41 -20%
Barclays	14 %	-8.9 %	7	$46 -10%
Morgan Stanley	45 %	-9.2 %	11	$52 +2%

In short — Should you invest in Fastenal? Is it too late, still worth it? Analysts are split (40% buy, median target $50, i.e. -2%). But the valuation is stretched (P/E ~44). We give you both sides, with the numbers — not advice.

✅ Reasons to believe

Pays a dividend (1.9% yield) — regular income on top of potential upside.

⚠️ Reasons to hesitate

Even the most reliable firm on FAST, Baird (100% hit rate, 5 scored calls), only targets $50 (call made on April 14, 2026, maturing on April 14, 2027) (-2%) in its most recent call, and $52 (call made on March 6, 2026, maturing on March 6, 2027) (+2%) in the one coming due soonest. The stock may already have run past its target.
The consensus is not unanimous: of 5 ratings, 3 are neutral.
Limited upside: the median target is only -2% from the current price.
High valuation (P/E ~44): strong growth is already "priced in", leaving little room for error.
A 12-month target is not a guaranteed path: the price can fall in the meantime.

The analyst consensus on FAST

Median target $50 (-2%) · 5 ratings · Hold consensus

Strong Buy00%

Buy240%

Hold360%

Sell00%

Strong Sell00%

⚠️ Information, not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Analyst targets on a ~12-month horizon.

Frequently asked questions

Should you invest in Fastenal now?

We won't decide for you. The facts: 40% of analysts rate it a buy, median target $50 (-2%), and Baird (most reliable on FAST, 100%) targets $50. Weigh that against valuation (P/E ~44). This is not personalized advice.

Is it too late to invest in Fastenal?

The stated upside is small: the median target ($50) sits just -2% from the price ($51) (most reliable on FAST: Baird, 100%). The real question isn't "too late" but the price-to-value gap and risk. Not advice.

Is Fastenal still worth investing in?

It depends on the gap between the price ($51) and its estimated value: analysts target $50 on median (-2%), with 40% buys (most reliable on FAST: Baird, 100%). Cross-check with their real reliability on FAST and the cautions above. Information, not advice.

What's the main risk in buying FAST?

Even the most reliable firm on FAST, Baird (100% hit rate, 5 scored calls), only targets $50 (call made on April 14, 2026, maturing on April 14, 2027) (-2%) in its most recent call, and $52 (call made on March 6, 2026, maturing on March 6, 2027) (+2%) in the one coming due soonest. The stock may already have run past its target.

→ Go deeper: the full Fastenal profile (consensus, analyst reliability, price target, performance).