Neuberger Berman Group LLC Has $51.93 Million Stock Position in Fastenal Company $FAST

Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased its position in shares of Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST) by 1,101.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,058,926 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 970,773 shares during the period. Neuberger Berman Group LLC owned 0.09% of Fastenal worth $51,930,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Fastenal by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 151,515,539 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,430,322,000 after purchasing an additional 2,346,045 shares during the period. National Pension Service increased its position in Fastenal by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 1,558,579 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,433,000 after buying an additional 53,888 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in Fastenal by 6.3% in the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 3,713,469 shares of the company’s stock worth $181,626,000 after buying an additional 219,154 shares during the period. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Fastenal by 7,923.2% during the third quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,268,795 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,222,000 after buying an additional 1,252,981 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BlueStem Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Fastenal during the third quarter worth approximately $634,000. 81.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Reyne K. Wisecup sold 36,920 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 40,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,893,600. This represents a 48.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Scott Satterlee sold 15,964 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.19, for a total transaction of $705,449.16. Following the transaction, the director owned 50,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,209,500. This represents a 24.20% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Fastenal Stock Performance

FAST opened at $46.46 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $44.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $44.31. The company has a current ratio of 4.85, a quick ratio of 2.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The stock has a market cap of $53.35 billion, a PE ratio of 42.24, a P/E/G ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.88. Fastenal Company has a 1 year low of $35.31 and a 1 year high of $50.63.

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.26. Fastenal had a return on equity of 32.83% and a net margin of 15.35%.The firm had revenue of $2.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.04 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.46 earnings per share. Fastenal’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Fastenal Company will post 2.15 EPS for the current year.

Fastenal Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 29th were issued a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 29th. This is a positive change from Fastenal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Fastenal’s payout ratio is 87.27%.

Fastenal News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Fastenal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: February sales acceleration beat expectations, showing continued demand momentum that supports revenue growth and could underpin further upside for FAST. Fastenal’s February: Continued Sales Acceleration Tops Expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target to $52 and maintained an “outperform” rating, implying roughly double-digit upside vs. current levels — a clear near-term positive signal from a reputable sell-side firm. Baird raises Fastenal price target to $52
• Positive Sentiment: Technical/market commentary highlighted improved relative strength for Fastenal, which can attract momentum and quant-driven buying if the trend continues. Stocks generating improved relative strength: Fastenal
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays nudged its target up to $44 but kept an “equal weight” rating — a modest lift in valuation but still signaling limited near-term upside from that shop. Barclays adjusts price target on Fastenal Company to $44 from $43; maintains equal-weight rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Benzinga published an analyst-roundup summarizing where Fastenal sits with the sell-side — useful context for consensus positioning but not a single catalyst. Where Fastenal Stands With Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Published short-interest data shows an implausible “0 shares” figure and NaN increases — this appears to be a reporting glitch, so it should not be interpreted as a real rise in short interest. (No reliable article link available.)
• Negative Sentiment: Director Reyne K. Wisecup sold 36,920 shares (~$1.75M at the sale price), cutting their holding by 48%. Insider selling at this scale can spook investors even if there are benign reasons; it’s a notable near-term negative signal. Insider sale: Reyne K. Wisecup sold Fastenal shares

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Fastenal from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Fastenal from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Morgan Stanley restated a “positive” rating and issued a $45.00 price target on shares of Fastenal in a research report on Thursday. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “underperform” rating on shares of Fastenal in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $46.00 price objective on shares of Fastenal in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $48.83.

Fastenal Company 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.