Royal Bank of Canada Trims Stock Position in Fastenal Company $FAST

Royal Bank of Canada trimmed its holdings in shares of Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FASTFree Report) by 4.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,847,992 shares of the company’s stock after selling 345,306 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada’s holdings in Fastenal were worth $364,146,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Fastenal in the fourth quarter valued at $496,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC raised its stake in Fastenal by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 6,276 shares of the company’s stock valued at $487,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in Fastenal in the 2nd quarter valued at about $158,000. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in Fastenal in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,199,000. Finally, Cary Street Partners Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Fastenal by 111.0% during the 2nd quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC now owns 3,367 shares of the company’s stock worth $141,000 after purchasing an additional 1,771 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.38% of the company’s stock.

Fastenal Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of FAST opened at $48.10 on Wednesday. Fastenal Company has a fifty-two week low of $38.97 and a fifty-two week high of $50.63. The company’s fifty day moving average is $46.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.48. The firm has a market cap of $55.19 billion, a PE ratio of 40.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 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.

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

Fastenal Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 28th. This is an increase from Fastenal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. Fastenal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 81.36%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on FAST shares. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Fastenal from $48.00 to $55.00 in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Fastenal from $47.00 to $46.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $55.00 price target on Fastenal and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Fastenal in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $46.00 target price on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $48.83.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on FAST

Fastenal Company Profile

(Free Report)

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.

Further Reading

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Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST)

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