FAST - Fastenal Company
| Previous Close | 36.24 |
| Open | 36.21 |
| Bid | 0.00 x 1000 |
| Ask | 0.00 x 1200 |
| Day's Range | 35.97 - 37.74 |
| 52 Week Range | 24.60 - 37.91 |
| Volume | 6002956 |
| Avg. Volume | 4,536,492 |
| Market Cap | 22B |
| Beta (5Y Monthly) | 1.23 |
| PE Ratio (TTM) | 27.62 |
| EPS (TTM) | 1.36 |
| Earnings Date | Jan 17, 2020 |
| Forward Dividend & Yield | 0.88 (2.43%) |
| Ex-Dividend Date | 2019-10-24 |
| 1y Target Est | 34.63 |
- Bloomberg
You Bought the Trade Rumor. Is It Time to Sell the News?
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Markets are cheering trade progress between the U.S. and China. It’s important to note that a deal isn’t a cure-all — especially for manufacturers.President Donald Trump reportedly signed off late Thursday on an initial trade deal with China that will delay proposed tariffs on some $160 billion of largely consumer goods set to take effect on Dec. 15. The deal presented to Trump also included promises by China to purchase additional U.S. agricultural goods, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News. A rollback of existing tariffs on $360 billion of Chinese goods was said to have been “discussed,” but it’s unclear whether Trump agreed to a reduction and and unknown as to how significant it might be.China has balked at previous agreements that it felt were too lopsided and the removal of tariffs was a top priority. Without that, this deal would appear to be less of a “phase-one” agreement and more of a “phase 0.5” deal. But assuming some semblance of an accord finally limps across the finish line, where do industrial stocks go from here?Manufacturers bore the brunt of the initial tariff crossfire, while the uncertainty wrought by the upheaval in relations between the world’s two biggest economies has slowed customer spending to a crawl. Large manufacturers have been relatively constrained so far in their efforts to cut costs, a sign that they believe demand is being artificially restrained by the trade tensions and could bounce back meaningfully in short order. At the same time, the S&P 500 Industrial Index hit reached an all-time high on Nov. 26 and the actual slowdown in most manufacturers’ sales has been relatively shallow. Industrial distributor Fastenal Co., which sits on the front lines of any economic swings, last week said November daily sales rose 5.7% from a year earlier. That’s a deceleration from the pace of growth at the start of the year, but still relatively healthy, meaning there may not be much room to bounce higher.It’s worth remembering that Caterpillar Inc.’s infamous warning of the “high water-mark” for profits actually came in April 2018, and its guidance at the time excluded potential impacts from increased trade restrictions. The immediately subsequent share plunge was as much a reflection of fears around cyclical peaks as it was the trade war. Since then, tariffs have obviously compounded concerns about an industrial slowdown, but there’s an argument to be made that they also added noise and distraction to a slowdown that was already in the process of happening naturally. Point being, there has been nothing normal about this industrial business cycle and the recovery from here remains a question mark.Trade deal or not, tariff rollback or not, plenty of uncertainty still lingers. Left out of the initial agreement are any commitments around the U.S.’s primary reasons for starting this trade war in the first place, including reforms to China’s industrial subsidies, improved foreign access to certain markets and a loosening of technology-transfer requirements. If I was an industrial CEO — or head of any company, frankly, with substantial business operations in China — plan A would not be to assume the waters remain calm. This trade war will continue to unleash a rethinking of supply chains as companies try to gird against future skirmishes, and that may continue to hinder purchasing decisions. And while settlement of Brexit would be a positive development, the impeachment inquiry in the U.S. is still progressing and the 2020 presidential election looms large.After aggressively buying rumor after rumor on the trade front, this may be a situation where industrial investors should sell the actual news.To contact the author of this story: Brooke Sutherland at bsutherland7@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Beth Williams at bewilliams@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Brooke Sutherland is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering deals and industrial companies. She previously wrote an M&A column for Bloomberg News.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
- Zacks
Fastenal (FAST) November Sales Beat Normal Seasonal Patterns
After missing normal seasonal patterns in October by 250 bps, Fastenal (FAST) beats the seasonality by 90 bps in November.
- Insider Monkey
Is Fastenal Company (FAST) A Good Stock To Buy?
"Since 2006, value stocks (IVE vs IVW) have underperformed 11 of the 13 calendar years and when they beat growth, it wasn't by much. Cumulatively, through this week, it has been a 122% differential (up 52% for value vs up 174% for growth). This appears to be the longest and most severe drought for value […]
- Simply Wall St.
Do Fastenal's (NASDAQ:FAST) Earnings Warrant Your Attention?
It's only natural that many investors, especially those who are new to the game, prefer to buy shares in 'sexy' stocks...
- Zacks
Here's Why the Home Depot (HD) Stock Still Holds Potential
Home Depot (HD) loses momentum on the recent dismal top-line performance in third-quarter fiscal 2019. However, its earnings beat streak and strategic investments create positive sentiments.
- Zacks
Fastenal Benefits From Industrial Vending & Onsite Locations
Fastenal (FAST) is benefiting from higher unit demand driven by the industrial vending business and onsite locations.
- Zacks
GMS' Q2 Earnings to Benefit From Cost Synergies, High Demand
Pricing improvement and solid cost-saving initiatives are likely to reflect on GMS' fiscal Q2 results.
- Zacks
Fastenal (FAST) Moves to Buy: Rationale Behind the Upgrade
Fastenal (FAST) might move higher on growing optimism about its earnings prospects, which is reflected by its upgrade to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy).
- Investor's Business Daily
10 Top Stocks Are Likely To Take Off Before Year's End
The S&P; 500 is up a powerful 24.1% this year — and that's good news for the future, if history is a guide. A handful of stocks positively show why.
- Zacks
Zacks Earnings Trends Highlights: Fastenal, United Rentals, Caterpillar, Texas Instruments and Hasbro
Zacks Earnings Trends Highlights: Fastenal, United Rentals, Caterpillar, Texas Instruments and Hasbro
- Zacks
Beacon Roofing's Q4 Earnings to Benefit From Cost Synergies
Beacon Roofing Supply's (BECN) fiscal Q4 earnings are likely to have benefited from cost synergies & strong residential roofing demand. Yet, high costs might reflect on its results.
- GuruFocus.com
Investing Based on Your Own Analysis
Some thoughts on short-term results and analyst reports Continue reading...
- Zacks
GMS or FAST: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
GMS vs. FAST: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
- GuruFocus.com
Bad Picks or Bad Models: The Future of Value
A final look back at the debate about the history - and future - of value investing Continue reading...
- GuruFocus.com
8 Undervalued Stocks Diamond Hill Capital Continues to Buy
Biadu and Deere make the list Continue reading...
- Simply Wall St.
Is Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST) A Smart Pick For Income Investors?
Today we'll take a closer look at Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST) from a dividend investor's perspective. Owning a...
- Zacks
Home Depot Q3 Earnings Preview: Buy Surging HD Stock Near New Highs?
Home Depot stock is up more than 22% in the past six months to easily outpace its industry's 6% average climb and the S&P 500's 10% expansion. So is it time to buy HD before its Q3 earnings release?
- Barrons.com
The Rust Belt Is the Next Hot Spot for Stocks. Check Out Cummins and 3 More.
It looks as if Wall Street believes the worse is past for industrial stocks. After a period of weakening demand, things are looking up.
- Zacks
Fastenal (FAST) Up 19.5% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?
Fastenal (FAST) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock? We take a look at earnings estimates for some clues.
