Analyst’s Ratings on Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST)

Analysts are weighing in on how Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST) , might perform in the near term. Wall Street analysts have a much less favorable assessment of the stock, with a mean rating of 2.8. The stock is rated as buy by 0 analysts, with 2 outperform and 15 hold rating. The rating score is on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 stands for strong buy and 5 stands for strong sell.

For the current quarter, the 14.00 analysts offering adjusted EPS forecast have a consensus estimate of $0.48 a share, which would compare with $0.48 in the same quarter last year. They have a high estimate of $0.50 and a low estimate of $0.46. Revenue for the period is expected to total nearly $1.02B from $997.83M the year-ago period.

For the full year, 19.00 Wall Street analysts forecast this company would deliver earnings of 1.82 per share, with a high estimate of $1.87 and a low estimate of $1.77. It had reported earnings per share of $1.77 in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Revenue for the period is expected to total nearly $4.02B versus 3.87B in the preceding year.

The analysts project the company to maintain annual growth of around 11.28% percent over the next five years as compared to an average growth rate of 10.57% percent expected for its competitors in the same industry.

Among the 7 analysts Data provided by Thomson/First Call tracks, the 12-month average price target for FAST is $45.43 but some analysts are projecting the price to go as high as $50.00. If the optimistic analysts are correct, that represents a 10 percent upside potential from the recent closing price of $45.35. Some sell-side analysts, particularly the bearish ones, have called for $38.00 price targets on shares of Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST) .

In the last reported results, the company reported earnings of $0.48 per share, while analysts were calling for share earnings of $0.47. It was an earnings surprise of 2.10%percent. In the matter of earnings surprises, the term Cockroach Effect is often implied. Cockroach Effect is a market theory that suggests that when a company reveals bad news to the public, there may be many more related negative events that have yet to be revealed. In the case of earnings surprises, if a company is suggesting a negative earnings surprise it means there are more to come.

Fastenal Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the wholesale distribution of industrial and construction supplies in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It offers fasteners, and other industrial and construction supplies primarily under the Fastenal name. The companys fastener products include threaded fasteners, such as bolts, nuts, screws, studs, and related washers, which are used in manufactured products and building projects, as well as in the maintenance and repair of machines and structures. It also offers miscellaneous supplies and hardware, including various pins and machinery keys, concrete anchors, metal framing systems, wire ropes, strut products, rivets, and related accessories. The company serves the manufacturing market comprising original equipment manufacturers, maintenance, repair, and operations; and non-residential construction market, which include general, electrical, plumbing, sheet metal, and road contractors. It also serves farmers, truckers, railroads, mining companies, schools, and retail trades; and oil exploration, production, and refinement companies, as well as federal, state, and local governmental entities. The company distributes its products through a network of approximately 2,600 company owned stores. Fastenal Company was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Winona, Minnesota.