Is Now The Time To Look At Buying Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST)?

Let's talk about the popular Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST). The company's shares saw a decent share price growth of 14% on the NASDAQGS over the last few months. The company's trading levels have approached the yearly peak, following the recent bounce in the share price. As a large-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company’s outlook is already priced into the stock. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at Fastenal’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists.

We've discovered 1 warning sign about Fastenal. View them for free.

What's The Opportunity In Fastenal?

Fastenal appears to be expensive according to our price multiple model, which makes a comparison between the company's price-to-earnings ratio and the industry average. In this instance, we’ve used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock’s cash flows. We find that Fastenal’s ratio of 40.5x is above its peer average of 19.96x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the Trade Distributors industry. If you like the stock, you may want to keep an eye out for a potential price decline in the future. Since Fastenal’s share price is quite volatile, this could mean it can sink lower (or rise even further) in the future, giving us another chance to invest. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market.

Check out our latest analysis for Fastenal

What does the future of Fastenal look like?

Future outlook is an important aspect when you’re looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Although value investors would argue that it’s the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. With profit expected to grow by 31% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Fastenal. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? FAST’s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above industry price multiples. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question – should I sell? If you believe FAST should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards the industry PE ratio can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping tabs on FAST for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for FAST, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

If you want to dive deeper into Fastenal, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Fastenal you should know about.

If you are no longer interested in Fastenal, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.