Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST)

I gave this the green thumb on Investor Beat yesterday. Fastenal is a solid company in a tough industry today. Metalworking along with industrial demand in general is weak and they're feeling the pinch of no organic revenue growth. However Fastenal has a long history of beating the market, it's well-managed and it's fiscally fit. At 30 times normalized earnings it's not a steal, but it is worthy of consideration for investors with a long-term (5 yrs plus) time horizon.

Nasdaq in maximums.

i read the 10-q. it is like a 'core dump'. but you can understand it real easy. they just make lots of money being a distributor. with over 2000 stores, i think they know how to make their customers happy. i do not feel so bad about the 'fiscal cliff' after seeing a company like this.

I like the recent sharp decline in price on declining volume and the history of strong bounces from around this level. I also see a bounce in the industries it serves in the next quarter, but this is mostly an "oversold" play that I expect to pay off in a few weeks, and which I don't mind holding longer if it doesn't.

housing recovery, vending machines

It got a little ahead of itself, but will continue to grow with the construction recovery.

specialized

consistent best of breed in stable industry

The stock currently looks over valued but FAST will continue to be a long term win.

Not an exciting stock like an Apple or Google but kicks the market's behind for years and pays a nice little regular yield. This is a great, steady, no frills money maker.

good history safe stock

This is a great company, but so is the current valuation. The growth just doesn't justify a $13.9 billion market cap. The stock is currently overvalued by about 40 to 50 percent. Remember what a smart investor once said - "a great business is not a great investment if you pay too much for it."

no debt

298. Fastenal Co. (NASDAQ: FAST) is repping out new all-time highs like it's nobody's business. Sell. Do not think twice. The valuation here is so high that a small mis-step will result in lower prices. The chart is parabolic. Target: $30-$40. I'm betting CAPS points on this one coming back down to earth. Since when can you apply a P/E of 40+ to a company set to grow at less than 20%? Well, if your answer was: "In your dreams." You'd be right. Mark my words, Fastenal will fall below $40 in the next 5 years.

http://beta.fool.com/bradford86/2012/01/16/price-market-part-46/

Outperform

Solid business
Wide moat/durable competetive advantages
Persistent/predictble FCFs, returns on capital and profit margins
Strong balance sheet (cash, D/E, Current Ratio, etc)
Managers are competent stewards of owner capital
Currently trading well above FV
Fair value = 30.80
Moderate-High FV uncertainty
Buy with 37% MOS below 19.70
Sell now above 41.90

Awesome management

Good management, great net margin and ROI, dividned, and great projected growth.

bad technicals