Fastenal CoWBO:FAST +2.17%93 ROE % is 34.48% as of Mar. 2026, which is 6% above its 10-year median of 32.54. GuruFocus rates WBO:FAST with a GF Score™ of 93/100 and a GF Value™ of €36.92 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 156 Industrial Distribution companies, Fastenal Co ranks better than 95.51% on this metric.
ROE % is calculated as Net Income divided by its average Total Stockholders Equity over a certain period of time. Fastenal Co's annualized net income for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was €1,176 Mil. Fastenal Co's average Total Stockholders Equity over the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was €3,409 Mil. Therefore, Fastenal Co's annualized ROE % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 34.48%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Fastenal Co's ROE % or its related term are showing as below:
WBO:FAST'
s ROE % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 26.75 Med: 32.54 Max: 35.47
Current: 33.62
During the past 13 years, Fastenal Co's highest ROE % was 35.47%. The lowest was 26.75%. And the median was 32.54%.
WBO:FAST's ROE % is ranked better than 95.51% of 156
companies
in the Industrial Distribution industry
Industry Median: 7.235
vs WBO:FAST: 33.62
Fastenal Co (WBO:FAST) ROE % Explanation
ROE % measures the rate of return on the ownership interest (shareholder's equity) of the common stock owners. It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from every unit of shareholders' equity (also known as net assets or assets minus liabilities). ROE % shows how well a company uses investment funds to generate earnings growth. ROE %s between 15% and 20% are considered desirable.
The factors that affect a company's ROE % can be illustrated with the three-step DuPont Analysis:
Note:
The net income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data. The Revenue data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) revenue data. The same rule applies to Pre-Tax Income and Operating Income.
* In the five-step DuPont Analysis, Operating Income is only available for non-financial companies. Thus, for Insurance companies, we use EBIT as a substitution of Operating Income. For Banks, both Operating Income and EBIT is unavailable. Thus we combined Interest Burden and Operating Margin % into Pretax Margin %, and the DuPont Analysis is divided into four components instead.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Be Aware
Net Income is used.
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the equity multiplier when investing in high ROE % companies. Like ROA %, ROE % is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective.
Asset light businesses require very few assets to generate very high earnings. Their ROE %s can be extremely high.
Fastenal Co ROE % Related Terms
Fastenal Co ROE % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Fastenal Co's ROE % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Industrial Distribution subindustry, Fastenal Co's ROE %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROE % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Fastenal Co ROE % vs Industrial Distribution Industry
For the Industrial Distribution industry and Industrials sector, Fastenal Co's ROE % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Fastenal Co's ROE % falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual ROE %, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total shareholder equity over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data,
the net income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data.
ROE % is displayed in the 30-year financial page.
Fastenal Co (WBO:FAST) has a ROE % of 34.48% as of Mar. 2026. Return on equity is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total equity. View historical data on Fastenal Co and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 32.54. Over the past decade, Fastenal Co's ROE % has ranged from 26.75 to 35.47. According to the industry distribution chart, Fastenal Co ranks #7 out of 156 companies in the Industrial Distribution industry, placing it in the top 4.5%.
Is Fastenal Co's ROE % too high?
Fastenal Co's current ROE % of 34.48% is near median its 10-year median of 32.54. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 26.75 to a high of 35.47. The Industrial Distribution industry median ROE % is 7.24. Fastenal Co's value of 34.48% is 376.6% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Fastenal Co ranks #7 out of 156 companies in the Industrial Distribution industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Fastenal Co has a GF Score™ of 93/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Fastenal Co's ROE % compare to FERG and GWW?
According to the Industrial Distribution industry distribution chart, Fastenal Co ranks #7 out of 156 companies for ROE %. This places Fastenal Co in the top 5% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median ROE % is 7.24. Fastenal Co's value of 34.48% is 376.6% above this benchmark. Historically, Fastenal Co's own ROE % has ranged from 26.75 to 35.47 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 32.54 vs. the industry median of 7.24, Fastenal Co has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROE % for an Industrial Distribution company?
The median ROE % among Industrial Distribution companies is 7.24, based on 156 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROE % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROE % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Fastenal Co's current ROE % of 34.48% is 376.6% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high ROE % mean?
A high ROE % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on equity is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total equity. View historical data on Fastenal Co and its competitors. For the Industrial Distribution industry, the median ROE % is 7.24 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Fastenal Co's current ROE % is 34.48%, which is near median its own 10-year median of 32.54. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Fastenal Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Fastenal Co (WBO:FAST) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €36.92, compared to a current price of €41.19 — trading 11.6% above its estimated fair value. The current ROE % is 34.48%, which is near median its 10-year median of 32.54 and 376.6% above the Industrial Distribution industry median of 7.24. Fastenal Co's overall GF Score™ is 93/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROE % calculated?
ROE % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Fastenal Co (WBO:FAST), the current ROE % is 34.48% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Fastenal Co (WBO:FAST) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Fastenal Co stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of €41.19 is trading 11.6% above its estimated GF Value™ of €36.92.
GuruFocus considers Fastenal Co to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for WBO:FAST:
ROE %: 34.48% (near median its 10-year median of 32.54)
GF Value™: €36.92 vs. price of €41.19 (11.6% above fair value)
Industry Position: 376.6% above the Industrial Distribution median (#7 of 156)
No single metric tells the full story. See the WBO:FAST stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Fastenal began as an industrial retailer, expanding its product portfolio from nuts and bolts to cutting tools, safety equipment, and janitorial supplies. It transitioned into a distributor by building out a dense network of branches close to its business customers. Once a customer becomes large enough, Fastenal installs vending machines and its own personnel on-site. Today, these on-site locations exceed Fastenal's branch count and remain the firm's main focus for expansion. Fastenal acts as a one-stop outsourcing partner for its industrial customers, offering value-added services along with a wide breadth of maintenance, repair, and operations supplies.
93GF Score
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