Fastenal (FAST) Matches Q3 Earnings Estimates

Group 1: Earnings Performance - Fastenal reported quarterly earnings of $0.52 per share, matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate and remaining unchanged from the previous year [1] - The company posted revenues of $1.91 billion for the quarter ended September 2024, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.26% and showing a year-over-year increase from $1.85 billion [2] - Over the last four quarters, Fastenal has surpassed consensus EPS estimates only once and has topped consensus revenue estimates just once [2][1] Group 2: Stock Performance and Outlook - Fastenal shares have increased approximately 8.1% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has gained 21.2% [3] - The company's earnings outlook is crucial for investors, as it includes current consensus earnings expectations for upcoming quarters and any recent changes to these expectations [4] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.49 on revenues of $1.84 billion, and for the current fiscal year, it is $2.04 on revenues of $7.57 billion [7] Group 3: Industry Context - The Building Products - Retail industry, to which Fastenal belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 14% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating potential challenges for stock performance [8] - Empirical research suggests a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can impact Fastenal's stock performance [5]