Fastenal Company (FAST) Q3 FY2026 earnings

Reported results

• Net sales increased $330.0 million, or 15.5%, to $2,463.3 million in Q3 2026 versus Q3 2025; daily sales increased 15.5% year-over-year.
• Operating margin was 21.5% in Q3 2026 versus 20.7% in Q3 2025, a 90 basis point improvement year-over-year.
• Gross profit was $1,104.7 million, or 44.8% of net sales, in Q3 2026 versus 45.3% in Q3 2025.
• SG&A expenses were $573.9 million, or 23.3% of net sales, in Q3 2026 versus 24.6% in Q3 2025, a 130 basis point improvement.
• Net income was $401.6 million in Q3 2026, up 19.7% versus Q3 2025; diluted net income per share was $0.35 versus $0.29.
• Operating cash flow was $421.6 million in Q3 2026, representing 105.0% of net income; the company returned $328.4 million to shareholders through dividends ($298.2 million) and share repurchases ($30.2 million).

Guidance

• For full-year 2026, the company expects investment in property and equipment, net of proceeds from sales, to be between $310.0 and $330.0 million, compared to $230.6 million in 2025.
• The company revised its goal for weighted FASTBin and FASTVend device signings in 2026 to between 27,000 and 29,000 MEUs, down from a previous goal of between 28,000 and 30,000 MEUs.
• The company believes its ongoing tax rate, absent discrete tax items or broader changes to tax law, will be approximately 24.6%.

Notes

The release discloses nine-month results as well as quarterly results. SG&A expense leverage improved 130 basis points year-over-year in Q3. Gross margin was pressured by customer mix shift toward larger customers (approximately 50 basis points) and price/cost (approximately 30 basis points). The company also reports GAAP operating income of 21.0% of net sales for the nine-month period and 21.5% for the quarter.

Price and volatility reaction

The stock moved +1.1% on the print. No front-expiry chain was on file, so there is no straddle expected move. 30-day ATM implied volatility moved -6.5 vol points across the event (constant-maturity series — not the front-week crush).

Source

The figures above come from the earnings release the company filed with the SEC on 2026-10-14 (8-K, Item 2.02). Read the original filing on sec.gov.