Fastenal Soars to All-Time High on 35% Volume Surge and Analyst Upgrades

On August 19, 2025, Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) closed at $49.27, a 1.61% increase, with a trading volume of $0.30 billion, up 35.37% from the previous day. The stock reached an all-time high, driven by strong Q2 performance and analyst upgrades. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share, exceeding estimates, and revenue of $2.08 billion, slightly above expectations. BofA Securities raised its price target to $49.00 from $42.50, maintaining a Buy rating, while Baird upgraded to Outperform, citing growth potential. UBS and JPMorgan adjusted targets upward, reflecting confidence in Fastenal’s 9.8% year-over-year sales growth and improved gross margins.

Institutional activity highlighted mixed sentiment. The State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D reduced its stake by 10.3%, selling 21,519 shares, while other funds like Vanguard and Charles Schwab increased holdings. Insider transactions included significant sales by executives, with CFO Sheryl Lisowski offloading 67.38% of her shares. Despite insider selling, analysts remain cautiously optimistic, with a "Hold" average rating and a $46.36 average price target. Fastenal’s robust 45% gross profit margin and 33-year consecutive dividend streak underscore its operational resilience.

The strategy of buying the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day yielded a total profit of $2,940 from December 2022 to August 2025, with a maximum drawdown of -$1,960. This indicates a volatile yet ultimately positive performance, marked by a peak-to-trough decline of 19.6%.