---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0000815556-26-000046"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "FAST"
cik: "0000815556"
company_name: "FASTENAL CO"
filed_at: "2026-10-14T11:56:01+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-10-14T12:00:12.778420+00:00"
event_type: "earnings"
sentiment: "positive"
materiality_score: 0.7
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.7
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Fastenal Q3 2026: daily sales +15.5%, EPS $0.35 (+19.8%), operating margin 21.5%

## Summary
- Net sales $2,463.3M, up 15.5% YoY on the same 64 business days; net income $401.6M (+19.7%) and diluted EPS $0.35 vs $0.29.
- Operating margin 21.5% vs 20.7% (up 90 bps) as SG&A fell to 23.3% of sales; gross margin slipped 40 bps to 44.8% on larger-customer mix.
- Contract customer daily sales rose 18.8% and were 76.5% of sales; heavy manufacturing DSR +20.2%; non-residential construction grew for a sixth straight quarter.
- Returned $328.4M to shareholders (dividends $298.2M, buybacks $30.2M), 81.8% of net income; total debt fell to $100.0M from $195.0M.
- 2026 capex guidance held at $310-330M vs $230.6M in 2025; FASTBin/FASTVend signing goal trimmed to 27,000-29,000 MEUs from 28,000-30,000.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0000815556-26-000046
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: FAST
- cik: 0000815556
- company_name: FASTENAL CO
- filed_at: 2026-10-14T11:56:01+00:00
- event_type: earnings
- sentiment: positive
- materiality_score: 0.7
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.7
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 2.02, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/815556/000081555626000046/0000815556-26-000046-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/815556/000081555626000046/fast-20261014.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000815556-26-000046
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000815556-26-000046.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000815556-26-000046.txt

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.