Fastenal Company (FAST), headquartered in Winona, Minnesota, engages in the wholesale distribution of industrial and construction supplies. With a market cap of $41.2 billion, the company offers fasteners, cutting tools, metal working, lifting, hardware, plumbing, lubricant, and other related products. FAST is all geared to announce its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings for 2024 before the market opens on Friday, Jan. 17.

Ahead of the event, analysts expect FAST to report a profit of $0.48 per share on a diluted basis, up 4.4% from the year-ago quarter. The company beat or matched the consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters while missing the forecast on another occasion. 

For the full year, analysts expect FAST to report EPS of $2.03, up marginally from $2.02 in fiscal 2023. Looking ahead, analysts expect its EPS to rise 7.9% annually to $2.19 in fiscal 2025.

Over the past year, FAST has surged 11%, underperforming the S&P 500’s ($SPX) 23.3% gains and the S&P 500 Industrial Sector SPDR’s (XLI) 15.6% gains over the same time frame.

On Dec. 27, Fastenal shares fell over 2% after the company announced that CFO Lewis would step down in April.

On Oct. 11, FAST posted its Q3 earnings results and its stock jumped 9.8%. Its adjusted EPS of $0.52 matched consensus expectations, while revenue narrowly missed Wall Street estimate.

Analysts’ consensus opinion on FAST stock is cautious, with a “Hold” rating overall. Out of 15 analysts covering the stock, two advise a “Strong Buy” rating, 11 give a “Hold” rating, and two recommend a “Strong Sell.”

Its mean price target of $78.92 represents a potential upside of 9.7% from the current market prices.