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Fastenal Co.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 13 April 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Sales rose 12.4% on daily basis: Net sales were $2,201.7 million against $1,959.4 million. Daily sales were $34.9 million against $31.1 million, with both periods having 63 business days. Source
  • Contract customers grew faster: Contract sales rose 14.6% and were 75.4% of sales. Non-contract sales rose 6.7%. Management said contract customers continue to outperform as signings from 2024 take effect. Source
  • Gross margin fell on price and cost: Gross margin was 44.6% against 45.1%. Management cited unfavorable price and cost of about 50 basis points as the main driver. Source
  • Operating margin rose 20 basis points: Operating margin was 20.3% against 20.1%. Occupancy-related costs improved 30 basis points as a share of sales, and other SG&A improved 40 basis points. Source
  • Operating cash flow was 111% of net income: Operating cash flow was $378.4 million, up 44.3%, and 111.4% of net income against 87.8% a year earlier. Management attributed the change mainly to optimizing inventory levels. Source
  • FASTBin and FASTVend signings rose: The company signed 6,950 weighted FASTBin and FASTVend devices, against 6,418 a year earlier, a rise of 8.3%. Installations reached 137,702, up 5.9%. Source

“Daily sales increased 12.4% year-over-year, primarily driven by share gains and broad-based demand across core end markets.”

Fastenal Co., press release

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Property and equipment investment, net of proceeds Source2026$310.0 to $330.0 millionKept
Weighted FASTBin and FASTVend signings (MEUs) Source202628,000 to 30,000 MEUsKept
Ongoing tax rate SourceOngoing, absent discrete items or tax law changesapproximately 24.6%Raised from approximately 24.5%

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: The ongoing tax rate estimate moved to approximately 24.6% from approximately 24.5% in the fourth quarter release. Source
  • New: Product portfolio is now reported in four primary categories, with cutting tools shown separately. The prior release used three categories. Source
  • New: Customer sites are now summarized by monthly spend band with a $5k+ band and an other sales line, replacing the prior $5k-$10k and under-$5k bands. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Sales rose 12.4% on daily basis: Net sales were $2,201.7 million against $1,959.4 million. Daily sales were $34.9 million against $31.1 million, with both periods having 63 business days. Source
  • Net income and EPS both grew: Operating income rose 13.6% to $447.6 million. Net income was $339.8 million, and diluted net income per share was $0.30 against $0.26. Source
  • Product pricing added to sales: Product pricing raised net sales by about 350 basis points, against an immaterial effect a year earlier. Foreign exchange added about 60 basis points. Source
  • Contract signings and industrial production: Management attributed sales performance to customer contract signings made since the first quarter of 2024 and a slight improvement in industrial production. Source

End markets and customer contracts

  • Manufacturing grew on key accounts: Total manufacturing daily sales rose 12.3% and was 76.2% of sales. Management linked the growth to key account customers with significant managed spend. Source
  • Non-residential construction grew again: Non-residential construction daily sales rose 17.2% after a 3.4% decline a year earlier. Management said this was growth for the fourth time in fourteen consecutive quarters. Source
  • Contract customers grew faster: Contract sales rose 14.6% and were 75.4% of sales. Non-contract sales rose 6.7%. Management said contract customers continue to outperform as signings from 2024 take effect. Source

“Operating cash flow was $378 million, representing 111% of net income , supported by disciplined working capital management.”

Fastenal Co., press release

Product mix and fasteners

  • Direct materials outpaced indirect: Direct materials daily sales rose 13.1% against 12.4% for indirect. Management cited fastener sales and manufacturing customers as the greater contributors. Source
  • Indirect fasteners grew fastest: Indirect fasteners and hardware daily sales rose 17.3%, against 1.1% a year earlier. Direct fasteners and hardware rose 13.8%. Source
  • Indirect safety sales growth: Indirect safety daily sales rose 11.3%, against 6.9% a year earlier. Its share of sales was 20.8%, against 21.3% in the prior year. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin fell on price and cost: Gross margin was 44.6% against 45.1%. Management cited unfavorable price and cost of about 50 basis points as the main driver. Source
  • Customer mix a structural headwind: Management said growth skewed toward larger customers that carry lower gross margins but remain positive to operating margin, with fixed-cost leverage. Source
  • SG&A leverage from FTE productivity: SG&A was 24.3% of net sales against 25.0%. Management said FTE productivity gave about 60 basis points of leverage, while bonuses and commissions rose 55 basis points. Source
  • Operating margin rose 20 basis points: Operating margin was 20.3% against 20.1%. Occupancy-related costs improved 30 basis points as a share of sales, and other SG&A improved 40 basis points. Source
  • Effective tax rate rose: Income tax expense was $108.6 million, or 24.2% of pre-tax income, against $94.4 million and 24.0% a year earlier. Source

“Continued progress on strategic initiatives , including increased sales effectiveness through key account wins, expansion of technology, and deeper penetration through new customer site growth.”

Fastenal Co., press release

Customer sites and monthly sales

  • Largest site band grew: Sites spending $50k or more per month totaled 2,909, against 2,502. Sales per site in that band were $140,346, against $134,639. Source
  • Small-site sales declined: Other sales, which include sites under $5k per month and sales not tied to a site, were $214.5 million against $224.0 million. The site count in this line fell to 72,926. Source
  • Non-manufacturing sites grew: Non-manufacturing sales were $531.0 million against $466.4 million, and sales per site rose to $3,431 a month from $2,633. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow was 111% of net income: Operating cash flow was $378.4 million, up 44.3%, and 111.4% of net income against 87.8% a year earlier. Management attributed the change mainly to optimizing inventory levels. Source
  • Receivables rose with larger customers: Accounts receivable rose 13.0% to $1,445.2 million. Management attributed this to sales growth and to larger customers that tend to carry longer payment terms. Source
  • Shareholder returns were 87% of net income: The company returned $295.7 million, or 87.0% of net income, through dividends of $275.6 million and share repurchases of $20.1 million. A year earlier it returned $246.7 million, all as dividends. Source
  • Total debt reduced to $125.0 million: Total debt was $125.0 million at quarter end, or 3.0% of total capital, against $200.0 million, or 5.1%, a year earlier. Source
  • Capital investment rose slightly: Investment in property and equipment, net of proceeds, was $57.6 million in the quarter. Management said this increase came from facility construction, IT and vehicles. Source

Digital technology and investment

  • FASTBin and FASTVend signings rose: The company signed 6,950 weighted FASTBin and FASTVend devices, against 6,418 a year earlier, a rise of 8.3%. Installations reached 137,702, up 5.9%. Source
  • Digital stocking drives FMI growth: FASTStock sales rose 17.0%, and FASTBin and FASTVend sales rose 16.4%. Management said part of FMI growth reflects products moving from non-digital to digital stocking locations. Source

People and headcount

  • Total FTE headcount rose 2.0%: Total FTE personnel was 21,763, against 21,339 a year earlier. Selling FTE personnel was 15,450, up 1.4% over the same period. Source
  • Selling staff added for acquisition: Management said FTE selling personnel rose by 214 over twelve months to support growth and target customer acquisition. Other FTE roles rose by 196, mainly in IT, finance and supply chain. Source

Coming up, as management said on 13 April 2026

  • Fastener expansion benefits anniversary: Management said benefits from the fastener expansion project, which offset gross margin pressure, will anniversary early in the second quarter of 2026. Source
  • Annual shareholder meeting: The Annual Meeting of Shareholders is set for April 23, 2026, in Winona, Minnesota, with a webcast from 10:00 a.m. central time. Source
  • Monthly sales release schedule: Monthly consolidated net sales are published on the fourth business day of the following month, except the third month of a quarter, which is released with earnings. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Daily sales change Source12.4%
Gross margin Source44.6% (45.1% in prior-year quarter)
Inventory Source$1,692.5 million at March 31, 2026
Digital Footprint share of sales Source61.5%
EBusiness share of sales Source29.1%
Average monthly customer sites Source92,445
Monthly sales per site Source$7,939 (vs. $6,422)

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Transportation costs and certain customer rebates were smaller headwinds to gross margin in the quarter, alongside price and cost. Source
  • Demand: Non-contract sales rose 6.7%, and management said these customers offer fewer avenues for share gains and more closely reflect overall business trends. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Delayed: Management said IT projects expected in 2025 were delayed and will continue through 2026, which elevates 2026 IT spending. Source
  • Delayed: Management said 2025 property and equipment investment fell below its anticipated range because of delayed projects expected to resume in 2026.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.