Fastenal Q1 2026 net sales rise 12.4% to $2.2 billion; diluted EPS $0.30
Fastenal reported first-quarter 2026 results for the period ended March 31, 2026. Net sales rose 12.4% to $2.2 billion, net income rose 13.8% to $339.8 million, and diluted earnings per share were $0.30, up from $0.26 a year earlier. Shareholders also received $295.7 million in dividends and share repurchases during the quarter.
Key points
- Net sales were $2,201.7 million, up 12.4% from $1,959.4 million; daily sales rose 12.4%.
- Operating income rose 13.6% to $447.6 million, with operating margin at 20.3% versus 20.1%.
- Gross margin fell to 44.6% from 45.1%, which the company attributed mainly to unfavorable price/cost.
- Operating cash flow was $378.4 million, or 111.4% of net income, and the company returned $295.7 million to shareholders.
The filing
Written by AI (Anthropic Claude, claude-haiku-5-5) on Nov 8, 2026, 1:42 AM ET, from the text of the filing and its press-release exhibits only. Written later: this filing was briefed after the fact, when past filings were added to the site, so the brief may be read with hindsight; the filing itself is the record of what was known on April 13, 2026.
Briefs are written by AI from the filing text (each brief's own page names the model) and can contain mistakes — open the filing before acting on anything. Impact (1-5) and tone are the model's reading of the filing for shareholders, not a price forecast. Not investment advice.