Fastenal Co - FAST STOCK NEWS

Fastenal Company (FAST) reported its Q3 2024 earnings with net sales increasing 3.5% to $1,910.2 million. The company's daily sales rate grew 1.9% compared to Q3 2023. Net income rose 0.9% to $298.1 million, with diluted earnings per share remaining unchanged at $0.52. Fastenal's gross profit margin decreased to 44.9% from 45.9% in Q3 2023, while SG&A expenses as a percentage of net sales improved to 24.6% from 25.0%. The company signed 93 new Onsite locations in Q3, bringing the year-to-date total to 302. FMI Technology sales grew 9.3% and represented 43.0% of total sales. Fastenal's Digital Footprint increased to 61.1% of sales, up from 57.1% in Q3 2023. The company's operating cash flow decreased 23.5% to $296.9 million, representing 99.6% of net income.

Fastenal Company (Nasdaq:FAST) has announced a cash dividend of $0.39 per share, payable on November 22, 2024 to shareholders of record as of October 25, 2024. The company has a history of paying dividends since 1991, evolving from annual to quarterly payments in 2011. Fastenal's board intends to continue quarterly dividends, subject to financial conditions and other factors.

The press release provides a detailed breakdown of Fastenal's dividend history, including regular and special dividends from 2022 to 2024. It also presents a 10-year overview of dividend payments and stock repurchase activities. In 2024, Fastenal projects to pay a total of $1.56 per share in regular dividends. The company did not repurchase any common stock in the third quarter of 2024 and has authority to purchase up to 6,200,000 additional shares under its current authorization.

Fastenal Company (Nasdaq:FAST) has announced the details for its conference call to review 2024 third quarter earnings and current operations. The call will be broadcast live over the Internet on Friday, October 11, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. central time. Investors can access the call at https://investor.fastenal.com/events.cfm.

The company's conference call presentation, which includes supplemental information to the earnings announcement, will be available at 6:00 a.m. central time on the day of the call at https://investor.fastenal.com/releases.cfm. An online archive of the webcast will be accessible within one hour after the call concludes and will remain available until December 1, 2024. Participants will need a soundcard and speakers to listen to the online webcast.

Fastenal Company (Nasdaq: FAST) has named Jeff Watts as the new President and Chief Sales Officer, effective August 1, 2024. Watts, a 28-year veteran of the company, will take over the President role from Dan Florness, who will continue to serve as CEO and a member of the Board of Directors. Watts has been Chief Sales Officer since May 2023, overseeing global sales across 25 countries. His extensive experience includes roles such as Executive Vice President – International Sales, and Regional Vice President of Fastenal's Canadian business. Watts joined Fastenal as a part-time branch employee in 1996 and has risen through the ranks over nearly three decades.

Fastenal Company (Nasdaq:FAST) released its financial results for Q2 2024. Net sales increased by 1.8% to $1,916.2 million, with daily sales also up by 1.8%. Gross profit rose by 0.7% to $863.5 million, although gross profit as a percentage of net sales declined to 45.1% from 45.5%. Net income dropped by 1.8% to $292.7 million, with diluted net income per share at $0.51, a 2.0% decrease. Operating income fell by 2.0% to $386.9 million.

Fastenal's fastener product lines saw a 3.0% decline in daily sales rate (DSR), while non-fastener products grew by 4.2%. Onsite locations increased by 11.9%, and FMI Technology sales rose by 7.0%. SG&A expenses grew by 3.0%, with net interest expense dropping due to higher interest income.

The company returned $223.3 million to shareholders via dividends in Q2. Despite the growth in sales and Onsite locations, Fastenal faced challenges with lower pricing in certain product categories and inefficiencies in supply chain management.

The Fastenal Company (NASDAQ: FAST) has declared a cash dividend of $0.39 per share, payable on August 23, 2024, to shareholders of record as of July 26, 2024. Fastenal has a strong history of dividend payments, transitioning from annual to semi-annual, and now quarterly dividends since 2011. The company has also issued special one-time dividends in December 2008, 2012, 2020, and 2023. In 2024, Fastenal has declared dividends totaling $1.17 per share. The company continues to prioritize dividends as part of its financial strategy, though future payments will depend on financial conditions and other relevant factors. Over the past ten years, Fastenal has paid dividends totaling $10.15 per share and repurchased 31.8 million shares at an average price of $26.03.

Fastenal Company (Nasdaq:FAST) has scheduled a conference call to discuss its 2024 second quarter earnings and current operations. The call will be broadcast live on the Internet on Friday, July 12, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. central time. A presentation supplementing the earnings announcement will be available at 6:00 a.m. central time on the same day. The webcast can be accessed through Fastenal's investor relations website, and an archive will be available until September 1, 2024.

Fastenal Company (Nasdaq:FAST) reported a 1.9% increase in net sales for the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The company experienced higher unit sales primarily due to growth with larger customers and Onsite locations. Despite adverse weather conditions impacting sales, the company saw growth in various product categories. Fastenal also signed 102 new Onsite locations and continues to focus on expanding its FMI Technology offerings. While net income increased by 0.9%, operating income decreased by 0.8% due to higher SG&A expenses. The company's digital footprint and eCommerce sales also saw significant growth.

Fastenal Company (FAST) declared a dividend of $0.39 per share to be paid on May 23, 2024, continuing its trend of regular and special dividend payments over the years. The company's board of directors plans to maintain quarterly dividends, subject to financial conditions and operational results.