FA
FAST
Latest · Mar 31, 2026
Quarter ended Mar 31, 2026 · FY2026 Q1

Fastenal Company stock research

Fastenal (FAST) Free Cash Flow & Quarterly History

Explore Fastenal Company (FAST) free cash flow from 2023 through the latest reported quarter, with SEC-sourced operating cash flow, capital expenditures, and period-by-period analysis.

Free cash flow takeaway

A quick read on the company's cash generation and what it means for investors.

Free cash flow improved compared to both the prior quarter and the same quarter last year, driven by higher operating cash flow. Revenue increased and capital expenditure remained stable, resulting in a stronger cash conversion.

  • Revenue increased, while operating cash flow rose more sharply, leading to a higher free cash flow and an improved free cash flow margin compared to a year ago. Capital expenditure was relatively steady, supporting the conversion of revenue into cash.
  • Compared to the prior quarter, revenue and operating cash flow were higher, capital expenditure was slightly lower, and free cash flow increased, though the free cash flow margin weakened marginally. Versus the same quarter last year, all metrics were higher and the margin improved substantially.

FCF snapshot

Quarterly and TTM cash-flow metrics with the minimum valuation context.

TTM free cash flow

$1.2B

Trailing twelve-month free cash flow.

Quarter free cash flow

$319.5M

Free cash flow in the selected fiscal quarter.

Operating cash flow

$378.4M

Cash generated by operations before capital spending.

CapEx

$58.9M

Capital spending and related asset purchases.

FCF margin

14.5%

The share of revenue converted into free cash flow.

TTM FCF yield

2.3%

TTM FCF divided by market capitalization.

FCF reconciliation

Free cash flow is not a GAAP line item; it should be bridged from the cash flow statement.

Operating cash flow$378.4MCash generated by operations before capital spending.
Capital expenditures$58.9MCapital spending used to bridge CFO to FCF.
Free cash flow$319.5MOperating cash flow less capital spending.

Cash flow trend

A short quarterly history shows whether FCF is scaling with revenue or only spiking for one period.

PeriodRevenueOperating CFCapExFCFFCF margin
2022-06-30$1.8B$151.2M$47.5M$103.7M5.8%
2022-09-30$1.8B$257.9M$48.0M$209.9M11.6%
2022-12-31$1.7B$301.9M$42.8M$259.1M15.3%
2023-03-31$1.9B$388.5M$33.7M$354.8M19.1%
2023-06-30$1.9B$302.1M$55.9M$246.2M13.1%
2023-09-30$1.8B$388.1M$46.9M$341.2M18.5%
2023-12-31$1.8B$354.0M$36.3M$317.7M18.1%
2024-03-31$1.9B$335.6M$50.8M$284.8M15.0%
2024-06-30$1.9B$258.0M$56.1M$201.9M10.5%
2024-09-30$1.9B$296.9M$59.4M$237.5M12.4%
2024-12-31$1.8B$282.8M$60.2M$222.6M12.2%
2025-03-31$2.0B$262.2M$55.7M$206.5M10.5%
2025-06-30$2.1B$278.6M$69.3M$209.3M10.1%
2025-09-30$2.1B$386.9M$60.3M$326.6M15.3%
2025-12-31$2.0B$368.1M$60.0M$308.1M15.2%
2026-03-31$2.2B$378.4M$58.9M$319.5M14.5%

Cash conversion quality

Checks that separate high-quality free cash flow from accounting noise or working-capital timing.

FCF / net income94.0%Shows whether accounting earnings convert into cash.
CapEx / revenue2.7%Lower capital intensity usually supports FCF margin.
Net cash$183.6MCash and equivalents minus total debt.

Recent events shaping cash flow

Near-term business events that help explain the free cash flow result.

Supportive

Inventory Optimization

The increase in operating cash flow was primarily attributed to a focused effort to optimize inventory levels, as noted in the filing.

This inventory focus drove the significant year-over-year improvement in free cash flow.

What the cash flow says

How to interpret the company's free cash flow beyond the headline number.

Revenue increased, while operating cash flow rose more sharply, leading to a higher free cash flow and an improved free cash flow margin compared to a year ago. Capital expenditure was relatively steady, supporting the conversion of revenue into cash.

Compared to the prior quarter, revenue and operating cash flow were higher, capital expenditure was slightly lower, and free cash flow increased, though the free cash flow margin weakened marginally. Versus the same quarter last year, all metrics were higher and the margin improved substantially.

Monitor inventory levels, as the filing cited a focused effort to optimize inventory as a key factor supporting operating cash flow.

Valuation context

A cash-flow page should show how much investors are paying for the cash stream, without turning into a full DCF.

Market capitalization$51.5BUsed as the denominator for FCF yield.
TTM FCF yield2.3%TTM free cash flow divided by market capitalization.
EV / TTM FCF44.1xA quick valuation bridge, not a full DCF.

Peer context

Free cash flow quality is easier to read against related public companies.

FA
FAST

Fastenal Company

FCF margin

14.5%

FCF yield

2.3%

Risks and tripwires

Observable signals that would weaken the free cash flow thesis.

RiskTripwireWhy it matters
FCF margin compressionFCF margin falls for two consecutive quarters.Cash conversion may be weakening before earnings show it.
Capital intensity risesCapEx/revenue moves materially above the recent run rate.More operating cash flow would be consumed before becoming FCF.
Working capital dragInventory or receivables grow faster than revenue.Reported growth may not translate into cash.