AXON vs. FAST: Axon Enterprise vs. Fastenal Stock Comparison
How do Axon Enterprise (AXON) and Fastenal (FAST) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Axon Enterprise (AXON) and Fastenal (FAST) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but AXON is classified in Aerospace & Defense while FAST is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors.
| Profile Item | AXON | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Axon Enterprise, Inc. | Fastenal Co. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Capital Goods | Capital Goods |
| GICS Industry | Aerospace & Defense | Trading Companies & Distributors |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Aerospace & Defense | Trading Companies & Distributors |
| Market Capitalization | 25.49 billion USD | 60.80 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | June 19, 2001 | August 20, 1987 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AXON | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -48.97% | 36.82% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 12.54% | 25.71% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 11.75% | 15.98% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Axon Enterprise (AXON) has an aggressive beta of 1.55, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Fastenal (FAST) is defensive at 0.64 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | AXON | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 64.30% | 24.55% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.55 | 0.64 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -64.70% | -30.71% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.06M | 7.21M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AXON | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.83 | 1.33 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -1.14 | 2.00 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Fastenal (FAST) at 35.26% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 7.61% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for FAST.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
7.61%
- Max
- 40.55%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- AXON
- 7.61%
- Q1
- 4.08%
- Min
- -17.12%
FAST
Capital Goods industry group
35.26%
- Max
- 40.55%
- FAST
- 35.26%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.08%
- Min
- -17.12%
Net Margin (TTM)
Fastenal (FAST) at 15.62% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 7.57%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
7.57%
- Max
- 27.47%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- AXON
- 7.57%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- Min
- -12.89%
FAST
Capital Goods industry group
15.62%
- Max
- 27.47%
- FAST
- 15.62%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- Min
- -12.89%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Fastenal (FAST) at 21.55% carries a top-quartile operating margin, while Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 4.63% operates in the bottom quartile.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
4.63%
- Max
- 36.60%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- AXON
- 4.63%
- Min
- -12.63%
FAST
Capital Goods industry group
21.55%
- Max
- 36.60%
- FAST
- 21.55%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- Min
- -12.63%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AXON | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 7.61% | 35.26% |
| ROA (TTM) | 0.81% | 21.97% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 7.57% | 15.62% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 4.63% | 21.55% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 58.64% | 44.61% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 33.47% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Fastenal (FAST) at 8.67% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for AXON.
EPS Growth
Fastenal (FAST) at 9.00% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Axon Enterprise (AXON) at -68.54% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AXON | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 33.47% | 8.67% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 32.79% | 5.52% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -68.54% | 9.00% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -9.39% | 4.87% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 3.00 and Fastenal (FAST) at 3.93 post current ratio above their industries’ typical mid-ranges — short-term liquidity appears comfortable, though unusually high readings can point to idle current assets.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
3.00
- Max
- 5.22
- AXON
- 3.00
- Q3
- 2.95
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.36
FAST
Capital Goods industry group
3.93
- Max
- 5.22
- FAST
- 3.93
- Q3
- 2.95
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.36
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Fastenal (FAST) at 0.11 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 0.79 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
0.79
- Max
- 2.33
- Q3
- 1.12
- AXON
- 0.79
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.29
- Min
- 0.00
FAST
Capital Goods industry group
0.11
- Max
- 2.33
- Q3
- 1.12
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.29
- FAST
- 0.11
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AXON | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 3.00 | 3.93 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.79 | 0.11 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.98 | 0.12 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Axon Enterprise (AXON) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Fastenal (FAST) reports a yield of 1.81%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 2.66%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- Median
- 0.24%
- AXON
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FAST
Capital Goods industry group
1.81%
- Max
- 2.66%
- FAST
- 1.81%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- Median
- 0.24%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Axon Enterprise (AXON) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Fastenal (FAST) reports a payout of 78.05%, ranking against industry peers normally.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 67.39%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- Median
- 6.86%
- AXON
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FAST
Capital Goods industry group
78.05%
- FAST
- 78.05%
- Max
- 67.39%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- Median
- 6.86%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AXON | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.81% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 78.05% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both look expensive on trailing earnings: Fastenal (FAST) at 43.08 sits in the richer P/E ratio quartile, and Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 100.64 is richer still, above its industry range.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
100.64
- AXON
- 100.64
- Max
- 59.38
- Q3
- 35.92
- Median
- 25.41
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
FAST
Capital Goods industry group
43.08
- Max
- 59.38
- FAST
- 43.08
- Q3
- 35.92
- Median
- 25.41
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 7.46 and Fastenal (FAST) at 6.70 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
7.46
- Max
- 7.54
- AXON
- 7.46
- Q3
- 3.76
- Median
- 2.15
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
FAST
Capital Goods industry group
6.70
- Max
- 7.54
- FAST
- 6.70
- Q3
- 3.76
- Median
- 2.15
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: Axon Enterprise (AXON) at 6.74 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Fastenal (FAST) at 14.65 prices even higher, above its industry range.
AXON
Capital Goods industry group
6.74
- Max
- 9.66
- AXON
- 6.74
- Q3
- 5.00
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
FAST
Capital Goods industry group
14.65
- FAST
- 14.65
- Max
- 9.66
- Q3
- 5.00
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AXON | FAST |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 100.64 | 43.08 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 7.46 | 6.70 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 6.74 | 14.65 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.38% | 1.51% |