FAST vs. FER: Fastenal vs. Ferrovial Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER) 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

Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but FAST is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors while FER is classified in Construction & Engineering.

Company profile comparison for Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER)
Profile Item	FAST	FER
Name	Fastenal Co.	Ferrovial N.V.
Country/Region	United States	Netherlands
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry Group	Capital Goods	Capital Goods
GICS Industry	Trading Companies & Distributors	Construction & Engineering
GICS Sub-Industry	Trading Companies & Distributors	Construction & Engineering
Market Capitalization	60.80 billion USD	42.19 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	Nasdaq
Listing Date	August 20, 1987	August 13, 2012
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

FAST

FER

GSPC

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	FAST	FER
Total Return (1Y)	36.82%	-1.10%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	25.71%	26.01%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	15.98%	17.20%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

FAST

FER

GSPC

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	FAST	FER
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	24.55%	27.38%
Beta (5Y)	0.64	0.36
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-30.71%	-33.67%
Avg. Volume (3M)	7.21M	1.95M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

FAST and FER are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	FAST	FER
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	1.33	-0.20
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	2.00	-0.30

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Fastenal (FAST) at 35.26% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Ferrovial (FER) at 11.62% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for FAST.

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%

FER

Capital Goods industry group

11.62%

Max: 40.55%
Q3: 19.29%
Median: 12.12%
FER: 11.62%
Q1: 4.08%
Min: -17.12%

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Fastenal (FAST) at 15.62% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Ferrovial (FER) at 6.15%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

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%

FER

Capital Goods industry group

6.15%

Max: 27.47%
Q3: 12.10%
Median: 6.30%
FER: 6.15%
Q1: 1.40%
Min: -12.89%

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Fastenal (FAST) at 21.55% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Ferrovial (FER) at 10.45%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

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%

FER

Capital Goods industry group

10.45%

Max: 36.60%
Q3: 18.33%
Median: 11.12%
FER: 10.45%
Q1: 5.14%
Min: -12.63%

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	FAST	FER
ROE (TTM)	35.26%	11.62%
ROA (TTM)	21.97%	2.62%
Net Margin (TTM)	15.62%	6.15%
Operating Margin (TTM)	21.55%	10.45%
Gross Margin (TTM)	44.61%	87.14%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Fastenal (FAST) at 8.67% and Ferrovial (FER) at 5.24% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Fastenal (FAST) at 9.00% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Ferrovial (FER) at -72.26% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	FAST	FER
Revenue Growth (YoY)	8.67%	5.24%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	5.52%	8.43%
EPS Growth (YoY)	9.00%	-72.26%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	4.87%	70.54%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Fastenal (FAST) at 3.93 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Ferrovial (FER) at 1.20 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.

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

FER

Capital Goods industry group

1.20

Max: 5.22
Q3: 2.95
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.43
FER: 1.20
Min: 0.36

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Fastenal (FAST) at 0.11 keeps leverage in the lower quartile, while Ferrovial (FER) at 1.44 sits in the higher-leverage quartile.

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

FER

Capital Goods industry group

1.44

Max: 2.33
FER: 1.44
Q3: 1.12
Median: 0.60
Q1: 0.29
Min: 0.00

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	FAST	FER
Current Ratio (MRQ)	3.93	1.20
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.11	1.44
Net Debt / EBITDA	0.12	4.39

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Fastenal (FAST) at 1.81% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Ferrovial (FER) at 0.94% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, FAST the richer one.

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%

FER

Capital Goods industry group

0.94%

Max: 2.66%
Q3: 1.14%
FER: 0.94%
Median: 0.24%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Fastenal (FAST) at 78.05% and Ferrovial (FER) at 71.24% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

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%

FER

Capital Goods industry group

71.24%

FER: 71.24%
Max: 67.39%
Q3: 28.02%
Median: 6.86%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	FAST	FER
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.81%	0.94%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	78.05%	71.24%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Ferrovial (FER) at 32.26 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Fastenal (FAST) at 43.08 sits in the richer quartile — FAST needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

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

FER

Capital Goods industry group

32.26

Max: 59.38
Q3: 35.92
FER: 32.26
Median: 25.41
Q1: 19.47
Min: 3.03

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both Fastenal (FAST) at 6.70 and Ferrovial (FER) at 4.28 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.

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

FER

Capital Goods industry group

4.28

Max: 7.54
FER: 4.28
Q3: 3.76
Median: 2.15
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.03

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: Ferrovial (FER) at 6.59 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Fastenal (FAST) at 14.65 prices even higher, above its industry range.

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

FER

Capital Goods industry group

6.59

Max: 9.66
FER: 6.59
Q3: 5.00
Median: 3.12
Q1: 1.81
Min: -1.08

Fastenal (FAST) vs. Ferrovial (FER): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Ferrovial (FER)
Metric	FAST	FER
P/E Ratio (TTM)	43.08	32.26
P/S Ratio (TTM)	6.70	4.28
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	14.65	6.59
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	1.51%	2.11%