FAST vs. HONA: Fastenal vs. Honeywell Aerospace Stock Comparison
How do Fastenal (FAST) and Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) 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 Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but FAST is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors while HONA is classified in Aerospace & Defense.
Fastenal (FAST) has been public since August 20, 1987, giving it decades of market history across multiple cycles, while Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) listed only on June 15, 2026 and lacks comparable through-cycle data.
| Profile Item | FAST | HONA |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Fastenal Co. | Honeywell Aerospace Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Capital Goods | Capital Goods |
| GICS Industry | Trading Companies & Distributors | Aerospace & Defense |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Trading Companies & Distributors | Aerospace & Defense |
| Market Capitalization | 60.80 billion USD | 48.48 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | August 20, 1987 | June 15, 2026 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | FAST | HONA |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 36.82% | -- |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 25.71% | -- |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 15.98% | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) reports a negative beta of -5.78, suggesting inverse market sensitivity over the measurement window. That is uncommon for ordinary equities and can reflect commodity-linked or hedge-like exposure, but it can also come from statistical noise. Fastenal (FAST) has a non-negative beta of 0.64.
| Metric | FAST | HONA |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 24.55% | 84.07% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.64 | -5.78 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -30.71% | -44.59% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 7.21M | 3.58M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Both FAST and HONA need 1-year volatility and 1-year return to plot risk-return positioning.
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | FAST | HONA |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.33 | -- |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 2.00 | -- |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Fastenal (FAST) earns 35.26% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) has no ROE this period.
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%
HONA
Capital Goods industry group
--
- Max
- 40.55%
- Q3
- 19.29%
- Median
- 12.12%
- Q1
- 4.08%
- Min
- -17.12%
- HONA
- --
Net Margin (TTM)
Fastenal (FAST) at 15.62% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) at 11.25%, 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%
HONA
Capital Goods industry group
11.25%
- Max
- 27.47%
- Q3
- 12.10%
- HONA
- 11.25%
- Median
- 6.30%
- Q1
- 1.40%
- Min
- -12.89%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Fastenal (FAST) at 21.55% and Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) at 23.69% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
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%
HONA
Capital Goods industry group
23.69%
- Max
- 36.60%
- HONA
- 23.69%
- Q3
- 18.33%
- Median
- 11.12%
- Q1
- 5.14%
- Min
- -12.63%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | FAST | HONA |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 35.26% | -- |
| ROA (TTM) | 21.97% | -- |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 15.62% | 11.25% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 21.55% | 23.69% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 44.61% | 34.64% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Fastenal (FAST) at 8.67% and Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) at 12.68% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Fastenal (FAST) at 9.00% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) at -36.80% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | FAST | HONA |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 8.67% | 12.68% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 5.52% | -- |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 9.00% | -36.80% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.87% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) at 1.64 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Fastenal (FAST) at 3.93 sits above its industry’s typical mid-range — comfortable liquidity, though possibly with more idle current assets relative to peers.
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
HONA
Capital Goods industry group
1.64
- Max
- 5.22
- Q3
- 2.95
- Median
- 2.08
- HONA
- 1.64
- Q1
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.36
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Fastenal (FAST) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11 against its industry range, while Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) reports no figure this period.
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
HONA
Capital Goods industry group
--
- Max
- 2.33
- Q3
- 1.12
- Median
- 0.60
- Q1
- 0.29
- Min
- 0.00
- HONA
- --
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | FAST | HONA |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 3.93 | 1.64 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.11 | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.12 | 3.43 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) 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.
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%
HONA
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 2.66%
- Q3
- 1.14%
- Median
- 0.24%
- HONA
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) 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.
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%
HONA
Capital Goods industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 67.39%
- Q3
- 28.02%
- Median
- 6.86%
- HONA
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | FAST | HONA |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.81% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 78.05% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Fastenal (FAST) at 43.08 and Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) at 43.32 sit in the richer earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, so investors are paying more for TTM earnings than they pay for typical peers.
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
HONA
Capital Goods industry group
43.32
- Max
- 59.38
- HONA
- 43.32
- Q3
- 35.92
- Median
- 25.41
- Q1
- 19.47
- Min
- 3.03
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) at 2.69 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Fastenal (FAST) at 6.70 sits in the pricier quartile — FAST costs more per dollar of sales.
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
HONA
Capital Goods industry group
2.69
- Max
- 7.54
- Q3
- 3.76
- HONA
- 2.69
- Median
- 2.15
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Honeywell Aerospace (HONA) reports a negative P/B ratio of -18.85, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Fastenal (FAST) reports 14.65, ranking against industry peers normally.
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
HONA
Capital Goods industry group
-18.85
- Max
- 9.66
- Q3
- 5.00
- Median
- 3.12
- Q1
- 1.81
- Min
- -1.08
- HONA
- -18.85
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | FAST | HONA |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 43.08 | 43.32 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 6.70 | 2.69 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 14.65 | -18.85 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.51% | -- |