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FAST vs. VRT: Fastenal vs. Vertiv Stock Comparison

How do Fastenal (FAST) and Vertiv (VRT) 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 Vertiv (VRT) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but FAST is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors while VRT is classified in Electrical Equipment.

Company profile comparison for Fastenal (FAST) and Vertiv (VRT)
Profile ItemFASTVRT
NameFastenal Co.Vertiv Holdings Co Class A Common Stock
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsElectrical Equipment
GICS Sub-IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsElectrical Components & Equipment
Market Capitalization60.80 billion USD70.41 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNYSE
Listing DateAugust 20, 1987August 2, 2018
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

FAST
VRT
GSPC
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Fastenal (FAST) vs. Vertiv (VRT), 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 Vertiv (VRT). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricFASTVRT
Total Return (1Y)36.82%11.12%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)25.71%71.14%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)15.98%49.38%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

FAST
VRT
GSPC
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Fastenal (FAST) vs. Vertiv (VRT), 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 Vertiv (VRT). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Vertiv (VRT) has a highly aggressive beta of 2.15, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Fastenal (FAST) is defensive at 0.64 and tends to be less market-sensitive — a wide gap in beta profiles.

Risk profile metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricFASTVRT
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)24.55%71.11%
Beta (5Y)0.642.15
Max Drawdown (5Y)-30.71%-69.52%
Avg. Volume (3M)7.21M5.90M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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FAST and VRT 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 Vertiv (VRT)
MetricFASTVRT
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)1.330.10
Sortino Ratio (1Y)2.000.14

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Vertiv (VRT) at 46.57% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Fastenal (FAST) at 35.26% also sits in the top quartile.

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%

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

46.57%

VRT
46.57%
Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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Fastenal (FAST) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both Fastenal (FAST) at 15.62% and Vertiv (VRT) at 16.00% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

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%

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

16.00%

Max
27.47%
VRT
16.00%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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Fastenal (FAST) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Fastenal (FAST) at 21.55% and Vertiv (VRT) at 23.77% 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%

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

23.77%

Max
36.60%
VRT
23.77%
Q3
18.33%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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Fastenal (FAST) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricFASTVRT
ROE (TTM)35.26%46.57%
ROA (TTM)21.97%11.94%
Net Margin (TTM)15.62%16.00%
Operating Margin (TTM)21.55%23.77%
Gross Margin (TTM)44.61%38.12%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Vertiv (VRT) at 27.69% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Fastenal (FAST) at 8.67% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for VRT.

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

EPS Growth

Vertiv (VRT) at 166.41% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than Fastenal (FAST) at 9.00%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

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

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricFASTVRT
Revenue Growth (YoY)8.67%27.69%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)5.52%21.59%
EPS Growth (YoY)9.00%166.41%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)4.87%340.11%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Fastenal (FAST) at 3.93 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while Vertiv (VRT) at 1.39 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

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

1.39

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
VRT
1.39
Min
0.36
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Fastenal (FAST) vs. Vertiv (VRT): 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 industry quartile, while Vertiv (VRT) at 0.61 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.

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

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

0.61

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
VRT
0.61
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
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Fastenal (FAST) vs. Vertiv (VRT): 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 Vertiv (VRT)
MetricFASTVRT
Current Ratio (MRQ)3.931.39
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.110.61
Net Debt / EBITDA0.12-0.11

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Fastenal (FAST) at 1.81% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Vertiv (VRT) at 0.11% 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%

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

0.11%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
VRT
0.11%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Fastenal (FAST) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Vertiv (VRT) at 4.67% keeps its payout in the industry’s typical band, while Fastenal (FAST) at 78.05% pays out more than any of its peers — the most stretched cover in its group.

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%

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

4.67%

Max
67.39%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
VRT
4.67%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Fastenal (FAST) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricFASTVRT
Dividend Yield (TTM)1.81%0.11%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)78.05%4.67%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Vertiv (VRT) at 34.18 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

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

34.18

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
VRT
34.18
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
Loading chart…
Fastenal (FAST) vs. Vertiv (VRT): 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 Vertiv (VRT) at 5.37 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

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

5.37

Max
7.54
VRT
5.37
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
Loading chart…
Fastenal (FAST) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Measured against book value, both Fastenal (FAST) at 14.65 and Vertiv (VRT) at 12.80 look expensive — each P/B ratio sits above its industry’s benchmark 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

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

12.80

VRT
12.80
Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
Loading chart…
Fastenal (FAST) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Fastenal (FAST) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricFASTVRT
P/E Ratio (TTM)43.0834.18
P/S Ratio (TTM)6.705.37
P/B Ratio (MRQ)14.6512.80
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)1.51%4.21%