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Side-by-side financial comparison of Atmos Energy (ATO) and Fastenal (FAST). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Fastenal is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($2.0B vs $1.3B, roughly 1.5× Atmos Energy). Atmos Energy runs the higher net margin — 30.0% vs 14.5%, a 15.5% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Atmos Energy posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (14.2% vs 3.5%). Fastenal produced more free cash flow last quarter ($308.2M vs $-725.3M). Over the past eight quarters, Fastenal's revenue compounded faster (2.9% CAGR vs -9.7%).

Atmos Energy Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is one of the United States' largest natural-gas-only distributors, serving about three million natural gas distribution customers in over 1,400 communities in nine states from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West.

Fastenal Company is an American publicly traded company based in Winona, Minnesota, founded in 1967. Fastenal is a major distributor of industrial and construction supplies, and the largest fastener distributor in North America. Fastenal provides supply chain solutions including bin stock, vending machines, inventory management, and logistics services.

ATO vs FAST — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
FAST
FAST
1.5× larger
FAST
$2.0B
$1.3B
ATO
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
ATO
ATO
+10.7% gap
ATO
14.2%
3.5%
FAST
Higher net margin
ATO
ATO
15.5% more per $
ATO
30.0%
14.5%
FAST
More free cash flow
FAST
FAST
$1.0B more FCF
FAST
$308.2M
$-725.3M
ATO
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
FAST
FAST
Annualised
FAST
2.9%
-9.7%
ATO

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Revenue
$1.3B
$2.0B
Net Profit
$403.0M
$293.9M
Gross Margin
44.3%
Operating Margin
38.3%
18.9%
Net Margin
30.0%
14.5%
Revenue YoY
14.2%
3.5%
Net Profit YoY
14.5%
-1.6%
EPS (diluted)
$2.44
$-0.01

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
$2.0B
Q4 25
$1.3B
$2.0B
Q3 25
$737.5M
$2.1B
Q2 25
$838.8M
$2.1B
Q1 25
$2.0B
$2.0B
Q4 24
$1.2B
$1.8B
Q3 24
$657.9M
$1.9B
Q2 24
$701.5M
$1.9B
Net Profit
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
$293.9M
Q4 25
$403.0M
$293.9M
Q3 25
$174.9M
$335.5M
Q2 25
$186.4M
$330.3M
Q1 25
$485.6M
$298.7M
Q4 24
$351.9M
$262.1M
Q3 24
$134.0M
$298.1M
Q2 24
$165.6M
$292.7M
Gross Margin
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
44.3%
Q4 25
44.3%
Q3 25
45.3%
Q2 25
45.3%
Q1 25
60.0%
45.1%
Q4 24
80.1%
44.8%
Q3 24
44.9%
Q2 24
45.1%
Operating Margin
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
18.9%
Q4 25
38.3%
18.9%
Q3 25
29.8%
20.7%
Q2 25
30.1%
21.0%
Q1 25
32.2%
20.1%
Q4 24
39.1%
18.9%
Q3 24
28.1%
20.3%
Q2 24
31.4%
20.2%
Net Margin
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
14.5%
Q4 25
30.0%
14.5%
Q3 25
23.7%
15.7%
Q2 25
22.2%
15.9%
Q1 25
24.9%
15.2%
Q4 24
29.9%
14.4%
Q3 24
20.4%
15.6%
Q2 24
23.6%
15.3%
EPS (diluted)
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
$-0.01
Q4 25
$2.44
$-0.01
Q3 25
$1.04
$0.29
Q2 25
$1.16
$0.29
Q1 25
$3.03
$0.52
Q4 24
$2.23
$0.45
Q3 24
$0.82
$0.52
Q2 24
$1.08
$0.51

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$367.0M
$276.8M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$9.6B
$125.0M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$14.3B
$3.9B
Total Assets
$29.8B
$5.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.67×
0.03×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
$276.8M
Q4 25
$367.0M
$276.8M
Q3 25
$202.7M
$288.1M
Q2 25
$709.4M
$237.8M
Q1 25
$543.5M
$231.8M
Q4 24
$584.5M
$255.8M
Q3 24
$307.3M
$292.2M
Q2 24
$674.6M
$255.5M
Total Debt
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
$125.0M
Q4 25
$9.6B
$125.0M
Q3 25
$8.9B
$195.0M
Q2 25
$8.9B
$230.0M
Q1 25
$8.4B
$200.0M
Q4 24
$8.4B
$200.0M
Q3 24
$7.8B
$240.0M
Q2 24
$7.8B
$235.0M
Stockholders' Equity
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
$3.9B
Q4 25
$14.3B
$3.9B
Q3 25
$13.6B
$3.9B
Q2 25
$13.4B
$3.8B
Q1 25
$13.1B
$3.7B
Q4 24
$12.8B
$3.6B
Q3 24
$12.2B
$3.6B
Q2 24
$12.2B
$3.5B
Total Assets
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
$5.1B
Q4 25
$29.8B
$5.1B
Q3 25
$28.2B
$5.1B
Q2 25
$27.7B
$5.0B
Q1 25
$27.0B
$4.9B
Q4 24
$26.5B
$4.7B
Q3 24
$25.2B
$4.7B
Q2 24
$24.9B
$4.6B
Debt / Equity
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
0.03×
Q4 25
0.67×
0.03×
Q3 25
0.66×
0.05×
Q2 25
0.67×
0.06×
Q1 25
0.64×
0.05×
Q4 24
0.66×
0.06×
Q3 24
0.64×
0.07×
Q2 24
0.64×
0.07×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$308.1M
$368.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-725.3M
$308.2M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-54.0%
15.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
77.0%
3.0%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.76×
1.25×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-1.6B
$1.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
$368.2M
Q4 25
$308.1M
$368.2M
Q3 25
$348.1M
$386.9M
Q2 25
$496.4M
$278.6M
Q1 25
$922.9M
$262.2M
Q4 24
$282.0M
$282.8M
Q3 24
$330.7M
$296.9M
Q2 24
$411.2M
$258.0M
Free Cash Flow
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
$308.2M
Q4 25
$-725.3M
$308.2M
Q3 25
$-615.5M
$326.6M
Q2 25
$-370.6M
$209.3M
Q1 25
$83.3M
$206.5M
Q4 24
$-609.2M
$222.6M
Q3 24
$-477.3M
$237.5M
Q2 24
$-302.4M
$201.9M
FCF Margin
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
15.2%
Q4 25
-54.0%
15.2%
Q3 25
-83.5%
15.3%
Q2 25
-44.2%
10.1%
Q1 25
4.3%
10.5%
Q4 24
-51.8%
12.2%
Q3 24
-72.5%
12.4%
Q2 24
-43.1%
10.5%
Capex Intensity
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
3.0%
Q4 25
77.0%
3.0%
Q3 25
130.7%
2.8%
Q2 25
103.4%
3.3%
Q1 25
43.0%
2.8%
Q4 24
75.8%
3.3%
Q3 24
122.8%
3.1%
Q2 24
101.7%
2.9%
Cash Conversion
ATO
ATO
FAST
FAST
Q1 26
1.25×
Q4 25
0.76×
1.25×
Q3 25
1.99×
1.15×
Q2 25
2.66×
0.84×
Q1 25
1.90×
0.88×
Q4 24
0.80×
1.08×
Q3 24
2.47×
1.00×
Q2 24
2.48×
0.88×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ATO
ATO

Distribution Segment$1.3B94%
Transportation Revenue$41.5M3%
Other$39.4M3%
Miscellaneous Revenue$2.8M0%

FAST
FAST

Reportable Segment Aggregation Before Other Operating Segment$1.8B90%
Other$211.2M10%

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