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

FirstEnergy is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($3.8B vs $2.0B, roughly 1.9× Fastenal). Fastenal runs the higher net margin — 14.5% vs -1.3%, a 15.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, FirstEnergy posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (19.6% vs 3.5%). Fastenal produced more free cash flow last quarter ($308.2M vs $-30.0M). Over the past eight quarters, FirstEnergy's revenue compounded faster (7.5% CAGR vs 2.9%).

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.

FirstEnergy Corp. is an electric utility headquartered in Akron, Ohio. It was established when Ohio Edison merged with Centerior Energy in 1997.

FAST vs FE — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
FE
FE
1.9× larger
FE
$3.8B
$2.0B
FAST
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
FE
FE
+16.1% gap
FE
19.6%
3.5%
FAST
Higher net margin
FAST
FAST
15.8% more per $
FAST
14.5%
-1.3%
FE
More free cash flow
FAST
FAST
$338.2M more FCF
FAST
$308.2M
$-30.0M
FE
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
FE
FE
Annualised
FE
7.5%
2.9%
FAST

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Revenue
$2.0B
$3.8B
Net Profit
$293.9M
$-49.0M
Gross Margin
44.3%
Operating Margin
18.9%
-0.6%
Net Margin
14.5%
-1.3%
Revenue YoY
3.5%
19.6%
Net Profit YoY
-1.6%
-118.8%
EPS (diluted)
$-0.01
$-0.08

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
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
$2.0B
Q4 25
$2.0B
$3.8B
Q3 25
$2.1B
$4.1B
Q2 25
$2.1B
$3.4B
Q1 25
$2.0B
$3.8B
Q4 24
$1.8B
$3.2B
Q3 24
$1.9B
$3.7B
Q2 24
$1.9B
$3.3B
Net Profit
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
$293.9M
Q4 25
$293.9M
$-49.0M
Q3 25
$335.5M
$441.0M
Q2 25
$330.3M
$268.0M
Q1 25
$298.7M
$360.0M
Q4 24
$262.1M
$261.0M
Q3 24
$298.1M
$419.0M
Q2 24
$292.7M
$45.0M
Gross Margin
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
44.3%
Q4 25
44.3%
Q3 25
45.3%
Q2 25
45.3%
Q1 25
45.1%
Q4 24
44.8%
Q3 24
44.9%
Q2 24
45.1%
Operating Margin
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
18.9%
Q4 25
18.9%
-0.6%
Q3 25
20.7%
20.0%
Q2 25
21.0%
19.1%
Q1 25
20.1%
20.0%
Q4 24
18.9%
19.3%
Q3 24
20.3%
19.5%
Q2 24
20.2%
12.9%
Net Margin
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
14.5%
Q4 25
14.5%
-1.3%
Q3 25
15.7%
10.6%
Q2 25
15.9%
7.9%
Q1 25
15.2%
9.6%
Q4 24
14.4%
8.2%
Q3 24
15.6%
11.2%
Q2 24
15.3%
1.4%
EPS (diluted)
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
$-0.01
Q4 25
$-0.01
$-0.08
Q3 25
$0.29
$0.76
Q2 25
$0.29
$0.46
Q1 25
$0.52
$0.62
Q4 24
$0.45
$0.45
Q3 24
$0.52
$0.73
Q2 24
$0.51
$0.08

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$276.8M
$57.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$125.0M
$25.5B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$3.9B
$12.5B
Total Assets
$5.1B
$55.9B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.03×
2.04×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
$276.8M
Q4 25
$276.8M
$57.0M
Q3 25
$288.1M
$1.4B
Q2 25
$237.8M
$569.0M
Q1 25
$231.8M
$132.0M
Q4 24
$255.8M
$111.0M
Q3 24
$292.2M
$439.0M
Q2 24
$255.5M
$60.0M
Total Debt
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
$125.0M
Q4 25
$125.0M
$25.5B
Q3 25
$195.0M
$25.5B
Q2 25
$230.0M
$23.7B
Q1 25
$200.0M
$21.2B
Q4 24
$200.0M
$22.5B
Q3 24
$240.0M
$21.6B
Q2 24
$235.0M
$20.8B
Stockholders' Equity
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
$3.9B
Q4 25
$3.9B
$12.5B
Q3 25
$3.9B
$12.8B
Q2 25
$3.8B
$12.9B
Q1 25
$3.7B
$12.6B
Q4 24
$3.6B
$12.5B
Q3 24
$3.6B
$12.4B
Q2 24
$3.5B
$12.5B
Total Assets
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
$5.1B
Q4 25
$5.1B
$55.9B
Q3 25
$5.1B
$55.9B
Q2 25
$5.0B
$54.2B
Q1 25
$4.9B
$52.8B
Q4 24
$4.7B
$52.0B
Q3 24
$4.7B
$50.8B
Q2 24
$4.6B
$51.0B
Debt / Equity
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
0.03×
Q4 25
0.03×
2.04×
Q3 25
0.05×
1.99×
Q2 25
0.06×
1.85×
Q1 25
0.05×
1.69×
Q4 24
0.06×
1.81×
Q3 24
0.07×
1.74×
Q2 24
0.07×
1.67×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$368.2M
$1.1B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$308.2M
$-30.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
15.2%
-0.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
3.0%
30.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.25×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$1.2B
$-1.0B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
$368.2M
Q4 25
$368.2M
$1.1B
Q3 25
$386.9M
$845.0M
Q2 25
$278.6M
$1.1B
Q1 25
$262.2M
$637.0M
Q4 24
$282.8M
$1.0B
Q3 24
$296.9M
$775.0M
Q2 24
$258.0M
$1.1B
Free Cash Flow
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
$308.2M
Q4 25
$308.2M
$-30.0M
Q3 25
$326.6M
$-471.0M
Q2 25
$209.3M
$-136.0M
Q1 25
$206.5M
$-368.0M
Q4 24
$222.6M
$-250.0M
Q3 24
$237.5M
$-229.0M
Q2 24
$201.9M
$170.0M
FCF Margin
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
15.2%
Q4 25
15.2%
-0.8%
Q3 25
15.3%
-11.4%
Q2 25
10.1%
-4.0%
Q1 25
10.5%
-9.8%
Q4 24
12.2%
-7.9%
Q3 24
12.4%
-6.1%
Q2 24
10.5%
5.2%
Capex Intensity
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
3.0%
Q4 25
3.0%
30.7%
Q3 25
2.8%
31.7%
Q2 25
3.3%
36.0%
Q1 25
2.8%
26.7%
Q4 24
3.3%
40.7%
Q3 24
3.1%
26.9%
Q2 24
2.9%
28.7%
Cash Conversion
FAST
FAST
FE
FE
Q1 26
1.25×
Q4 25
1.25×
Q3 25
1.15×
1.92×
Q2 25
0.84×
4.04×
Q1 25
0.88×
1.77×
Q4 24
1.08×
4.00×
Q3 24
1.00×
1.85×
Q2 24
0.88×
24.71×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

FAST
FAST

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

FE
FE

Integrated Segment$1.4B37%
Other$1.4B36%
Stand Alone Transmission Segment$466.0M12%
Industrial Customers$167.0M4%
Mid Atlantic Interstate Transmission LLC$118.0M3%
Transmission$105.0M3%
Transmission Segment$68.0M2%
Tr AIL$63.0M2%
Internal Customers$10.0M0%
Wholesale Sales$6.0M0%

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