FAST vs. BNS.TO
FAST (Fastenal Company) and BNS.TO (The Bank of Nova Scotia) are both stocks. FAST operates in Industrial Distribution (Industrials), while BNS.TO operates in Banks - Diversified (Financial Services). Over the past 10 years, FAST returned 18.53%/yr vs 10.85%/yr for BNS.TO. At a 0.33 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
FAST vs. BNS.TO - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
FAST is traded in USD, while BNS.TO is traded in CAD. To make them comparable, the BNS.TO values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FAST achieves a 17.31% return, which is significantly higher than BNS.TO's 16.11% return. Over the past 10 years, FAST has outperformed BNS.TO with an annualized return of 18.53%, while BNS.TO has yielded a comparatively lower 10.85% annualized return.
FAST
- 1D
- 0.39%
- 1M
- 6.40%
- YTD
- 17.31%
- 6M
- 12.06%
- 1Y
- 10.93%
- 3Y*
- 21.28%
- 5Y*
- 14.88%
- 10Y*
- 18.53%
BNS.TO
- 1D
- 1.58%
- 1M
- 9.71%
- YTD
- 16.11%
- 6M
- 18.04%
- 1Y
- 63.04%
- 3Y*
- 26.26%
- 5Y*
- 10.67%
- 10Y*
- 10.85%
FAST vs. BNS.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAST Fastenal Company | 17.31% | 13.98% | 13.53% | 41.31% | -24.34% | 34.06% | 36.60% | 45.08% | -1.61% | 19.66% |
BNS.TO The Bank of Nova Scotia | 16.11% | 45.39% | 17.55% | 6.21% | -27.44% | 38.05% | 2.12% | 16.60% | -19.06% | 20.99% |
Correlation
The correlation between FAST and BNS.TO is 0.26, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.26 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.26 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.31 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.30 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 12, 2006 | 0.33 |
Fundamentals
FAST:
$53.60B
BNS.TO:
CA$144.67B
FAST:
$1.13
BNS.TO:
CA$7.57
FAST:
41.23
BNS.TO:
15.51
FAST:
6.35
BNS.TO:
2.43
FAST:
13.43
BNS.TO:
1.87
FAST:
$8.44B
BNS.TO:
CA$61.04B
FAST:
$3.79B
BNS.TO:
CA$33.58B
FAST:
$1.80B
BNS.TO:
CA$13.09B
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Return for Risk
FAST vs. BNS.TO — Risk / Return Rank
FAST
BNS.TO
FAST vs. BNS.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Fastenal Company (FAST) and The Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| FAST | BNS.TO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -3.65 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -4.95 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.10 | 1.76 | -0.66 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.50 | 4.82 | -4.32 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.00 | 18.89 | -17.89 |
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Drawdowns
FAST vs. BNS.TO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FAST drawdown since its inception was -63.43%, roughly equal to the maximum BNS.TO drawdown of -63.90%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FAST and BNS.TO.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FAST | BNS.TO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -63.43% | -63.90% | +0.47% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -21.90% | -13.14% | -8.76% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -21.90% | -20.08% | -1.82% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -30.71% | -40.28% | +9.57% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -30.71% | -46.84% | +16.13% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.09% | 0.00% | -6.09% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -12.16% | -13.77% | +1.61% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 10.97% | 3.35% | +7.62% |
Volatility
FAST vs. BNS.TO - Volatility Comparison
Fastenal Company (FAST) has a higher volatility of 6.20% compared to The Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) at 4.63%. This indicates that FAST's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BNS.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FAST | BNS.TO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 6.20% | 4.63% | +1.57% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 19.27% | 12.12% | +7.15% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 24.90% | 15.50% | +9.40% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 24.31% | 17.73% | +6.58% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 26.77% | 20.09% | +6.68% |
Dividends
FAST vs. BNS.TO - Dividend Comparison
FAST's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.98%, less than BNS.TO's 3.75% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BNS.TO The Bank of Nova Scotia | 3.75% | 4.27% | 5.49% | 6.48% | 4.61% | 5.14% | 5.23% | 3.60% | 4.91% | 3.82% | 3.91% | 6.11% |
FAST Fastenal Company | 1.98% | 2.18% | 2.17% | 2.75% | 2.62% | 1.75% | 2.87% | 2.35% | 2.95% | 2.34% | 2.55% | 2.74% |
Financials
FAST vs. BNS.TO - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Fastenal Company and The Bank of Nova Scotia. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
FAST vs. BNS.TO - Profitability Comparison
FAST - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Fastenal Company reported a gross profit of 982.90M and revenue of 2.20B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 44.6%.
BNS.TO - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Bank of Nova Scotia reported a gross profit of 8.40B and revenue of 17.19B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 48.9%.
FAST - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Fastenal Company reported an operating income of 447.60M and revenue of 2.20B, resulting in an operating margin of 20.3%.
BNS.TO - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Bank of Nova Scotia reported an operating income of 3.43B and revenue of 17.19B, resulting in an operating margin of 20.0%.
FAST - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Fastenal Company reported a net income of 339.80M and revenue of 2.20B, resulting in a net margin of 15.4%.
BNS.TO - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Bank of Nova Scotia reported a net income of 2.60B and revenue of 17.19B, resulting in a net margin of 15.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAST and BNS.TO have a correlation of 0.26, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
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