META vs. FAST
META (Meta Platforms, Inc.) and FAST (Fastenal Company) are both stocks. META operates in Internet Content & Information (Communication Services), while FAST operates in Industrial Distribution (Industrials). Over the past 10 years, META returned 17.60%/yr vs 18.29%/yr for FAST. At a 0.28 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
META vs. FAST - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, META achieves a -11.24% return, which is significantly lower than FAST's 15.88% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with META having a 17.60% annualized return and FAST not far ahead at 18.29%.
META
- 1D
- -1.28%
- 1M
- -3.98%
- YTD
- -11.24%
- 6M
- -12.06%
- 1Y
- -15.84%
- 3Y*
- 30.58%
- 5Y*
- 12.31%
- 10Y*
- 17.60%
FAST
- 1D
- -1.69%
- 1M
- 4.14%
- YTD
- 15.88%
- 6M
- 13.97%
- 1Y
- 11.66%
- 3Y*
- 21.78%
- 5Y*
- 14.55%
- 10Y*
- 18.29%
META vs. FAST - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
META Meta Platforms, Inc. | -11.24% | 13.09% | 66.05% | 194.13% | -64.22% | 23.13% | 33.09% | 56.57% | -25.71% | 53.38% |
FAST Fastenal Company | 15.88% | 13.98% | 13.53% | 41.31% | -24.34% | 34.06% | 36.60% | 45.08% | -1.61% | 19.66% |
Correlation
The correlation between META and FAST is 0.20, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.20 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.17 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.29 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.30 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 18, 2012 | 0.28 |
The correlation between META and FAST shifts across timeframes, from 0.17 (3 years) to 0.30 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
META:
$1.50T
FAST:
$52.94B
META:
$27.47
FAST:
$1.13
META:
21.31
FAST:
40.72
META:
0.88
FAST:
4.78
META:
7.00
FAST:
6.27
META:
6.16
FAST:
13.27
META:
$214.96B
FAST:
$8.44B
META:
$176.14B
FAST:
$3.79B
META:
$106.31B
FAST:
$1.80B
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Return for Risk
META vs. FAST — Risk / Return Rank
META
FAST
META vs. FAST - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) and Fastenal Company (FAST). 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.
| META | FAST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.92 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.25 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.94 | 1.10 | -0.16 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.48 | 0.53 | -1.01 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -1.01 | 1.07 | -2.08 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| META | FAST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.45 | 0.47 | -0.92 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.28 | 0.60 | -0.32 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.46 | 0.69 | -0.23 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.54 | 0.53 | +0.02 |
Drawdowns
META vs. FAST - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum META drawdown since its inception was -76.74%, which is greater than FAST's maximum drawdown of -63.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for META and FAST.
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Drawdown Indicators
| META | FAST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -76.74% | -63.43% | -13.31% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -33.30% | -21.90% | -11.40% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -34.15% | -21.90% | -12.25% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -76.74% | -30.71% | -46.03% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -76.74% | -30.71% | -46.03% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -25.73% | -7.24% | -18.49% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -15.26% | -12.17% | -3.09% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 15.69% | 10.94% | +4.75% |
Volatility
META vs. FAST - Volatility Comparison
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) has a higher volatility of 10.48% compared to Fastenal Company (FAST) at 6.42%. This indicates that META's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FAST based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| META | FAST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 10.48% | 6.42% | +4.06% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 26.95% | 19.37% | +7.58% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 35.56% | 24.92% | +10.64% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 44.05% | 24.31% | +19.74% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 38.69% | 26.78% | +11.91% |
Dividends
META vs. FAST - Dividend Comparison
META's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.36%, less than FAST's 2.00% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAST Fastenal Company | 2.00% | 2.18% | 2.17% | 2.75% | 2.62% | 1.75% | 2.87% | 2.35% | 2.95% | 2.34% | 2.55% | 2.74% |
META Meta Platforms, Inc. | 0.36% | 0.32% | 0.34% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Financials
META vs. FAST - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Meta Platforms, Inc. and Fastenal Company. 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
META vs. FAST - Profitability Comparison
META - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Meta Platforms, Inc. reported a gross profit of 46.09B and revenue of 56.31B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 81.9%.
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%.
META - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Meta Platforms, Inc. reported an operating income of 22.87B and revenue of 56.31B, resulting in an operating margin of 40.6%.
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%.
META - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Meta Platforms, Inc. reported a net income of 26.77B and revenue of 56.31B, resulting in a net margin of 47.5%.
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%.
Frequently Asked Questions
META and FAST have a correlation of 0.20, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
META has higher volatility (10.48%) compared to FAST (6.42%). In terms of maximum drawdown, META dropped -76.74% vs FAST's -63.43%.
FAST currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.47 vs -0.45), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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