# How Fastenal (FAST) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/fast
> Data as of October 20, 2026. Total returns include reinvested dividends. Past performance does not predict future results; nothing here is investment advice.

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on FAST alone. It places FAST (Fastenal Company) against 17 popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where FAST stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: FAST's full trading record, from August 1987 through September 2026. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

## Key findings

- **Right now:** Over the past 3 months, FAST rose 16.0% against 3.9% for the S&P 500 and 3.2% for the Nasdaq 100. Not every peer went the same way. Over the past 3 months, GIC (Global Industrial) rose 29.8% and GWW (W.W. Grainger) fell 2.4%.
- **Stock or market?:** FAST held up far better than its industry: it rose 16.0% over the past 3 months while the industrial distribution ETF XLI (State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF) fell 6.1%. The S&P 500 rose 3.9%. Its industrial distribution peers did not move as one over the past 3 months: GIC (Global Industrial) rose 29.8%, while GWW (W.W. Grainger) fell 2.4%.
- **Past 1 to 3 years:** FAST has outpaced the market, rising 22.8% over the past year against 15.8% for the S&P 500 and 17.9% for the Nasdaq 100. The same gap shows up over 3 years (92.7% against 89.3%). On the flip side, the last two calendar years both went the same way: FAST rose 14.0% in 2025, against 15.8% for the S&P 500 and 17.9% for the Nasdaq 100.
- **Long term:** FAST turned $10,000 into $67,600 over the past decade, against $42,100 in the S&P 500. FAST's 10-year return of 576% puts it ahead of 89% of the stocks worth at least $300 million with that much history. The S&P 500 returned 321%.
- **In a crash:** The Covid crash took 27.8% off FAST, against 33.7% for the S&P 500. That was more than WSO (Watsco, 24.3%) but less than GWW (W.W. Grainger, 32.5%).
- **Diversification:** Against the S&P 500, FAST has a correlation of 0.46 over 5 years, more closely than 66% of stocks worth at least $300 million. Next to an index fund it is some diversification, but not a hedge.
- **Better options**
  - **Nearby categories and themes:** TJX (TJX Companies, specialty retail) earned more than FAST with less volatility over the past 5 years: 19.9% a year at 22.3% volatility, against 15.8% a year at 24.6%.
  - **Whole market:** Few investments have done better on both counts: only 44 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than FAST with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them WMT (Walmart), COST (Costco Wholesale) and NVS (Novartis).

## How much would $10,000 in FAST have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in FAST over the past 29 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of FAST over the same span and FAST's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period.

- $10,000 invested in FAST at the end of September 1997 would have grown to $485,606 by September 2026, more than the $132,907 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- Five of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of FAST, and TJX finished highest, at $958,745.

## FAST at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout.

- FAST's deepest decline since it began trading in 1987 was 63.3%, from August 1997 to October 1998. It took nine months from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over 29 full calendar years, FAST's best was 2011, when it returned 48.5%, and its worst was 2022, when it lost 24.4%. It lost money in six of those years.
- FAST is 1.4% below its all-time high.

- Type: Stock, Industrials (Industrial - Distribution)
- Trading since: August 20, 1987
- Market value: $59B
- Volatility (5 years): 24.6%; Sharpe ratio: 0.72
- Worst decline ever: −63.3%, from August 11, 1997 to October 7, 1998; back at its high by July 27, 1999

| Period | FAST total return |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month | +4.0% |
| 3 months | +16.0% |
| 6 months | +14.6% |
| year to date | +29.8% |
| 1 year | +22.8% |
| 3 years | +92.7% |
| 5 years | +108% |
| 10 years | +576% |

## FAST against the whole market

Where FAST ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

### How does FAST rank among all stocks?

This section ranks FAST on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history.

- FAST's worst decline of the past 10 years ranks in the top 1% of the 2,187 stocks worth at least $300 million, where the top fell the least.

| Measure | FAST | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-year return | +22.8% | 1,162 of 3,287 (top 36%) |
| 3-year return | +92.7% | 986 of 3,017 (top 33%) |
| 5-year return | +108% | 639 of 2,893 (top 23%) |
| 10-year return | +576% | 252 of 2,202 (top 12%) |
| Volatility, 5 years | 24.6% | 296 of 2,893 (top 11%) |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.72 | 423 of 2,893 (top 15%) |
| Worst decline, past 10 years | −30.7% | 28 of 2,187 (top 2%) |

### What has beaten FAST on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer).

- 17 stocks and 27 ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than FAST over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is 1% of the 3,633 screened. Few investments beat it on both counts.
- Among those with at least half FAST's swings, DXJ has the best return for its risk: 26.6% a year at 19.1% volatility, 22% less than FAST's 24.6%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.34 against 0.72 for FAST.
- None of FAST's popular alternatives made it, but TJX (specialty retail) did: 19.9% a year at 22.3% volatility, 9% less than FAST's 24.6%.

### Is there a better investment than FAST?

The table below lists investments that beat FAST over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes.

- Among FAST's popular alternatives, GWW earned more than FAST over the past 5 years with similar volatility: 26.3% a year at 24.9% volatility, against 15.8% a year at 24.6%.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, TJX (specialty retail) earned more than FAST with less volatility over the past 5 years: 19.9% a year at 22.3% volatility, against 15.8% a year at 24.6%.
- Few investments have done better on both counts: only 44 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than FAST with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them WMT, COST and NVS.

The 15 strongest of 44 investments that beat FAST over the past 5 years, out of 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million.

| Investment | Group | Annual return (5 years) | Volatility | Sharpe | Worst decline (10 years) | 10Y return | Correlation with FAST | Better on |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FAST: Fastenal Company (this page) |  | +15.8% | 24.6% | 0.72 | −30.7% | +576% |  |  |
| [MO](https://easycompare.io/research/mo): Altria Group, Inc. | Tobacco | +17.8% | 21.4% | 0.88 | −53.7% | +140% | 0.41 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [TRV](https://easycompare.io/research/trv): The Travelers Companies, Inc. | Property & Casualty Insurance | +22.4% | 22.3% | 1.02 | −46.3% | +347% | 0.42 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [CCEP](https://easycompare.io/research/ccep): Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC | Food & Beverages | +19.7% | 23.2% | 0.90 | −48.8% | +292% | 0.20 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [RY](https://easycompare.io/research/ry): Royal Bank of Canada | Banks | +17.3% | 18.2% | 0.97 | −40.0% | +352% | 0.25 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| CRAK: VanEck Oil Refiners ETF | Energy | +19.8% | 20.9% | 0.97 | −58.8% | +336% | 0.24 | Higher return, lower volatility; Higher return in most periods |
| [MPLX](https://easycompare.io/research/mplx): MPLX Lp | Oil & Gas Midstream | +23.5% | 18.8% | 1.22 | −75.2% | +350% | 0.29 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [WMT](https://easycompare.io/research/wmt): Walmart Inc. | Discount Retail | +20.8% | 22.6% | 0.96 | −25.7% | +508% | 0.37 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | International Equity | +26.6% | 19.1% | 1.34 | −39.1% | +428% | 0.27 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| LVHI: Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF | International Equity | +17.0% | 11.1% | 1.48 | −32.4% | +194% | 0.40 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [COST](https://easycompare.io/research/cost): Costco Wholesale Corporation | Discount Retail | +17.4% | 22.9% | 0.82 | −31.4% | +685% | 0.45 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [NVS](https://easycompare.io/research/nvs): Novartis AG | Pharmaceuticals | +17.1% | 20.7% | 0.87 | −26.8% | +226% | 0.28 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | Gold | +17.7% | 18.9% | 0.96 | −26.4% | +213% | 0.18 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [BTI](https://easycompare.io/research/bti): British American Tobacco p.l.c. | Tobacco | +18.7% | 22.0% | 0.90 | −56.1% | +98.2% | 0.16 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [CM](https://easycompare.io/research/cm): Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | Banks | +19.2% | 21.6% | 0.93 | −47.3% | +395% | 0.31 | Higher return, lower volatility |
| [COR](https://easycompare.io/research/cor): Cencora, Inc. | Health Care Distribution | +24.2% | 22.8% | 1.07 | −32.4% | +406% | 0.36 | Higher return, lower volatility |

## FAST against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against FAST, compared period by period and year by year.

### How do FAST's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings.

- None of the 17 popular alternatives earned more than FAST over the past 5 years with smaller price swings, so every higher return on the map came with a bumpier ride.
- Nine of the 17 popular alternatives earned less than FAST over the past 5 years while swinging more, the weaker corner of the map.
- Over the past 5 years, FAST returned 15.8% a year, more than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with higher volatility (24.6% against 17.1%).

### Has FAST consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares FAST with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years.

- GWW outperformed FAST in every long-term period and in all but one short-term period, the most consistent record in the group.
- Only one of the 17 popular alternatives, GWW, outperformed FAST in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes.
- CAT outperformed FAST over all three long-term periods but in only one of the five short-term ones, so FAST has had the better of it lately.

| Investment | 1Y return | 3Y return | 5Y return | 10Y return | Periods ahead of FAST | Verdict | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FAST: Fastenal Company (this page) | +22.8% | +92.7% | +108% | +576% |  |  | 0.72 |
| [GWW](https://easycompare.io/research/gww): W.W. Grainger, Inc. | +38.7% | +98.1% | +221% | +654% | 4/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term | all-weather | 1.07 |
| DXPE: DXP Enterprises, Inc. | +48.8% | +425% | +419% | +610% | 2/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.95 |
| [URI](https://easycompare.io/research/uri): United Rentals, Inc. | +5.2% | +164% | +196% | +1,270% | 1/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.75 |
| [CAT](https://easycompare.io/research/cat): Caterpillar Inc. | +37.7% | +203% | +288% | +936% | 1/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 1.01 |
| AIT: Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. | +33.4% | +120% | +250% | +742% | 1/5 short-term, 3/3 long-term |  | 0.98 |
| WCC: WESCO International, Inc. | +57.1% | +179% | +176% | +505% | 2/5 short-term, 2/3 long-term |  | 0.68 |
| GIC: Global Industrial Co | +31.2% | +49.6% | +29.5% | +995% | 5/5 short-term, 1/3 long-term |  | 0.33 |
| MSM: MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. | +54.6% | +48.6% | +86.7% | +184% | 4/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.63 |
| SWK: Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. | +42.0% | +36.2% | −39.7% | +2.0% | 3/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.07 |
| [FERG](https://easycompare.io/research/ferg): Ferguson plc | −4.7% | +55.4% | +70.0% | +418% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.50 |
| DSGR: Distribution Solutions Group, Inc. | +18.5% | +20.8% | +34.9% | +268% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.35 |
| SITE: SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. | −20.4% | −29.6% | −54.7% | +202% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | -0.18 |
| DNOW: Dnow Inc. | +10.3% | +38.5% | +67.4% | −28.1% | 1/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.46 |
| [ITW](https://easycompare.io/research/itw): Illinois Tool Works Inc. | +11.7% | +32.1% | +38.4% | +208% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.41 |
| WSO: Watsco, Inc. | −17.4% | −5.5% | +20.6% | +196% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.28 |
| SNA: Snap-on Incorporated | +10.4% | +56.9% | +83.2% | +195% | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.63 |
| CNM: Core & Main, Inc. | −21.0% | +38.9% | +69.6% | — | 0/5 short-term, 0/3 long-term |  | 0.47 |

### How did FAST do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 1997, along with where FAST ranked among its popular alternatives each year.

- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, FAST finished in the top quarter in eight of 29 years and in the bottom quarter in three. In 2025, it ranked 8 of 18.
- FAST finished ahead of the S&P 500 in 16 of its 29 full calendar years, and behind it in each of the last two.
- Among its popular alternatives, URI came out ahead of FAST most often, in 17 of the 28 years both traded.

| Year | FAST | SPY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2025 | +14.0% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +13.5% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +41.4% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −24.4% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +34.0% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +36.6% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +45.0% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −1.6% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +17.2% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +18.6% | +12.0% |

## Risk and diversification

How FAST has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

### What were FAST's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high.

- In all three of FAST's worst declines, the S&P 500 held up better over the same dates.
- Not every decline was the market's doing: FAST fell 63.3% from August 1997 to October 1998, while the S&P 500 rose 5.0%.
- The longest climb back to a previous high took 13 months, after FAST fell 51.8% from September 2008 to March 2009.

| Decline | Peak | Low | Back at the high | SPY over the same dates | Market event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −63.3% | August 11, 1997 | October 7, 1998 | July 27, 1999 | +5.0% |  |
| −51.8% | September 16, 2008 | March 9, 2009 | April 14, 2010 | −43.4% | 2008 financial crisis |
| −47.5% | May 18, 1990 | November 1, 1990 | March 20, 1991 | — |  |
| −42.0% | October 6, 1987 | October 27, 1987 | April 12, 1988 | — |  |
| −41.6% | July 27, 1999 | October 15, 1999 | May 1, 2000 | −7.8% |  |

### How did FAST do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far FAST, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000.

- FAST fell less than the S&P 500 in seven of the ten crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the dot-com bust, when FAST fell 36.4% and the S&P 500 fell 47.5%.
- None of its popular alternatives fell less than FAST in most of the crashes they both traded through.

| Crash | Dates | FAST fall | SPY fall |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dot-com bust | March 10, 2000 to October 9, 2002 | −36.4% | −47.5% |
| Global financial crisis | October 9, 2007 to March 9, 2009 | −51.8% | −55.2% |
| Flash crash | May 6, 2010 to May 7, 2010 | −2.1% | −1.5% |
| Euro debt crisis | July 22, 2011 to October 3, 2011 | −14.0% | −17.9% |
| China devaluation & oil rout | August 10, 2015 to February 11, 2016 | −12.7% | −12.8% |
| Volmageddon | February 2, 2018 to February 9, 2018 | −2.7% | −6.5% |
| Q4 2018 selloff | September 21, 2018 to December 24, 2018 | −17.4% | −19.3% |
| COVID crash | February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020 | −27.8% | −33.7% |
| 2022 bear market | January 4, 2022 to October 12, 2022 | −25.5% | −24.5% |
| SVB / regional bank stress | March 8, 2023 to March 13, 2023 | −2.7% | −3.4% |

### How closely does FAST move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell.

- Over the past 10 years, FAST captured 106% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 87% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 0.98. Its share of the market's gains was larger than its share of the losses.
- Only GIC and AIT had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than FAST's 1.23, out of 16 popular alternatives with the same record.
- GIC took just 62% of the S&P 500's losses, against 87% for FAST, while still keeping 113% of its gains.

Measured over the past 10 years of monthly returns against SPY.

| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Beta |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FAST: Fastenal Company (this page) | 106% | 87.0% | 0.98 |
| [GWW](https://easycompare.io/research/gww): W.W. Grainger, Inc. | 113% | 95.0% | 1.12 |
| DXPE: DXP Enterprises, Inc. | 171% | 201% | 1.77 |
| [URI](https://easycompare.io/research/uri): United Rentals, Inc. | 177% | 165% | 1.90 |
| [CAT](https://easycompare.io/research/cat): Caterpillar Inc. | 148% | 122% | 1.27 |
| AIT: Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. | 111% | 75.0% | 1.13 |
| WCC: WESCO International, Inc. | 165% | 194% | 1.96 |
| GIC: Global Industrial Co | 113% | 62.0% | 0.66 |
| MSM: MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. | 83.0% | 96.0% | 0.95 |
| SWK: Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. | 101% | 198% | 1.30 |
| [FERG](https://easycompare.io/research/ferg): Ferguson plc | 118% | 122% | 1.25 |
| DSGR: Distribution Solutions Group, Inc. | 95.0% | 94.0% | 0.78 |
| SITE: SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. | 116% | 161% | 1.31 |
| DNOW: Dnow Inc. | 75.0% | 168% | 1.43 |
| [ITW](https://easycompare.io/research/itw): Illinois Tool Works Inc. | 94.0% | 116% | 1.04 |
| WSO: Watsco, Inc. | 74.0% | 74.0% | 0.93 |
| SNA: Snap-on Incorporated | 86.0% | 93.0% | 0.99 |

### What diversifies FAST?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions).

- Moving a fifth of the money in FAST into LVHI would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 17% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (+16.7% for FAST alone, +17.2% for the mix).
- Among large ETFs, LVHI, DXJ and MLPX have moved largely independently of FAST over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.42 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.
- FIX made money in four of the six calendar years in which FAST lost money.

| Investment | Correlation with FAST | 5Y return | Volatility | Sharpe | Rose in FAST's 6 down years |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LVHI: Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF | 0.40 | +119% | 11.1% | 1.48 | 1 of 6 |
| DXJ: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | 0.27 | +225% | 19.1% | 1.34 | 2 of 6 |
| MLPX: Global X - MLP & Energy Infrastructure ETF | 0.42 | +135% | 19.7% | 0.97 | 1 of 6 |
| [SMH](https://easycompare.io/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.25 | +323% | 36.9% | 0.97 | 0 of 6 |
| DBEF: Xtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF | 0.43 | +85.0% | 13.8% | 0.96 | 1 of 6 |
| [GLD](https://easycompare.io/research/gld): SPDR Gold Shares | 0.18 | +126% | 18.9% | 0.96 | 2 of 6 |
| SPMO: Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF | 0.33 | +136% | 20.8% | 0.93 | 0 of 6 |
| [XLE](https://easycompare.io/research/xle): State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.24 | +177% | 25.5% | 0.93 | 2 of 6 |

## Common questions

### What was FAST's worst drawdown?

FAST's deepest decline since it began trading in 1987 was 63.3%, from August 1997 to October 1998. It took nine months from the low to climb back to its old high.

### What were FAST's best and worst years?

Over 29 full calendar years, FAST's best year was 2011, when it returned 48.5%. Its worst was 2022, with a return of -24.4%.

### Is there a better investment than FAST?

Among FAST's popular alternatives, GWW earned more than FAST over the past 5 years with similar volatility: 26.3% a year at 24.9% volatility, against 15.8% a year at 24.6%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, TJX (specialty retail) earned more than FAST with less volatility over the past 5 years: 19.9% a year at 22.3% volatility, against 15.8% a year at 24.6%.

### Is FAST more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. FAST's volatility over the past 5 years was 24.6%, 1.4 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, FAST's return lands within 24.6% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

### What is FAST's Sharpe ratio?

FAST's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.72, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so FAST earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

### How correlated is FAST with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, FAST's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.46 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They often move together: some diversification next to an index fund, but not a cushion. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against FAST instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a FAST holding.

### What are the best alternatives to FAST?

Of the 17 popular alternatives we compared, one outperformed FAST in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: GWW.

### Did FAST outperform the S&P 500?

FAST finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 16 of 29 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +14.0%, against +17.7% for the index.

### How did FAST do in stock market crashes?

FAST fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in seven of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in two. The clearest case was the dot-com bust, when FAST fell 36.4% and the S&P 500 fell 47.5%.

### What diversifies FAST?

These had a low correlation with FAST over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.40), DXJ (correlation 0.27) and MLPX (correlation 0.42); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.15), CLS (correlation 0.04) and FIX (correlation 0.42). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

## More research

- [W.W. Grainger (GWW) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/gww)
- [United Rentals (URI) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/uri)
- [Caterpillar (CAT) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/cat)
- [Ferguson (FERG) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/ferg)
- [Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/itw)
- [Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/schd)
- [NVIDIA (NVDA) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/nvda)
- [Apple (AAPL) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/aapl)
- [Alphabet (GOOG) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/goog)
- [Microsoft (MSFT) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/msft)
- [Amazon.com (AMZN) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/amzn)
- [Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) Performance, Alternatives and Market Rank](https://easycompare.io/research/vti)

## Explore further

- Full page with charts: https://easycompare.io/research/fast
- All research pages: https://easycompare.io/llms.txt
- Compare the entire market against FAST live: https://betterthanspy.com/?b=FAST&utm_source=easycompare&utm_medium=research