Which has the lower trailing P/E, AME or FAST?

AME has the lower trailing P/E: AME trades at 35.36 and FAST at 41.80. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, AME or FAST?

Over the past five years, AME grew revenue faster — AME at a 9.80% CAGR versus FAST at 8.96%.

Does AME or FAST pay a bigger dividend?

AME yields 0.55% and FAST yields 1.96% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is AME or FAST more profitable?

AME runs the higher net margin — AME at 20.04% versus FAST at 15.45%.

How have AME and FAST total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, AME delivered 18.02% and FAST delivered 20.13% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

AMETEK, Inc. (AME) vs Fastenal Company (FAST)

A side-by-side comparison of AMETEK, Inc. and Fastenal Company across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of September 10, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

AME

AMETEK, Inc.

$55.44B

$241.87IndustrialsDelayed quote: Sep 11, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

FAST

Fastenal Company

$56.59B

$49.32IndustrialsDelayed quote: Sep 11, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — AME vs FAST

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

AME +434.5% (+18.2%/yr)FAST +502.5% (+19.7%/yr)FAST compounded faster over this window

AME FAST

AME vs FAST: by the numbers

•FAST is the larger company ($56.59B vs $55.44B market cap).
•AME trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (35.36 vs 41.80 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•AME converts more revenue to profit (20.04% vs 15.45% net margin).
•AME grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.80% vs 8.96% CAGR).
•FAST pays the higher dividend yield (1.96% vs 0.55%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	AME	FAST
P/E ratio	35.36	41.80
Forward P/E	29.01	38.94
P/S ratio	7.05	6.47
P/B ratio	4.92	13.91
EV / EBITDA	23.14	29.07
FCF yield	3.29%	1.82%

Profitability

Metric	AME	FAST
Gross margin	36.58%	44.70%
Operating margin	26.13%	20.29%
Net margin	20.04%	15.45%
ROE	14.00%	33.23%
ROIC	11.38%	30.16%

Dividends

Metric	AME	FAST
Dividend yield	0.55%	1.96%
Payout ratio	19.01%	81.36%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AME	FAST
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	9.80%	8.96%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	11.06%	7.96%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	9.13%	2.54%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	13.16%	15.59%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, AME or FAST?: AME has the lower trailing P/E: AME trades at 35.36 and FAST at 41.80. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, AME or FAST?: Over the past five years, AME grew revenue faster — AME at a 9.80% CAGR versus FAST at 8.96%.
Does AME or FAST pay a bigger dividend?: AME yields 0.55% and FAST yields 1.96% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is AME or FAST more profitable?: AME runs the higher net margin — AME at 20.04% versus FAST at 15.45%.
How have AME and FAST total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, AME delivered 18.02% and FAST delivered 20.13% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AME analysis Full FAST analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

AMETEK P/E ratio Fastenal P/E ratio AMETEK dividend yield Fastenal dividend yield AMETEK ROE Fastenal ROE AMETEK operating margin Fastenal operating margin AMETEK revenue growth Fastenal revenue growth AMETEK free cash flow Fastenal free cash flow

AMETEK & Fastenal appear in these rankings

Highest ROE Stocks Highest ROIC Stocks Highest 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified September 10, 2026.