VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Fastenal Company vs IDEX Corporation

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Fastenal Company

FAST · Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorIndustrials
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
60/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Fastenal Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View FAST analysis

IDEX Corporation

IEX · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$13.4B
Gross margin (TTM)43.5%
Operating margin (TTM)20.7%
Net margin (TTM)14%
SectorIndustrials
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-23
Moat score
58/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into IDEX Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View IEX analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Fastenal Company leads (60 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for IDEX Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Fastenal Company has 3 segments (54.5% in Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)); IDEX Corporation has 3 segments (39.6% in Health & Science Technologies (HST)).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Competitive. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Fastenal Company has 5 moat types across 2 domains; IDEX Corporation has 7 across 3.

Primary market context

Fastenal Company

Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)

Market

Industrial & construction supplies distribution (MRO/OEM consumables) via local branches

Geography

North America (primary) + select international

Customer

B2B

Role

Distributor / MRO supplier

Revenue share

54.5%

IDEX Corporation

Health & Science Technologies (HST)

Market

Precision fluidics, optics/photonics, microfluidics, sealing solutions, pneumatic components, and process technologies for life science/diagnostics, semiconductor, aerospace/defense, and industrial markets

Geography

Global

Customer

Life science & diagnostic instrument OEMs, semiconductor/industrial OEMs, specialty industrial customers

Role

Component/subsystem supplier and specialty equipment provider

Revenue share

39.6%

Side-by-side metrics

Fastenal Company
IDEX Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
FAST - Nasdaq Stock Market
IEX - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
n/a
$13.4B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
43.5%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
20.7%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
14%
Sector
Industrials
Industrials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)
Health & Science Technologies (HST)
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
60 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-01
2025-12-23

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow Lockin

Fastenal Company strengths

Physical Network DensityOperational ExcellenceSwitching Costs GeneralScope Economies

IDEX Corporation strengths

Design In QualificationInstalled Base ConsumablesLearning Curve YieldIP Choke PointBrand TrustProcurement Inertia

Segment mix

Fastenal Company segments

Full profile >

Branch-based distribution (in-market branches)

Competitive

54.5%

Onsite solutions (embedded customer locations)

Competitive

42.4%

Other / non-traditional sales (services & custom manufacturing)

Competitive

3.1%

IDEX Corporation segments

Full profile >

Fluid & Metering Technologies (FMT)

Competitive

37.7%

Health & Science Technologies (HST)

Competitive

39.6%

Fire & Safety/Diversified Products (FSDP)

Competitive

22.7%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.