VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Stock Comparison

Fastenal Company vs Rockwell Automation, Inc.

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

Fastenal Company

FAST · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$53.1B
Gross margin (TTM)45%
Operating margin (TTM)20.2%
Net margin (TTM)15.4%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Distribution
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
57/ 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

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

ROK · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$44.8B
Gross margin (TTM)50.2%
Operating margin (TTM)18.2%
Net margin (TTM)11.6%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Machinery
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
65/ 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 Rockwell Automation, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ROK analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Rockwell Automation, Inc. leads (65 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for Fastenal Company).
  • Segment focus: Fastenal Company has 2 segments (55.7% in Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)); Rockwell Automation, Inc. has 3 segments (45% in Intelligent Devices).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Fastenal Company has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Rockwell Automation, Inc. has 8 across 3.

Primary market context

Fastenal Company

Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)

Market

Wholesale distribution of industrial and construction supplies (fasteners, safety, tools, and other MRO/OEM consumables)

Geography

Primarily North America (with growing international presence)

Customer

Manufacturing (OEM and MRO), non-residential construction, and other commercial customers

Role

Distributor

Revenue share

55.7%

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Intelligent Devices

Market

Industrial automation hardware (drives, motion, safety/sensing, industrial components, micro PLCs & distributed I/O)

Geography

Global

Customer

Industrial OEMs/machine builders and end-user manufacturers (often via distributors)

Role

Automation equipment supplier (hardware OEM)

Revenue share

45%

Side-by-side metrics

Fastenal Company
Rockwell Automation, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
FAST - NASDAQ
ROK - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$53.1B
$44.8B
Gross margin (TTM)
45%
50.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
20.2%
18.2%
Net margin (TTM)
15.4%
11.6%
Sector
Industrials
Industrials
Industry
Industrial - Distribution
Industrial - Machinery
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)
Intelligent Devices
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
57 / 100
65 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Demand, Network, Supply
Last update
2026-01-06
2025-12-31

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field NetworkData Workflow LockinProcurement Inertia

Fastenal Company strengths

Operational Excellence

Rockwell Automation, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralBrand TrustEcosystem ComplementsSuite BundlingTraining Org Change Costs

Segment mix

Fastenal Company segments

Full profile >

Fastenal Managed Inventory (FMI)

Competitive

44.3%

Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)

Competitive

55.7%

Rockwell Automation, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Intelligent Devices

Oligopoly

45%

Software & Control

Oligopoly

28.6%

Lifecycle Services

Competitive

26.4%

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Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

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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.