COMPARE · Data as of August 27, 2026
CNM vs FAST
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. CNM scored 61.1, FAST scored 42.5 — CNM leads.
Compare another set
CNM
Core & Main, Inc.
61.1
$43.74 · $8.5B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
18.6
CNM leads
FAST
Fastenal Company
42.5
$51.13 · $58.7B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestCNM18.5x
- Fastest growthFAST+12.5%
- Strongest balance sheetFAST0.11
- Highest qualityFAST89 / 100
- Largest discount to fair valueCNM-26%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
CNM
stronger →← stronger
FAST
69
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
89
48
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
82
69
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
11
FAST is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
CNM
FAST
$608mC+
FCF
$1.2bC+
+0.5%C
Rev
+12.5%B+
1.16C+
D/E
0.11A
18.5xA-
P/E
43.7xC
1.26B
PEG
3.64D
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
CNM
FAST
26% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
124% above
~0%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~27%/yr
+22%
1-yr DCF upside
-60%
+35%
5-yr DCF upside
-55%
+56%
10-yr DCF upside
-48%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
CNM
Why this score
- Durable high returns
FAST
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
- Durable high returns
The companies
CNMCore & Main, Inc.
Why now
Industrial Distribution · market cap $8.5b. Down 35% from 52-week high of $67.18 — deep drawdown territory. 14 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $60.07 (implying +37% upside).
Moat
ROE 22% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. FCF converts 135% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Down 35% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up.
FASTFastenal Company
Why now
Industrial Distribution · market cap $58.7b. 3% off the 52-week high of $52.92. Revenue growing +13%, comfortably above the S&P median. 13 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $48.53 (implying -5% upside).
Moat
Net margin 15% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 33% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. $58.7b market cap gives the company enough scale to absorb fixed costs that subscale competitors can't, without yet being so large that growth has to come from acquisition.
Risk
Trailing P/E 44x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where CNM and FAST diverge
On the headline score the gap is 18.6 points in favor of CNM. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- ValueCNM 69.3 · FAST 10.5CNM +58.8
- GrowthCNM 47.8 · FAST 81.9FAST +34.1
- QualityCNM 68.7 · FAST 88.8FAST +20.1
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.