FASTENAL CO vs WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC., two Retail stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Fastenal distributes industrial supplies with a debt-light balance sheet, 0.04 to equity, a $54.2B business keeping 15.39% of sales and earning 32.57% on equity. Williams-Sonoma sells home furnishings under its own labels, a $28.7B retailer keeping 13.81% with no net debt at all. The two margins run unusually close for such different businesses. Fastenal trades far more expensively, 41.67 times earnings against Williams-Sonoma's 26.82, and pays a 1.86% dividend versus 1.1%. Williams-Sonoma returns more free cash, 3.81% to 2.15%. Bolts to factories against couches to living rooms, both quietly efficient and neither weighed down by borrowing.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | FAST | WSM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $46.48 | $221.72 |
| Market cap | $53.5B | $26.6B |
| Sector | Retail | Retail |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +28.2% | +33.2% |
| P/E | 41.1 | 24.9 |
| P/B | 13.41 | 14.22 |
| P/S | 6.34 | 3.37 |
| EV/EBITDA | 28.2 | 17.6 |
| Revenue growth | +10.9% | +1.8% |
| Gross margin | 44.6% | 44.0% |
| Operating margin | 20.3% | 16.2% |
| Net margin | 15.4% | 13.8% |
| Return on equity | 32.6% | 58.2% |
| Return on assets | 24.9% | 21.5% |
| Return on invested capital | 31.3% | 58.7% |
| FCF yield | 2.2% | 4.1% |
| Dividend yield | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| Debt / equity | 0.04 | 0.00 |
| Current ratio | 4.39 | 1.33 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 9.60 | 7.26 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 4 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.