Fastenal Company Reports 2010 Third Quarter Earnings

WINONA, Minn., Oct. 12, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Fastenal Company of Winona, MN (Nasdaq:FAST) reported the results of the quarter ended September 30, 2010. Except for per share information or as otherwise noted below, dollar amounts are in thousands.

Net sales, net earnings, and earnings per share were as follows for the periods ended September 30:

	Nine-month period				Three-month period
	2010		2009	Change	2010		2009	Change
Net sales	$	1,695,705	1,453,580	16.7%	$	603,750	489,339	23.4%
Net earnings	$	200,195	139,821	43.2%	$	74,994	47,589	57.6%
Basic and diluted earnings per share	$	1.36	0.94	44.7%	$	0.51	0.32	59.4%

During the first nine months of 2010, we opened 90 new stores (we opened 45 new stores in the same period of 2009). The 90 new stores represent an increase of 3.8% since December 31, 2009. (We had 2,369 stores on December 31, 2009.) There were 12,827 total employees as of September 30, 2010, an increase of 6.5% from the 12,045 total employees on December 31, 2009.