Based on the aggregated intelligence of 120,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, industrial fastener maker Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) has earned a respected four-star ranking. While five-star stocks have been the best performers, our data has shown that four-star stocks still outshine the market by a significant margin and shouldn't be taken lightly. Conversely, low-rated stocks have woefully lagged the market average.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Fastenal's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

Fastenal facts

Headquarters (Founded)

Winona, Minn. (1967)

Market Cap

$6.2 Billion

Industry

General Building Materials

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$2.31 Billion

Management

CEO Willard Oberton (Since 2002)

CFO Daniel Florness (Since 2002)

Return on Equity (Average, Past Three Years)

24.4%

Dividend Yield

1.3%

Competitors

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW)

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM)

CAPS Members Bullish on FAST Also Bullish on:

General Electric (NYSE:GE)

3M (NYSE:MMM)

CAPS Members Bearish on FAST Also Bearish on:

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)

Standard Pacific (NYSE:SPF)

Sources: Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor's) and Motley Fool CAPS.

Over on CAPS, 189 of the 207 All-Star members who have rated Fastenal -- some 91% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include fulanito06 and will0126, both of whom are ranked in the top 10% of our community.

In March, fulanito06 urged Fools to stay focused on Fastenal's long term: "Solid industry leader with great management team. We'll see a resurgence once construction/building materials make a comeback next year and beyond."

A more recent pitch from will0126 two weeks ago shares that sentiment and elaborated on the stock's rock-solid fundamentals:

This is a great niche play. They have a great distribution system. They are focused. Good balance sheet. Great free cash flow. They should see increased market share in a fragmented industry.

Okay, they make Fasteners, so it isn't a sexy business ... but the profits are!

What do you think about Fastenal, or any other stock for that matter? Make your voice heard on Motley Fool CAPS today. More than 120,000 investors are waiting to hear what you have to say. CAPS is 100% free, so get started!