FAST vs MSM: Correlation
Fastenal (FAST) and MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (MSM) show a moderate relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.57.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are FAST and MSM?
Across a 3-year window, the weekly returns of FAST and MSM correlate at 0.57, moderate. The past 12 months show a weaker link (0.44) than the 3-year average (0.57). Stretching to 5 years gives 0.60, with an annualized covariance of 349.0 %².
MSM is one of the assets that tracks FAST most closely: it ranks #3 out of the 33 assets we track against FAST. The last year tells two different stories: MSM led by 34.0 percentage points, +4.1% for FAST against +38.1% for MSM.
How is this computed?
Pearson correlation on weekly returns: ρ(A,B) = cov(rA, rB) / (σA · σB), over windows of 52, 156 and 260 weeks. Covariance is annualized (×52) and expressed in %². Full definitions on the methodology page.
FAST vs MSM: side by side
| FAST (Fastenal) | MSM (MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc.) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +4.1% | +38.1% |
| 5-year return | +105.5% | +73.8% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 24.0% | 25.3% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.63 | 0.78 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -21.9% | -29.3% |
| Market cap | $58.7B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 43.7 | 29.6 |
| Dividend yield | 1.80% | 2.84% |
| Sector / category | Industrials | US Listed |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | FAST | MSM |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -24.3% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | +41.3% | +28.5% |
| 2024 | +13.5% | -23.4% |
| 2025 | +14.0% | +17.4% |
| 2026 | +29.5% | +49.1% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are FAST and MSM good diversifiers for each other?
Somewhat, no more. With 0.57 correlation, most large moves hit both names, and the diversification benefit stays modest.
FAQ
What is the correlation between FAST and MSM?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between FAST and MSM is 0.57 over 3 years, 0.44 over 1 year and 0.60 over 5 years.
Is MSM a good diversifier for FAST?
Somewhat, no more. With 0.57 correlation, most large moves hit both names, and the diversification benefit stays modest.
What does a correlation of 0.57 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.57 describes how much the two returns move together: +1 is lockstep, 0 is independence, negative values mean opposite directions. It says nothing about which performed better.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/fast-vs-msm.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/fast-vs-msm/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: FAST correlations · MSM correlations
