Which is better, FAST or PAYX?

On the Buffett-Fit framework, Fastenal Company (FAST) currently grades higher than PAYX — 76/100 (B grade) vs 74/100 (B). That said, "better" depends on which framework you trust — FAST wins on Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch, and Joel Greenblatt; PAYX wins on Philip Fisher, Charlie Munger, and Terry Smith. The full pillar breakdown is on this page.

Should I buy FAST or PAYX?

This page is an educational comparison, not investment advice. Both FAST and PAYX are graded against the same Buffett 5-pillar framework (moat, earnings durability, management quality, financial health, valuation) plus six other documented investor frameworks. Read the side-by-side breakdown to see which one matches the criteria you care about most — and always do your own research before making any investment decision.

Is FAST better than PAYX for value investing?

The two are close on the headline Buffett-Fit score (76/100 vs 74/100), so "better for value investing" depends on which pillar you weight most. The five Buffett pillars + six other frameworks are broken down side-by-side on this page so you can pick the one that fits your style.

What's the difference between FAST and PAYX on Warren Buffett's framework?

Both stocks are evaluated on the same five pillars: economic moat (durable competitive advantage), earnings durability (consistent profitability), management quality (capital allocation), financial health (conservative balance sheet), and valuation (margin of safety). FAST currently scores 76/100 (B grade); PAYX scores 74/100 (B grade). The "Where each wins" section on this page breaks down which pillar each stock dominates.

Which has the stronger moat, FAST or PAYX?

Moat strength is one of the five pillars in the Buffett-Fit score on this page. FAST and PAYX are each scored on ROIC sustainability, gross-margin durability, and qualitative signals like brand strength, switching costs, network effects, and regulatory barriers. The pillar breakdown on this page shows the moat sub-score side-by-side so you can see which one has the more durable competitive advantage.

Which is more undervalued, FAST or PAYX?

Valuation is one of the five Buffett-Fit pillars on this page. Both stocks are scored on owner-earnings yield, price-to-intrinsic-value vs the underlying compounding rate, and the margin of safety relative to a conservative DCF. The valuation sub-score in the table below tells you which one currently trades at a more attractive price relative to its underlying business quality.

Are FAST and PAYX both Industrials stocks?

Yes — both Fastenal Company (FAST) and Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) operate in the Industrials sector. That makes this a direct sector-peer comparison, which is the apples-to-apples way to use the Buffett-Fit framework: the score weighs each stock against its sector's specific quality and valuation benchmarks (sector-relative bonus), so the cross-stock comparison isn't distorted by inter-sector base-rate differences.

Is this FAST vs PAYX comparison investment advice?

No. This page is an educational pattern-match against documented public frameworks (Buffett, Graham, Fisher, Lynch, Greenblatt, Munger, Smith), not personalised investment advice. The scores reflect how closely each stock matches each framework's documented criteria — they are not buy/hold/sell recommendations. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial adviser for personalised advice.

Stock comparison

Fastenal

Paychex

Scored across Buffett, Graham, Lynch and Greenblatt - plus a side-by-side metric table covering valuation, quality, growth and balance sheet.

FAST

Fastenal

Market cap

$50.15B

Sector

Industrials

PAYX

Paychex

Market cap

$34.01B

Sector

Industrials

Overall winner

Fastenal FAST

Wins on the combined sum of fit scores across all four strategies. Per-strategy breakdown below.

Fit scores by strategy

Strategy	FAST	PAYX	Winner
Warren Buffett	76B	74B	FAST
Benjamin Graham	90A	72B	FAST
Philip Fisher	64C	71B	PAYX
Peter Lynch	67B	58C	FAST
Joel Greenblatt	75C	44D	FAST
Charlie Munger	77B	81A	PAYX
Terry Smith	73B	81A	PAYX

Side-by-side metrics

Metric	FAST	PAYX
Market cap	$50.15B	$34.01B
P/E (TTM)	38.4x	19.7x
EV/EBIT	30.2x	14.9x
ROIC (TTM)	28.76%	17.77%
Gross margin	44.89%	73.93%
Net margin	15.39%	25.84%
Revenue CAGR 5y	8.07%	8.26%
EPS CAGR 5y	8.29%	10.82%
Debt / Equity	0.1x	1.2x
Dividend yield	2.12%	4.93%

Where each one wins

The metrics with the biggest gap between the two - sorted so the most decisive edges read first.

FAST leads on

Debt / Equity0.1xvs 1.2x+91%
ROIC (TTM)28.76%vs 17.77%+38%
Market cap$50.15Bvs $34.01B+32%

PAYX leads on

Dividend yield4.93%vs 2.12%+57%
EV/EBIT14.9xvs 30.2x+51%
P/E (TTM)19.7xvs 38.4x+49%
Net margin25.84%vs 15.39%+40%

Educational tool. Fit scores are deterministic projections from public financials onto each investor's published criteria - not personal recommendations or advice.

Fastenal

Paychex

Fit scores by strategy

Side-by-side metrics

Where each one wins

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