Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS, AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Common Stock Data

Our shares are traded on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol ‘FAST’. As of February 1, 2013, there were approximately 1,300 record holders of our common stock, which includes nominees or broker dealers holding stock on behalf of an estimated 149,000 beneficial owners.

The following table sets forth, by quarter, the high and low closing sale price of our shares on The NASDAQ Stock Market for 2012 and 2011.

In 2012, we paid quarterly dividends of $0.17, $0.17, $0.19, and $0.21 per share and a special supplemental dividend of $0.50 per share in December (total 2012 dividend equaled $1.24 per share). In 2011, we paid quarterly dividends of $0.25, $0.13, $0.13 and $0.14 per share (total 2011 dividend equaled $0.65 per share). In 2010, we paid semi-annual dividends of $0.20 and $0.21 per share and a special supplemental dividend of $0.21 per share (total 2010 dividend equaled $0.62 per share). On January 16, 2013, we announced a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share to be paid on March 1, 2013 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 1, 2013. We expect to pay a smaller quarterly dividend in the initial quarters of 2013 due to the large payout in late 2012. Our board intends to reassess our dividend payments each quarter as we progress through 2013 with the goal of returning to a dividend pattern more in-line with our quarterly dividends in 2012. This decision will be influenced by (1) the state of the economy, (2) the strength of our free cash flow (defined as operating cash flow less capital expenditures), (3) changes to the taxation of dividends, and (4) other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The table below sets forth information regarding purchases by the Company of our common stock during each of the last three months of 2012:

The Fastenal Company Common Stock Comparative Performance Graph

Set forth below is a graph comparing, for the five years ended December 31, 2012, the yearly cumulative total shareholder return on our common stock with the yearly cumulative total shareholder return of the S&P Composite Index and an index (the 'Peer Group Index') of a group of peer companies selected by us (the 'Peer Group'). The companies in the Peer Group are Lawson Products, Inc., MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc., Airgas, Inc., and W.W. Grainger, Inc. Fastenal is not included in the Peer Group.

In calculating the yearly cumulative total shareholder return of the Peer Group Index, the shareholder returns of the companies included in the Peer Group are weighted according to the stock market capitalization of such companies at the beginning of each period for which a return is indicated.

The comparison of total shareholder returns in the performance graph assumes that $100 was invested on December 31, 2007 in Fastenal Company, the S&P Composite Index and the Peer Group Index, and that dividends were reinvested when and as paid.

Comparison of Five Year Cumulative Total Return Among Fastenal Company,

Peer Group Index, and S&P Composite Index