Are the financial statements in this filing the official financial statements for Fastenal?

No, the company explicitly states that the XBRL-formatted financial data provided in this filing is unaudited for the purpose of this report and is intended for testing purposes. Investors are advised to rely on the officially filed versions of the financial statements from the Form 10-K filed on February 21, 2008, and not to make investment decisions based on this XBRL submission.

Does this filing impose any new liabilities on Fastenal?

No, the filing specifies that the information contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K, including the exhibits, shall not be deemed to be "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or otherwise subject to the liability of that section. It will also not be incorporated by reference into other filings unless expressly set forth.

What is XBRL and why is Fastenal using it?

XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language) is a global standard for the digital reporting of business and financial data. Fastenal is using it in this filing to test the related format and technology for submitting financial information, as mandated or encouraged by regulatory bodies.

FAST 8-K SEC Disclosure

Q: What is the main purpose of this 8-K filing?

The primary purpose of this Form 8-K filing is to provide Fastenal Company's 2007 annual financial statements (Consolidated Balance Sheets, Statements of Earnings, Statements of Cash Flows, and Statement of Stockholders' Equity and Comprehensive Income) formatted in XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language) for technology and format testing. It also serves as a notification that these XBRL documents are attached as an exhibit.

Summary

This Form 8-K filing by Fastenal Company primarily serves as a notification regarding the submission of its 2007 Annual Report financial statements in XBRL format. The company is providing its Consolidated Balance Sheets, Statements of Earnings, Statements of Cash Flows, and Statement of Stockholders' Equity and Comprehensive Income, all for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, in XBRL. Investors should note that this XBRL data is considered unaudited for the purpose of this filing and is intended for testing technology and format. The company explicitly advises investors to rely on the officially filed versions of the financial statements and not to make investment decisions based on this XBRL submission. The information furnished in this 8-K is not deemed "filed" for liability purposes under Section 18 of the Exchange Act and will not be incorporated into other filings.

Key Highlights

1Fastenal Company filed its 2007 Annual Report financial statements in XBRL format on February 29, 2008.
2The XBRL filing includes Consolidated Balance Sheets, Statements of Earnings, Statements of Cash Flows, and Statement of Stockholders' Equity and Comprehensive Income for the year ended December 31, 2007.
3The company explicitly states the XBRL data is unaudited for this filing and for testing purposes.
4Investors are cautioned to rely on the official filed versions of the financial statements, not the XBRL submission, for investment decisions.
5This filing is not deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, limiting liability.
6The filing's primary purpose is to test XBRL formatting and technology.

FASTENAL CO 8-K Report, Corporate Update (Feb 29, 2008)

Summary

Key Highlights

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