Fastener Distributor Index – Report #166 October 2025 Written by R.W. Baird analyst David J. Manthey, CFA with Quinn Fredrickson, CFA 11/6/25 Key Takeaway: Coming off a 2025 high, the seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) was slightly lower m/m but mostly stable at 55.3 (September 55.8). On a seasonally adjusted basis, the selling index was […]
Written by R.W. Baird analyst David J. Manthey, CFA with Quinn Fredrickson, CFA 9/8/25 Key Takeaway: The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) moderated sequentially but still stayed at an expansionary level, coming in at 51.3 (July 53.1). This reflected moderation in the sales index and slightly lower employment levels. The Forward-Looking Indicator (FLI) also normalized a […]
Written by R.W. Baird analyst David J. Manthey, CFA with Quinn Fredrickson, CFA 8/7/25 Key Takeaway: The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) continued to move higher in July, reaching 53.1 (June 52.0), reflecting slightly better seasonally-adjusted sales trends and higher employment. The Forward-Looking Indicator (FLI) was even more positive, coming in sharply higher m/m at 57.3 […]
Written by R.W. Baird analyst David J. Manthey, CFA with Quinn Fredrickson, CFA 6/6/25 Key Takeaway: The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) saw month-over-month improvement, reaching 50.4 (April 46.9). This reflected improvement in three of the four underlying components (sales, employment and supplier deliveries). The Forward-Looking Indicator (FLI) also improved at 50.2, the first reading above 50 […]
This edition of the Fastener Training Minute with Carmen Vertullo was originally published August 16th, 2024 as “The problems of substituting various fastener grades of stainless steel bolting in joints involving flanges and gaskets” during episode 203 of Fully Threaded Radio. Well hello everyone, this is Carmen Vertullo with your Fastener Training Minute, coming to you […]
Read More… from FTM 203 – Stainless steel bolting with gasketed flanges
Written by R.W. Baird analyst David J. Manthey, CFA with Quinn Fredrickson, CFA 8/8/24 Key Takeaway: The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) dipped to 47.5, below 50 for the first time since January. While normal summer sluggishness likely played a role, several participants said they saw signs of a broader slowdown beyond just seasonal […]
This edition of the Fastener Training Minute with Carmen Vertullo was originally published June 22nd, 2024 as “What coatings can you safely put on lock washers” during episode 201 of Fully Threaded Radio. Well hello everyone, this is Carmen Vertullo with your Fastener Training Minute, coming to you from Fastener Training Institute and Carver Labs in […]
Read More… from FTM 201 – What coatings can you safely put on lock washers
This edition of the Fastener Training Minute with Carmen Vertullo was originally published April 22nd, 2024 as “how do I know if an installed bolt has been properly tightened?” during episode 199 of Fully Threaded Radio. Well hello everyone, this is Carmen Vertullo with your Fastener Training Minute, coming to you from beautiful El Cajon […]
Read More… from FTM 199 – When do you need to submit new PPAP documents.
Written by R.W. Baird analyst David J. Manthey, CFA with Quinn Fredrickson, CFA 4/3/24 Key Takeaway: The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) expanded further in March, increasing to 53.0, up from 50.5 in February. Demand commentary leaned overall fairly positive but balanced out by a noticeable uptick in comments regarding continued rises in freight/container […]
This edition of the Fastener Training Minute with Carmen Vertullo was originally published March, 18th 2024 as “how do I know if an installed bolt has been properly tightened?” during episode 198 of Fully Threaded Radio. Well hello everyone, this is Carmen Vertullo with your Fastener Training Minute, coming to you from Fastener Training Institute […]
Read More… from FTM 198 – how do I know if a bolt has been properly tightened?”
