Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) was upgraded by analysts at Jefferies Financial Group to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.
A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Robert W. Baird upgraded Wells Fargo & Company from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $85.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Friday, March 6th. Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $109.00 price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $113.00 target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $96.98.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on WFC
Wells Fargo & Company Trading Down 1.7%
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.66 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $21.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.63 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 17.27% and a return on equity of 12.90%. Wells Fargo & Company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.43 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Wells Fargo & Company will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Wells Fargo & Company news, EVP Kleber Santos sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.72, for a total value of $2,193,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 79,876 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,006,722.72. The trade was a 23.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Ellen R. Patterson sold 60,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.40, for a total transaction of $5,244,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 169,496 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,813,950.40. The trade was a 26.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 115,000 shares of company stock valued at $10,050,000 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of Wells Fargo & Company
A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hilton Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Wells Fargo & Company during the second quarter valued at $3,656,000. Diversified Trust Co. grew its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 59.7% during the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 35,285 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,289,000 after acquiring an additional 13,196 shares in the last quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 3rd quarter valued at about $147,165,000. Guerra Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 43.2% in the third quarter. Guerra Advisors Inc now owns 38,439 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,222,000 after purchasing an additional 11,594 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 1,121.0% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 24,079 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,018,000 after purchasing an additional 22,107 shares during the period. 75.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
More Wells Fargo & Company News
Here are the key news stories impacting Wells Fargo & Company this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Jefferies initiated coverage of WFC with a Buy rating and $100 price target — adds fresh institutional support and a visible upside case that can help the stock. Jefferies initiates coverage of Wells Fargo (WFC) with buy recommendation
- Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo announced major digital milestones — Fargo® virtual assistant surpassed 1 billion interactions and mobile active users topped 33M, supporting cost savings, cross‑sell scale and fee/transactions growth over time. Wells Fargo Reaches Major Digital Milestones
- Neutral Sentiment: Consumer product coverage: a review of the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card highlights competitive features (unlimited 2% cash back, 0% intro APR) — incremental card adoption could modestly lift consumer revenues but is not a near‑term game changer. Wells Fargo Active Cash Card review
- Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo research called for much higher gold prices by year‑end — notable for markets exposure and trading desks, but this commodity view is indirect for bank fundamentals. Gold seen well above $6,000 by year-end despite recent struggles, Wells Fargo says
- Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo research continues to move other coverage (upgrades/price targets on names like Enterprise Products) — shows active capital markets/coverage but limited direct impact on WFC equity near term. Wells Fargo Upgrades Enterprise Products (EPD) to Overweight
- Neutral Sentiment: Options idea circulating: selling April puts at a ~7% discount is being discussed as an income trade — highlights yield strategies around the stock but also implies investors see limited near‑term downside beyond current levels. Wells Fargo Trade Idea: 7% Discount or 30% Annual Income?
- Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf warned of credit losses ahead as private credit firms restrict withdrawals — raises the risk of higher loan-loss provisions and pressure on near‑term earnings, which likely weighs on the stock today. Wells Fargo CEO warns of credit losses ahead as private credit firms restrict withdrawals
Wells Fargo & Company Company Profile
Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified, U.S.-based financial services company headquartered in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1852 by Henry Wells and William G. Fargo, the firm has evolved from its origins in express delivery and pioneer-era banking into one of the largest full-service banks in the United States. The company provides a broad range of financial products and services to individual, small business, commercial, and institutional clients. Charles W. Scharf serves as chief executive officer.
Wells Fargo operates across several core business segments, including consumer banking and lending, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, and wealth and investment management.
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