Wells Fargo & Company $WFC Shares Sold by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lessened its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 0.2% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 19,970,924 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 41,322 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company comprises approximately 0.4% of Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $1,674,057,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Wells Fargo & Company during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 472.4% in the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 332 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares in the last quarter. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Kilter Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 75.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on WFC shares. CICC Research initiated coverage on Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $96.00 price objective on the stock. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $109.00 target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Evercore reduced their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $110.00 to $105.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Argus boosted their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $94.00 to $101.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $113.00 price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Wells Fargo & Company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $97.03.

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Performance

Shares of Wells Fargo & Company stock opened at $82.50 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $254.57 billion, a PE ratio of 13.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. Wells Fargo & Company has a 52 week low of $58.42 and a 52 week high of $97.76. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $90.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $86.56.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.66 by $0.10. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 17.27% and a return on equity of 12.90%. The firm had revenue of $21.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.63 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.43 EPS. Wells Fargo & Company’s revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Wells Fargo & Company will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th were issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 28.71%.

Wells Fargo & Company News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Wells Fargo & Company this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Baird raised WFC to Neutral (Feb. 13) with an $85 price target, saying the recent slump has made valuation more realistic and reduced near-term downside risk — a constructive analyst reset that can stabilize the stock. Baird Sees Reduced Downside Risk for Wells Fargo & Company (WFC), Rating Raised to Neutral
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo strategist Ohsung Kwon recommended “buy the dip” during the global selloff commentary, signaling the bank’s trading desk views current weakness as a buying opportunity — supports short-term demand. Stocks plunge in global selloff but some on Wall Street are looking for assets that respond well to war
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks piece reviews Wells Fargo as a potential high-growth dividend stock, which may attract income-oriented investors but does not alter fundamentals immediately. Are You Looking for a High-Growth Dividend Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo made a $200,000 grant to the Idaho FFA Foundation — a small but positive PR item that’s unlikely to move the stock materially. Idaho FFA Foundation Receives $200,000 From Wells Fargo Supporting Grants for Idaho FFA Members
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo’s research desk remains active (eg. calling Zscaler a buy, adjusting targets on financials), which shows revenue-generating analyst activity but is peripheral to WFC’s bank fundamentals. Wells Fargo Calls Zscaler (ZS) Stock a Buy Near 52-Week Lows
• Negative Sentiment: Credit-risk scrutiny has resurfaced after a UK mortgage lender collapse; investors are re-checking Wells Fargo’s exposure and underwriting controls — a headline risk that can pressure bank stocks on fear of contagion. Wells Fargo Credit Risk Questioned After UK Mortgage Lender Collapse
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece argues that macro risks leave WFC with limited appeal for long-term investors, highlighting concerns about rates, loan growth and economic headwinds that could weigh on multiples. Wells Fargo: Not Much Appeal For Long-Term Investors Due To Macro Concerns

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Wells Fargo & Company news, EVP Kleber Santos sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.72, for a total transaction of $2,193,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 79,876 shares in the company, valued at $7,006,722.72. This represents a 23.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Bridget E. Engle sold 30,000 shares of Wells Fargo & Company stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.10, for a total value of $2,613,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 83,478 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,270,933.80. The trade was a 26.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 115,000 shares of company stock valued at $10,050,000. Company insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

About Wells Fargo & Company

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.