Basswood Capital Management L.L.C. Reduces Stock Holdings in Wells Fargo & Company $WFC

Basswood Capital Management L.L.C. trimmed its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 10.7% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 481,182 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 57,805 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company comprises 1.8% of Basswood Capital Management L.L.C.’s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Basswood Capital Management L.L.C.’s holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $44,846,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Wells Fargo & Company during the 4th quarter worth $4,512,563,000. Capital Research Global Investors grew its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 37,421,387 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,487,687,000 after buying an additional 1,760,484 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc grew its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 21,197,423 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,975,600,000 after buying an additional 188,186 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 13.0% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 20,625,070 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,922,257,000 after buying an additional 2,369,260 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners grew its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 5.2% during the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 9,606,215 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $895,466,000 after buying an additional 477,745 shares during the last quarter. 75.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Up 1.5%

Wells Fargo & Company stock opened at $83.67 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.90. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $79.56 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $84.66. The company has a market cap of $256.05 billion, a PE ratio of 12.91, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.93. Wells Fargo & Company has a fifty-two week low of $71.93 and a fifty-two week high of $97.76.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $11.62 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.85 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 13.27% and a net margin of 17.26%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.39 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Wells Fargo & Company will post 6.84 EPS for the current year.

Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th were paid a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 8th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Wells Fargo & Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.78%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on WFC. Truist Financial dropped their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $98.00 to $94.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $91.00 to $86.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. HSBC upgraded Wells Fargo & Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $94.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Barclays dropped their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $113.00 to $108.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $94.00 price target (down from $100.00) on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Wells Fargo & Company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $97.53.

Key Stories Impacting Wells Fargo & Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo highlighted its balance-sheet strategy and said it expects about $50 billion in net interest income for 2026, supported by loan and deposit trends. That reinforces the bank’s earnings outlook and may be helping sentiment on the stock. Wells Fargo’s Long-Dated Funding And NII Outlook Might Change The Case For Investing In WFC
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to point to WFC as an attractive dividend stock, which can support demand for the shares among income-focused investors. Why Wells Fargo (WFC) is a Top Dividend Stock for Your Portfolio
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo announced a $1 million donation to support skilled trades training and workforce development in Pennsylvania, a reputationally positive move that underscores its community investment efforts. Wells Fargo Pledges $1 Million Donation Toward Skilled Trades in Pennsylvania
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo is also being mentioned in connection with Tilly’s extending a credit agreement with the bank. This is more of a client-services headline than a direct stock-moving catalyst for WFC. Tilly’s Extends Credit Agreement Maturity with Wells Fargo
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo was named in a DOJ subpoena related to Trump-era “debanking” claims, which adds regulatory overhang and could weigh on the stock if the probe broadens or creates legal costs. JPMorgan, BofA, Wells Fargo Subpoenaed By DOJ In Trump’s Explosive ‘Debanking’ Crackdown: Report
• Neutral Sentiment: A video discussing summer food inflation referenced Wells Fargo’s Agri-Food Institute, but it appears more macroeconomic and consumer-focused than directly tied to WFC’s fundamentals. Best ways to barbecue on a budget this summer

Wells Fargo & 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.