16,821 Wells Fargo & Company $WFC Shares Purchased by Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Ferguson Wellman Capital Management increased its Wells Fargo stake by 16,821 shares in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 991,358 shares valued at approximately $79.4 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.9% of WFC shares.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with Wells Fargo carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $99.86. Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to “Overweight” with a $102 target, though JPMorgan and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their targets.
• Wells Fargo reported quarterly EPS of $1.96, exceeding expectations, while revenue rose 8.6% year over year to $22.62 billion. The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $0.50 per share, or $2.00 annually, representing a 2.4% yield.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Free Report) by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 991,358 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 16,821 shares during the quarter. Wells Fargo & Company makes up 0.9% of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $79,358,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of WFC. Nemes Rush Group LLC acquired a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA acquired a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. bought a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the first quarter worth about $28,000. Dunhill Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company during the second quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Main Street Group LTD acquired a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 75.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on WFC shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $98.00 to $94.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Wells Fargo & Company from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $102.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $95.50 to $91.50 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Wells Fargo & Company from $85.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price objective on Wells Fargo & Company from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $99.86.

Key Wells Fargo & Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley upgraded WFC to Overweight from Equalweight and set a $102 price target, arguing that easing margin pressure could support stronger earnings and returns. The upgrade is particularly notable because Wells Fargo has lagged other large banks, leaving room for a potential re-rating if its profitability improves. Wells Fargo has lagged rival banks. Morgan Stanley says it’s time to buy
• Positive Sentiment: The bullish view arrives ahead of Wells Fargo’s third-quarter results and reflects expectations that improving margins could translate into better earnings momentum and returns on equity. Wells Fargo Stock Rises as Morgan Stanley Sees Margin Pressure Easing
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo will announce third-quarter 2026 earnings before the market opens on October 13. The report will provide the next major test of the margin outlook, loan trends, credit quality and management’s guidance. Wells Fargo to Announce Third Quarter 2026 Earnings on Oct. 13, 2026
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan Chase reportedly lowered its price target for WFC. Although the target reduction was not detailed in the available report, it represents a more cautious analyst view and could limit upside if Wells Fargo’s earnings or margin outlook disappoints. Wells Fargo & Company Stock Price Target Cut by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Up 1.5%

WFC traded up $1.21 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $81.66. The company had a trading volume of 6,173,323 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,962,369. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $86.26 and its 200 day moving average price is $83.05. Wells Fargo & Company has a 52 week low of $72.78 and a 52 week high of $97.76. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The company has a market capitalization of $246.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.86, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.96.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.73 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $22.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.86 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 17.55% and a return on equity of 13.85%. The firm's revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.60 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Wells Fargo & Company will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wells Fargo & Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th were paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 7th. This is a positive change from Wells Fargo & Company's previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Wells Fargo & Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.07%.

Wells Fargo & Company Company Profile

Wells Fargo & Company NYSE: WFC is a diversified financial services company that provides banking, lending, investment, and wealth management services to individuals, businesses, institutions, and government entities. Its offerings include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, personal and commercial loans, mortgages, payment services, and other deposit and credit products.

The company also provides investment banking, capital markets, brokerage, advisory, asset management, and retirement services through its corporate and investment banking and wealth and investment management businesses.

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