Artemis Investment Management LLP Sells 223,141 Shares of Wells Fargo & Company $WFC

Key Points

• Artemis Investment Management trimmed its position in Wells Fargo by 25.5%, selling 223,141 shares and ending the quarter with 650,483 shares worth $60,625,000; institutional investors now own 75.90% of the company.
• Company insiders sold a total of 115,000 shares (about $10.05 million) over the last quarter, including EVP Ellen R. Patterson (60,000 shares) and EVP Kleber Santos (25,000), reducing insider ownership to 0.14%.
• Wells Fargo announced a quarterly dividend of $0.45 per share (annualized $1.80, ~2.2% yield), while analysts maintain a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $97.53, despite several recent target cuts.

Artemis Investment Management LLP lessened its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Free Report) by 25.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 650,483 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 223,141 shares during the period. Artemis Investment Management LLP's holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $60,625,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. LMG Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. LMG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 47,591 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $4,435,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations lifted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 26.4% during the fourth quarter. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations now owns 61,110 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $5,695,000 after purchasing an additional 12,755 shares during the last quarter. Composition Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Composition Wealth LLC now owns 41,048 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,826,000 after purchasing an additional 2,539 shares during the last quarter. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab bought a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company during the fourth quarter worth $173,651,000. Finally, Blalock Williams LLC raised its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 12.9% in the fourth quarter. Blalock Williams LLC now owns 3,577 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $333,000 after acquiring an additional 408 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on WFC. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $109.00 to $93.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $108.00 to $100.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Argus upped their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $94.00 to $101.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $94.00 price objective (down from $100.00) on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, CICC Research began coverage on Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. They issued a "market perform" rating and a $96.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Wells Fargo & Company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $97.53.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Ellen R. Patterson sold 60,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.40, for a total value of $5,244,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 169,496 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,813,950.40. This represents a 26.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kleber Santos sold 25,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 79,876 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,006,722.72. The trade was a 23.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 115,000 shares of company stock valued at $10,050,000 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:WFC opened at $80.90 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $80.85 and a 200 day moving average price of $86.14. Wells Fargo & Company has a 12-month low of $71.89 and a 12-month high of $97.76. The company has a market capitalization of $247.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.48, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $11.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $21.85 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 13.27% and a net margin of 17.26%.Wells Fargo & Company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.39 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Wells Fargo & Company will post 6.82 EPS for the current year.

Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 8th. Wells Fargo & Company's dividend payout ratio is currently 27.78%.

Trending Headlines about Wells Fargo & Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Shareholders approved the board slate, executive pay and the auditor at the April 28 annual meeting, reducing governance uncertainty that has weighed on WFC in prior years. Wells Fargo Shareholders Back Board, Pay and Auditor
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo is partnering with Mastercard to improve B2B card payments — a strategic product initiative that could help grow fee income and commercial card penetration over time. Mastercard and Wells Fargo Target the Friction Slowing B2B Cards
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo analysts remain active on other names (e.g., reiterating a Buy on Hinge Health), a sign the bank’s research franchise is operating normally but with limited direct impact on WFC’s share price. Analyst Reiterates Buy on Hinge Health
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo’s research has influenced other coverage (for example, an upgrade at OGE noted Wells Fargo’s inputs) — informative for reputation but not a direct stock driver for WFC. OGE Stock Raised To $47 As Analysts See New Momentum Building
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its price target on WFC from $91 to $86.50 and moved to a "neutral" rating — an analyst downgrade/call that can pressure the stock by reducing upside expectations and prompting some investors to trim positions. JPMorgan Lowers Price Target on Wells Fargo
• Negative Sentiment: Media narratives question whether large banks will lose ground to fintech — a thematic risk that can weigh on valuation multiples for incumbents like WFC if investors rotate into fintech growth stories. Should You Forget Big Banks and Bet on Fintech Instead?
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing concerns about banks’ exposure to private credit are front‑and‑center; any material exposure or stress in that sector could create credit‑loss risk for WFC and keep sentiment muted. Here's How Much Exposure JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup Have to Private Credit
• Negative Sentiment: WFC’s CEO offered a blunt take on the U.S. economy in recent comments, which may reinforce cautious investor views on loan growth and credit quality if macro concerns persist. Wells Fargo CEO puts blunt label on U.S. economy

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.

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