B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG Boosts Holdings in Wells Fargo & Company $WFC

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG boosted its Wells Fargo stake by 9.5% in Q4, buying 16,829 shares to hold 194,416 shares worth about $18.18 million.
• Wells Fargo posted Q1 EPS of $1.60 (beat $0.02) but missed revenue estimates, announced a $0.45 quarterly dividend (2.2% yield), and highlighted a regulatory milestone amid higher expenses and notable net charge-offs that weighed on sentiment.
• Insiders sold roughly 115,000 shares (~$10.05M) in the past three months; analysts’ consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with a $97.75 target while the stock trades around $80.55.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG boosted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Free Report) by 9.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 194,416 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 16,829 shares during the quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG's holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $18,181,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 14.0% in the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 1,208,781 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $112,658,000 after acquiring an additional 148,317 shares during the last quarter. Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 27.2% during the 4th quarter. Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,583 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $427,000 after purchasing an additional 980 shares during the last quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc. grew its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc. now owns 38,381 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,577,000 after purchasing an additional 695 shares in the last quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 56.9% during the fourth quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 26,236 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,445,000 after purchasing an additional 9,511 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. now owns 8,733 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $814,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. 75.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wells Fargo & Company News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reported higher net interest income and year-on-year net income gains and touted the closure of a major regulatory milestone, which reduces legacy overhang and should support valuation multiples. How Investors May Respond To Wells Fargo (WFC) Earnings Miss, Bond Issuance And Regulatory Milestone
• Positive Sentiment: WFC is being discussed as an attractive dividend/income name (included in lists of high-dividend picks), which may draw income-focused buyers given its yield and still-modest valuation vs. peers. Is Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) Among the 12 High Dividend Stocks Picked by Billionaire Ray Dalio?
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street coverage highlights the bank as a trending name and notes that big-bank earnings broadly gave financials a lift — useful context but not a Wells-specific catalyst. Big Bank Earnings Gave Financials a Lift, But Wall Street Is Still Cautious (WFC)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/editor pieces and screens (Zacks, Yahoo) are spotlighting WFC as a high-growth dividend or watchlist candidate — boosts attention/flow but not an immediate fundamental change. Are You Looking for a High-Growth Dividend Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 was mixed: EPS slightly beat but revenue and adjusted EPS missed some expectations, management flagged higher expenses for tech/AI investment, and net charge-offs are notable — these factors drove a negative market reaction after the call. 5 Must-Read Analyst Questions From Wells Fargo’s Q1 Earnings Call
• Negative Sentiment: Wells issued multiple callable senior unsecured notes (2030–2041 maturities) and reported substantial net charge-offs (~$1.1B), which raise near-term funding/capital considerations and can pressure sentiment. How Investors May Respond To Wells Fargo (WFC) Earnings Miss, Bond Issuance And Regulatory Milestone
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and price-target trims (KGI, Morgan Stanley noted cuts) following the quarter add selling pressure and reduce near-term upside from analysts’ desks. Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) Gets Downgraded to Hold by KGI Securities
• Negative Sentiment: An employment/age-bias allegation from a former advisor adds a small but tangible legal/reputation risk in the press cycle. Wells Fargo Advisor Alleges Age Bias in Firing

Wells Fargo & Company Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE WFC opened at $80.55 on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company has a 1-year low of $67.43 and a 1-year high of $97.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.90. The business's 50 day moving average is $81.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $86.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $248.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.43, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.06.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $21.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.39 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Wells Fargo & Company will post 6.82 EPS for the current year.

Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors 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 payout ratio is presently 27.78%.

Insider Activity at Wells Fargo & Company

In related news, 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 value 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. This represents a 26.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kleber Santos sold 25,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were 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 trade represents a 23.84% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 115,000 shares of company stock worth $10,050,000 over the last three months. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on WFC. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $94.00 target price (down from $100.00) on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Freedom Capital cut Wells Fargo & Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. HSBC raised Wells Fargo & Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $94.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $100.00 target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $108.00 to $100.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $97.75.

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.

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