Baer Investment Advisory LLC Makes New $1.28 Million Investment in Wells Fargo & Company $WFC

Key Points

• Baer Investment Advisory LLC opened a new position in Wells Fargo during the first quarter, buying 16,087 shares valued at about $1.28 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with 75.9% of Wells Fargo shares held by institutions, while several other funds also recently added small stakes.
• Analyst sentiment is generally constructive ahead of earnings: multiple firms raised or maintained favorable ratings, with Wells Fargo carrying an average Moderate Buy rating and a consensus target price of about $98.34.

Baer Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 16,087 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,281,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WFC. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Wells Fargo & Company during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Core Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. 75.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wells Fargo & Company News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts recently lifted price targets on Wells Fargo, including a Morgan Stanley target of $102, reinforcing a constructive view on the bank ahead of earnings. Wells Fargo Stock (WFC) Opinions on Analyst Price Target Increases
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo is benefiting from expectations that Q2 results could show improved earnings, with analysts forecasting EPS around $1.71 and revenue near $21.81 billion. Top Wall Street Forecasters Revamp Wells Fargo Expectations Ahead Of Q2 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Investor sentiment was also helped by recent news that the stock rose after dividend hike news, pointing to continued capital return strength. Top Wall Street Forecasters Revamp Wells Fargo Expectations Ahead Of Q2 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Senator Mitch McConnell disclosed a new purchase of WFC shares, adding a modest political-sentiment boost. Congress Trade: Senator Mitch McConnell Just Disclosed New Stock Trades
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary continues to compare Wells Fargo with other major banks as investors look for value and income opportunities, but this is more of a sector discussion than a company-specific catalyst. More Bang for Your Buck: Is Bank of America or Wells Fargo the Better Value-and-Income Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Some articles noted that Wells Fargo could benefit from potential tariff refunds and other non-operating gains, but the impact is still uncertain and not yet reflected in results. Wells Fargo (WFC) Could Get An Earnings Lift From Supreme Court Tariff Refunds
• Negative Sentiment: Longer-term concerns remain around Wells Fargo’s lagging return on equity and pressure on net interest margins, which could cap enthusiasm if earnings disappoint. Wells Fargo Stock Has Lagged Other Banks. Earnings Can Change That.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on WFC shares. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $90.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Barclays lowered their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $113.00 to $108.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Phillip Securities upgraded Wells Fargo & Company from a "moderate buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on 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. Finally, Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Friday, March 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $98.34.

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of WFC opened at $85.49 on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company has a one year low of $72.78 and a one year high of $97.76. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $80.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $84.23. 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 company has a market cap of $261.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.19, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.92.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.02. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 17.26% and a return on equity of 13.27%. The business had revenue of $11.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.85 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.39 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Wells Fargo & Company will post 6.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wells Fargo & Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th were given a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 8th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Wells Fargo & Company's payout ratio is currently 27.78%.

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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