Cardinal Capital Management Inc. Sells 82,620 Shares of Wells Fargo & Company $WFC

Key Points

• Cardinal Capital cut its stake in Wells Fargo by 15.5%, selling 82,620 shares and leaving it with 450,511 shares valued at about $41.99 million.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target of $97.70, though views are mixed (e.g., Barclays/Wolfe/Jefferies are bullish while JPMorgan trimmed its target to $91).
• Insiders have sold heavily—115,000 shares (~$10.05M) in the past 90 days—while institutional investors own about 75.9% of the company.

Cardinal Capital Management Inc. decreased its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Free Report) by 15.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 450,511 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 82,620 shares during the quarter. Cardinal Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $41,988,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hilton Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,656,000. Diversified Trust Co. lifted its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 59.7% in the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 35,285 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,289,000 after purchasing an additional 13,196 shares during the period. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 3rd quarter valued at $147,165,000. Guerra Advisors Inc lifted its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 43.2% in the 3rd quarter. Guerra Advisors Inc now owns 38,439 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,222,000 after purchasing an additional 11,594 shares during the period. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC lifted its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 1,121.0% in the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 24,079 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,018,000 after purchasing an additional 22,107 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.90% of the company's stock.

More Wells Fargo & Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts have raised Q1 earnings forecasts and revised models higher ahead of Wells Fargo’s April 14 report, citing expectations for stronger revenue and EPS; this analyst optimism is supporting the stock. Wells Fargo Likely To Report Higher Q1 Earnings; These Most Accurate Analysts Revise Forecasts Ahead Of Earnings Call
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies initiated/maintained bullish coverage (Buy, $100 target), calling WFC “cheap” and describing the company as beginning a multi‑year recovery — a notable catalyst for investor sentiment. Here’s Why Jefferies Remains a Buy on Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)
• Positive Sentiment: Macro tailwind: news of a temporary ceasefire in the Iran conflict pushed oil prices sharply lower, easing a key macro risk for banks and helping bank stocks, including WFC, to rebound. Wells Fargo (WFC) Stock Trades Up, Here Is Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and other previews highlight key metrics investors should watch beyond headline EPS/revenue (credit trends, net interest margin, reserves) for Q1 — useful framing but not an immediate catalyst. Countdown to Wells Fargo (WFC) Q1 Earnings: Wall Street Forecasts for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate/PR item: Wells Fargo announced a $6M philanthropic investment in West Charlotte — positive for brand/ESG but unlikely to move near-term stock performance materially. Wells Fargo Helps Drive Growth in West Charlotte with $6 Million
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles in the tape reference broader bank-sector context and longer-term performance comparisons (e.g., decade returns vs. peers) — useful for positioning but not immediate drivers. If You Invested $1,000 in Bank of America, Citigroup, or Wells Fargo 10 Years Ago
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan trimmed its WFC price target (to $91) and warned of volatility risks for big banks — this analyst caution acts as a near-term headwind and can cap upside. JPMorgan Trims Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) Target, Flags Volatility Risks for Banks
• Negative Sentiment: MarketWatch flagged that WFC underperformed peers intraday despite gains — a reminder that relative performance and sector rotation can pressure the stock even when headlines are positive. Wells Fargo & Co. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitors despite daily gains
• Negative Sentiment: Some outlets relay a pessimistic near-term price forecast from other firms — another cautionary signal ahead of the earnings print. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Wells Fargo & Company NYSE: WFC Stock Price

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wolfe Research reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $109.00 price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $94.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $100.00 price objective for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $97.70.

Wells Fargo & Company Price Performance

WFC opened at $86.02 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. Wells Fargo & Company has a 12 month low of $59.65 and a 12 month high of $97.76. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $83.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $86.19. The stock has a market cap of $265.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.06.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.66 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $21.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $21.63 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 12.90% and a net margin of 17.27%.The company's revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.43 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Wells Fargo & Company will post 5.89 EPS for the current year.

Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 6th were issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company's dividend payout ratio is 28.71%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Wells Fargo & Company news, EVP Bridget E. Engle sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.10, for a total transaction of $2,613,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 83,478 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,270,933.80. This represents a 26.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Kleber Santos sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.72, for a total value of $2,193,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 79,876 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,006,722.72. This trade represents a 23.84% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 115,000 shares of company stock worth $10,050,000. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Wells Fargo & Company 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.