Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd Sells 17,200 Shares of Wells Fargo & Company $WFC

Key Points

• Catalyst Funds Management cut its Wells Fargo stake by 44.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 17,200 shares and leaving it with 21,300 shares valued at about $1.99 million.
• Several Wells Fargo executives also sold shares recently, including EVP Bridget E. Engle and EVP Ellen R. Patterson, while institutional ownership remains high at 75.9%.
• Analysts remain cautious but constructive on WFC, with a consensus Moderate Buy rating and an average price target of $97.53; recent headlines highlight the new Advisor Gateway platform and ongoing cost-cutting efforts as potential positives.

Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd reduced its stake in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Free Report) by 44.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 21,300 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 17,200 shares during the quarter. Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd's holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $1,985,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Main Street Group LTD lifted its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 36.9% during the 3rd quarter. Main Street Group LTD now owns 438 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. 75.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Wells Fargo & Company

In related news, EVP Bridget E. Engle sold 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.10, for a total value of $2,613,000.00. Following 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction of $5,244,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 169,496 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,813,950.40. This trade represents a 26.14% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on WFC. KGI Securities cut shares of Wells Fargo & Company to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $101.00 to $98.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $91.00 to $86.50 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. They set a "buy" rating and a $100.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $98.00 to $94.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Two investment 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's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $97.53.

Key Headlines Impacting Wells Fargo & Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo launched Advisor Gateway, a new desktop platform for financial advisors that gives access to more than 200 tools and applications. Investors may see this as a sign the bank is investing in technology and advisor productivity, which could support fee growth and client retention. Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) Launches Advisor Gateway, Here’s What You Need to Know
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to frame WFC as undervalued, with cost cuts and efficiency improvements potentially helping the bank reach its 17%–18% ROTCE target. That supports the case for earnings leverage if management executes well. WFC's Efficiency Story: Will Cost Cuts Lift ROTCE to Its Target Level?
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street reaction to the recent $110 million discrimination settlement has been relatively muted to constructive, with commentary noting a buy-skewed analyst consensus and insider buying. That suggests investors may be looking past the legal overhang. Wall Street’s Verdict on Wells Fargo After the $110 Million Discrimination Settlement
• Neutral Sentiment: One article on Wells Fargo’s revised price target for Alphabet is only indirectly relevant to WFC and does not appear to be a direct driver of the stock today.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several repeat items discuss the same Advisor Gateway launch and efficiency/cost-cutting story, reinforcing the same theme rather than adding a new catalyst.

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Up 0.8%

Wells Fargo & Company stock opened at $76.52 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $234.15 billion, a PE ratio of 11.81, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.96. The company's 50-day moving average is $78.92 and its 200-day moving average is $85.25. Wells Fargo & Company has a fifty-two week low of $71.89 and a fifty-two week 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.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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. 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.39 EPS. Wells Fargo & Company's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Wells Fargo & Company will post 6.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th will be paid a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 8th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Wells Fargo & Company's dividend payout ratio is 27.78%.

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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