Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Boosts Holdings in Wells Fargo & Company $WFC

Key Points

• Meiji Yasuda Asset Management raised its stake in Wells Fargo by 163.8% in Q3, buying an additional 42,852 shares to hold 69,020 shares valued at about $5.785 million.
• Analyst coverage is generally positive with an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $97.03, though individual targets range from the mid-$90s up to $113.
• Corporate insiders have sold 115,000 shares worth roughly $10.05 million in the past three months, leaving insiders with about 0.08% ownership.

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Free Report) by 163.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 69,020 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 42,852 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.'s holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $5,785,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WFC. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 472.4% in the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 332 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares in the last quarter. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Wells Fargo & Company in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Kilter Group LLC bought a new position in Wells Fargo & Company in the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Aventus Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Wells Fargo & Company during the third quarter valued at $37,000. 75.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on WFC. CICC Research initiated coverage on Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $96.00 price target for the company. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $113.00 price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Wells Fargo & Company from $94.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $99.00 to $99.50 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an "outperform" rating and set a $109.00 target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $97.03.

Trending Headlines about Wells Fargo & Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Federal Reserve ends its 2018 enforcement action related to the fake‑accounts scandal, removing a long‑running regulatory overhang that could free Wells Fargo to accelerate capital returns and strategic initiatives. Wells Fargo's 2018 Enforcement Action Terminated by the Federal Reserve
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo added a $1.7 billion UBS advisor team to its independent wealth channel, boosting AUM and fee revenue growth potential in wealth management. Wells Fargo Recruits $1.7 Billion UBS Financial Advisor Team
• Positive Sentiment: Several outlets highlight Wells Fargo as a steady dividend payer and draw for income investors, which supports a valuation floor amid volatility. Set It and Forget It: The Dividend Stocks Worth Holding for the Rest of Your Life
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo published its 2027 quarterly earnings release schedule (administrative item); useful for investors tracking upcoming results and guidance windows. Wells Fargo Announces 2027 Earnings Release Date Information
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed-to-supportive (average "Moderate Buy"), and WFC has attracted recent investor attention in screeners — signals that the stock remains on institutional radars. Wells Fargo & Company NYSE: WFC Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and sector pressure: banks were broadly sold after a disappointing U.S. jobs report and oil price volatility tied to the Middle East, weighing on WFC alongside peers. Investors Dump Bank, Brokerage Stocks As Oil Spikes and Jobs Report Disappoints
• Negative Sentiment: Negative headlines and opinion pieces arguing there are reasons to avoid WFC may drive short‑term selling or caution among retail investors despite the regulatory clearance. 3 Reasons to Avoid WFC and 1 Stock to Buy Instead

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kleber Santos sold 25,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owned 79,876 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,006,722.72. The trade was a 23.84% 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 Bridget E. Engle sold 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.10, for a total value of $2,613,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 83,478 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,270,933.80. The trade was a 26.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 115,000 shares of company stock valued at $10,050,000. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

Wells Fargo & Company Trading Down 2.0%

Shares of WFC stock opened at $80.44 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.90. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $89.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $86.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $248.21 billion, a PE ratio of 12.83, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.08. Wells Fargo & Company has a 52-week low of $58.42 and a 52-week high of $97.76.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.66 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $21.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.63 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 12.90% and a net margin of 17.27%.The business's revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.43 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Wells Fargo & Company will post 5.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 6th were paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.71%.

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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