Pzena Investment Management LLC Sells 1,207,519 Shares of Wells Fargo & Company $WFC

Key Points

• Pzena Investment Management cut its Wells Fargo stake by 12.1% in the first quarter, selling 1,207,519 shares and leaving it with 8.77 million shares valued at about $698.4 million.
• Institutional ownership remains heavy, with 75.9% of Wells Fargo shares held by institutional investors overall. Several other funds also opened small new positions in the bank during the period.
• Analysts remain constructive on WFC, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a target price of $98.34. Recent headlines also highlight a likely dividend increase and continued share buybacks after Wells Fargo passed the Fed stress test.

Pzena Investment Management LLC lowered its stake in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Free Report) by 12.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,773,128 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 1,207,519 shares during the quarter. Wells Fargo & Company comprises approximately 2.3% of Pzena Investment Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Pzena Investment Management LLC owned 0.28% of Wells Fargo & Company worth $698,429,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WFC has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Monday, April 20th. HSBC upgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $94.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $109.00 to $93.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Company from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $94.00 price objective (down from $100.00) on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Wells Fargo & Company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $98.34.

Trending Headlines about Wells Fargo & Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Wells Fargo to $102 from $97, signaling room for further upside even after the recent bank-sector rally. Morgan Stanley Raises its Price Target on Wells Fargo (WFC)
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo passed the Fed’s 2026 stress test and is expected to raise its dividend by about 11% while continuing share buybacks, reinforcing the bank’s capital-return story. Wells Fargo's Robust Capital Return Strategy: What's Driving It?
• Positive Sentiment: Another report said Wells Fargo and other large banks plan double-digit dividend increases after clearing the Fed stress test, which may attract income-focused investors. 3 Big Banks Plan Double Digit Dividend Increases After Passing Fed Stress Test (WFC)
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage has highlighted that investors are heavily searching Wells Fargo stock, reflecting rising attention ahead of results but not a clear fundamental catalyst. Investors Heavily Search Wells Fargo & Company (WFC): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts say Wells Fargo still trails elite peers on return on equity and faces falling net interest margins, but earnings could change the narrative if lending volumes and profits surprise higher. Wells Fargo Stock Has Lagged Other Banks. Earnings Can Change That.
• Neutral Sentiment: Barron’s said the stock looks inexpensive ahead of earnings, suggesting valuation support rather than a direct near-term catalyst. Wells Fargo Stock Has Lagged Other Banks. Earnings Can Change That.

Wells Fargo & Company Price Performance

WFC stock opened at $85.93 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $79.87 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $84.27. Wells Fargo & Company has a 1 year low of $72.78 and a 1 year high of $97.76. The stock has a market cap of $262.96 billion, a PE ratio of 13.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Get Free Report) last issued 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. The company had revenue of $11.62 billion for 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 quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.39 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Wells Fargo & Company will post 6.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wells Fargo & Company Dividend Announcement

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

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.

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