UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in Wells Fargo & Company $WFC

Key Points

• UBS AM increased its stake in Wells Fargo by 13% in the fourth quarter, adding 2.37 million shares and bringing its total holdings to 20.6 million shares worth about $1.92 billion.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with hedge funds and other investors owning 75.9% of Wells Fargo’s stock, and several smaller funds also initiating new positions recently.
• Wells Fargo’s fundamentals and outlook remain mixed but supportive: the bank posted better-than-expected quarterly EPS, maintained a quarterly dividend of $0.45 per share, and analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with a consensus target price of $97.53.

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 13.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,625,070 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 2,369,260 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC owned 0.66% of Wells Fargo & Company worth $1,922,257,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the third quarter worth about $27,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Core Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. 75.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Wells Fargo & Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo highlighted its balance-sheet strategy and said it expects about $50 billion in net interest income for 2026, supported by loan and deposit trends. That reinforces the bank’s earnings outlook and may be helping sentiment on the stock. Wells Fargo’s Long-Dated Funding And NII Outlook Might Change The Case For Investing In WFC
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to point to WFC as an attractive dividend stock, which can support demand for the shares among income-focused investors. Why Wells Fargo (WFC) is a Top Dividend Stock for Your Portfolio
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo announced a $1 million donation to support skilled trades training and workforce development in Pennsylvania, a reputationally positive move that underscores its community investment efforts. Wells Fargo Pledges $1 Million Donation Toward Skilled Trades in Pennsylvania
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo is also being mentioned in connection with Tilly’s extending a credit agreement with the bank. This is more of a client-services headline than a direct stock-moving catalyst for WFC. Tilly’s Extends Credit Agreement Maturity with Wells Fargo
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo was named in a DOJ subpoena related to Trump-era “debanking” claims, which adds regulatory overhang and could weigh on the stock if the probe broadens or creates legal costs. JPMorgan, BofA, Wells Fargo Subpoenaed By DOJ In Trump's Explosive 'Debanking' Crackdown: Report
• Neutral Sentiment: A video discussing summer food inflation referenced Wells Fargo’s Agri-Food Institute, but it appears more macroeconomic and consumer-focused than directly tied to WFC’s fundamentals. Best ways to barbecue on a budget this summer

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WFC has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Barclays dropped their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $113.00 to $108.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Robert W. Baird upgraded Wells Fargo & Company from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $85.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $108.00 to $100.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Phillip Securities upgraded Wells Fargo & Company from a "moderate buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $97.53.

Wells Fargo & Company Trading Up 1.5%

WFC opened at $83.67 on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company has a 52 week low of $71.93 and a 52 week high of $97.76. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $79.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of $84.66. The firm has a market cap of $256.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.91, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.02. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 13.27% and a net margin of 17.26%.The business had revenue of $11.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.85 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.39 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Wells Fargo & Company will post 6.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 8th. Wells Fargo & Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WFC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Free Report).

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.