Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA Sells 15,097 Shares of Wells Fargo & Company $WFC

Key Points

• Union Bancaire Privée (UBP SA) cut its stake in Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) by 22.9%, selling 15,097 shares in Q4 and leaving 50,770 shares valued at about $4.695 million.
• Insiders have sold a total of 115,000 shares (≈$10.05M) in the last three months, including EVP Bridget Engle (30,000 shares at $87.10) and EVP Kleber Santos (25,000 shares at $87.72).
• Market signals point to increased downside risk—traders bought roughly 108,090 WFC put contracts (~+99% vs. average), while Fed rate/inflation concerns and some analyst downgrades are weighing on sentiment and volatility.

Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA reduced its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Free Report) by 22.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 50,770 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 15,097 shares during the period. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA's holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $4,695,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Trust Co of the South purchased a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the fourth quarter worth $236,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 10.1% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 63,051 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $5,876,000 after buying an additional 5,765 shares in the last quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division boosted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 20,273 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,889,000 after buying an additional 318 shares during the period. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. increased its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 8,171 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $685,000 after buying an additional 307 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AIA Group Ltd raised its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 83.6% during the third quarter. AIA Group Ltd now owns 144,457 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $12,108,000 after acquiring an additional 65,768 shares during the period. 75.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wells Fargo & Company News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Senator Mitch McConnell disclosed a purchase of WFC shares, a symbolic vote of confidence that can support sentiment among retail and political-watch investors. Congress Trade: Senator Mitch McConnell Just Disclosed New Stock Trades
• Positive Sentiment: Recent bullish retail/analysis pieces highlight WFC's dividend yield and improving earnings (Wells Fargo beat EPS estimates in January), which can attract income-focused investors. Wells Fargo (WFC) Could Be a Great Choice
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo initiated coverage of SoFi Technologies at Equal Weight; the move influenced SoFi shares but is primarily a research event rather than a corporate catalyst for WFC itself. Wells Fargo starts SoFi Technologies at Equal Weight on valuation, loan sale risk
• Neutral Sentiment: Goldman Sachs moving to rolling, phased layoffs signals industry-wide cost and staffing adjustments as banks adapt to AI and flexibility — a sector context item that could influence competitive dynamics over time. GS' Rolling Layoffs in 2026: A Strategic Shift in Workforce Management
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst activity at Wells Fargo (e.g., raising coverage/targets on other companies) shows the firm's research footprint is active but is an indirect factor for WFC’s share moves. Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (RYTM) PT Increased From $136 to $143 at Wells Fargo
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity: traders bought roughly 108,090 WFC put contracts (about +99% vs. average), signaling increased hedging or bearish bets that can pressure sentiment and raise volatility.
• Negative Sentiment: The Fed held rates and flagged higher inflation, pressuring bank stocks (including WFC) on concerns about margins and economic headwinds; this macro update is a near-term drag on bank valuations. Fed Keeps Rates Steady Amid Rising Inflation: What it Means for Banks
• Negative Sentiment: Truist lowered its expectations for WFC’s stock price, reflecting some analyst skepticism that could weigh on sentiment until clearer earnings/loan trends emerge. Truist Financial Has Lowered Expectations for Wells Fargo & Company

Insider Transactions at Wells Fargo & Company

In other Wells Fargo & Company news, EVP Bridget E. Engle sold 30,000 shares of the business'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 transaction of $2,613,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 79,876 shares in the company, valued at $7,006,722.72. The trade was a 23.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 115,000 shares of company stock worth $10,050,000 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on WFC. Freedom Capital downgraded Wells Fargo & Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $100.00 target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $113.00 price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. CICC Research assumed coverage on Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. They issued a "market perform" rating and a $96.00 price target for the company. Finally, Argus increased their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $94.00 to $101.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $96.71.

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Performance

NYSE WFC opened at $77.59 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.90. Wells Fargo & Company has a 1-year low of $58.42 and a 1-year high of $97.76. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $85.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $86.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $239.41 billion, a PE ratio of 12.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 1.08.

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

Wells Fargo & Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 6th were paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.71%.

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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