Vest Financial LLC Raises Stake in Wells Fargo & Company $WFC

Key Points

• Vest Financial LLC nearly doubled its Wells Fargo stake in the second quarter, adding 233,312 shares to reach 474,355 shares valued at approximately $39.2 million. Institutional investors collectively own 75.9% of WFC.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Wells Fargo holding a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $98.61, above its reported $85.92 share price.
• Wells Fargo reported quarterly EPS of $1.96, beating estimates by $0.23, while revenue rose 8.6% year over year. The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $0.50 per share, implying a 2.3% annual yield.

Vest Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Free Report) by 96.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 474,355 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 233,312 shares during the quarter. Vest Financial LLC's holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $39,201,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the fourth quarter worth about $4,512,563,000. Capital Research Global Investors increased its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 37,421,387 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,487,687,000 after buying an additional 1,760,484 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc increased its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 21,197,423 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,975,600,000 after buying an additional 188,186 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 13.0% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 20,625,070 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,922,257,000 after acquiring an additional 2,369,260 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi lifted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 73.0% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 16,463,550 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,310,663,000 after acquiring an additional 6,944,316 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.90% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WFC has been the topic of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $93.50 to $95.50 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Wells Fargo & Company from $85.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Wells Fargo & Company from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 14th. Raymond James Financial reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Wells Fargo & Company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $98.61.

Wells Fargo & Company Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of Wells Fargo & Company stock opened at $85.92 on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company has a fifty-two week low of $72.78 and a fifty-two week high of $97.76. The business's fifty day moving average is $86.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $83.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market cap of $259.81 billion, a PE ratio of 12.49, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.92.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.73 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $22.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.86 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 13.85% and a net margin of 17.55%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.60 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Wells Fargo & Company will post 7.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Wells Fargo & Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 7th. This is a positive change from Wells Fargo & Company's previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Wells Fargo & Company's dividend payout ratio is 29.07%.

Key Stories Impacting Wells Fargo & Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo still appears attractively valued. A recent analysis said the stock trades below its estimated fair value, while its dividend profile and exposure to a rotation into financial stocks could provide support. However, the bank’s 126.5% three-year total return means investors may be questioning how much future improvement is already reflected in the share price. Wells Fargo Stock Looks Cheap on Fair Value but Full on Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend-focused coverage described Wells Fargo as a potentially appealing income investment, which may attract investors seeking bank dividends. This is supportive for the long-term investment case, although the article does not identify a new dividend increase or other immediate catalyst. Wells Fargo Could Be a Great Choice
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo established a new Series HH preferred stock through a certificate of designation. The move may support capital-raising and funding flexibility, but the announcement provides limited information about the size, terms, or near-term effect on common shareholders. Wells Fargo Establishes New Series HH Preferred Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo lagged Bank of America and especially BNY Mellon in 2026, highlighting weaker relative investor performance and potentially prompting portfolio rotation away from WFC. Which Big Bank Stock Has Dominated in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: One market review noted that WFC declined even as market conditions improved, suggesting stock-specific profit-taking or investor concern about valuation and earnings expectations. The company’s latest reported quarter was strong, so the selling appears more related to expectations than an earnings miss. Wells Fargo Stock Declines While Market Improves

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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