Wells Fargo & Company $WFC Shares Sold by Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH

Key Points

• Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH trimmed its position in Wells Fargo by 4.3% in Q4, selling 119,717 shares and now holds 2,664,167 shares valued at about $248.1 million (0.08% ownership).
• Wells Fargo reported quarterly EPS of $1.60 (vs. $1.58 estimate) and revenue of $21.45 billion (below the $21.85 billion estimate), trades at a P/E of 12.59 with a market cap of $251.6 billion, and pays a $0.45 quarterly dividend (2.2% yield).
• Insiders sold 115,000 shares (about $10.05 million) over the past 90 days, institutional investors own 75.9% of the stock, and analysts carry a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $97.75.

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lowered its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 4.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,664,167 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 119,717 shares during the quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.08% of Wells Fargo & Company worth $248,071,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Diversified Trust Co. increased its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 59.7% in the fourth quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 35,285 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,289,000 after acquiring an additional 13,196 shares during the period. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the third quarter worth $147,165,000. Guerra Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 43.2% during the third quarter. Guerra Advisors Inc now owns 38,439 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,222,000 after buying an additional 11,594 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC boosted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 1,121.0% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 24,079 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,018,000 after buying an additional 22,107 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 52.7% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 138,862 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $11,639,000 after buying an additional 47,946 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.90% of the company's stock.

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Performance

WFC opened at $81.55 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. The company has a market cap of $251.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.59, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.06. Wells Fargo & Company has a 52-week low of $64.71 and a 52-week high of $97.76. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $81.77 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $86.18.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $21.45 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.85 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 17.26% and a return on equity of 13.27%. The company's revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.39 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Wells Fargo & Company will post 6.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wells Fargo & Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 6th were issued 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 presently 27.78%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on WFC. Robert W. Baird raised shares of Wells Fargo & Company from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $85.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Thursday, March 26th. They set a "buy" rating and a $100.00 price target on the stock. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. They set a "market perform" rating and a $96.00 price target on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $101.00 to $98.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Freedom Capital downgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $97.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at Wells Fargo & Company

In other Wells Fargo & Company news, EVP Bridget E. Engle sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.10, for a total transaction of $2,613,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 83,478 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,270,933.80. This trade represents a 26.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Ellen R. Patterson sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.40, for a total transaction of $5,244,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 169,496 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,813,950.40. The trade was a 26.14% 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 valued at $10,050,000 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

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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