Wells Fargo & Company $WFC Stock Holdings Lifted by M&T Bank Corp

Key Points

• M&T Bank raised its stake in Wells Fargo by 14.0% in Q4, owning 374,411 shares worth about $33.36 million, and institutional investors now hold roughly 75.9% of the stock.
• Company insiders have been net sellers recently — executives sold a combined 115,000 shares (~$10.05 million) in the past three months, leaving insiders with just 0.14% ownership.
• Wells Fargo’s quarter showed a slight EPS beat but revenue missed and sizable net charge-offs and new bond issuance raised concerns; analysts have trimmed targets yet the consensus remains a Moderate Buy with a $97.75 price target while the stock trades around $80.55 and yields 2.2%.

M&T Bank Corp lifted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 14.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 374,411 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 45,863 shares during the quarter. M&T Bank Corp's holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $33,361,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 472.4% in the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 332 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Aventus Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $37,000. 75.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Wells Fargo & Company news, EVP Kleber Santos sold 25,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.72, for a total transaction of $2,193,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 79,876 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,006,722.72. The trade was a 23.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Bridget E. Engle sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 83,478 shares in the company, valued at $7,270,933.80. This trade represents a 26.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 115,000 shares of company stock worth $10,050,000. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on WFC. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $99.50 to $91.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $109.00 price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $98.00 to $94.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $94.00 price objective (down from $100.00) on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $97.75.

More Wells Fargo & Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reported higher net interest income and year-on-year net income gains and touted the closure of a major regulatory milestone, which reduces legacy overhang and should support valuation multiples. How Investors May Respond To Wells Fargo (WFC) Earnings Miss, Bond Issuance And Regulatory Milestone
• Positive Sentiment: WFC is being discussed as an attractive dividend/income name (included in lists of high-dividend picks), which may draw income-focused buyers given its yield and still-modest valuation vs. peers. Is Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) Among the 12 High Dividend Stocks Picked by Billionaire Ray Dalio?
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street coverage highlights the bank as a trending name and notes that big-bank earnings broadly gave financials a lift — useful context but not a Wells-specific catalyst. Big Bank Earnings Gave Financials a Lift, But Wall Street Is Still Cautious (WFC)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/editor pieces and screens (Zacks, Yahoo) are spotlighting WFC as a high-growth dividend or watchlist candidate — boosts attention/flow but not an immediate fundamental change. Are You Looking for a High-Growth Dividend Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 was mixed: EPS slightly beat but revenue and adjusted EPS missed some expectations, management flagged higher expenses for tech/AI investment, and net charge-offs are notable — these factors drove a negative market reaction after the call. 5 Must-Read Analyst Questions From Wells Fargo’s Q1 Earnings Call
• Negative Sentiment: Wells issued multiple callable senior unsecured notes (2030–2041 maturities) and reported substantial net charge-offs (~$1.1B), which raise near-term funding/capital considerations and can pressure sentiment. How Investors May Respond To Wells Fargo (WFC) Earnings Miss, Bond Issuance And Regulatory Milestone
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and price-target trims (KGI, Morgan Stanley noted cuts) following the quarter add selling pressure and reduce near-term upside from analysts’ desks. Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) Gets Downgraded to Hold by KGI Securities
• Negative Sentiment: An employment/age-bias allegation from a former advisor adds a small but tangible legal/reputation risk in the press cycle. Wells Fargo Advisor Alleges Age Bias in Firing

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Down 1.2%

WFC stock opened at $80.55 on Thursday. 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 has a fifty-two week low of $67.43 and a fifty-two week high of $97.76. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $81.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $86.14. The stock has a market cap of $248.55 billion, a PE ratio of 12.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.06.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.02. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 17.26% and a return on equity of 13.27%. The business had revenue of $21.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $21.85 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.39 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Wells Fargo & Company will post 6.82 EPS for the current year.

Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 6th were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company's payout ratio is 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.

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