Wall Street Zen Upgrades Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) to "Hold"

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) from “sell” to “hold”, signaling a less bearish view on the stock.
• Other analysts remain generally positive: the stock’s overall consensus rating is “Moderate Buy”, with an average price target of $97.53, though several firms have recently trimmed targets.
• Wells Fargo recently beat quarterly EPS estimates at $1.60 per share, but revenue came in well below expectations; meanwhile, the bank faces some regulatory overhang from a reported DOJ subpoena tied to “debanking” claims.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a note issued to investors on Sunday.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $101.00 to $98.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Phillip Securities upgraded Wells Fargo & Company from a "moderate buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $94.00 price target (down from $100.00) on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $109.00 to $93.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $98.00 to $94.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $97.53.

Wells Fargo & Company Price Performance

NYSE:WFC opened at $83.67 on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company has a 12-month low of $71.93 and a 12-month high of $97.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $256.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.91, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 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. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $79.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $84.66.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $11.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $21.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.39 EPS. Wells Fargo & Company's revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Wells Fargo & Company will post 6.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WFC. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 4th quarter worth about $4,512,563,000. Amundi raised its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 73.0% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 16,463,550 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,310,663,000 after acquiring an additional 6,944,316 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 18.6% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 35,660,903 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,989,104,000 after acquiring an additional 5,584,930 shares in the last quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. raised its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 177.7% in the 4th quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 4,876,127 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $454,455,000 after acquiring an additional 3,120,399 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Danske Bank A S bought a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $215,638,000. 75.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Wells Fargo & Company News

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

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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