Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 500,764 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $41,819,000.
A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Nixon Peabody Trust Co. raised its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Nixon Peabody Trust Co. now owns 3,351 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $312,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. MFA Wealth Services boosted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. MFA Wealth Services now owns 16,712 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,381,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Simmons Bank boosted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Simmons Bank now owns 6,359 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $593,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC now owns 7,754 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $722,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. Finally, Hidden Cove Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Hidden Cove Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,846 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $566,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. 75.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
WFC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Company from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 14th. Phillip Securities upgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Company from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $98.00 to $94.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $85.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Bank of America boosted 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 assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $98.61.
Wells Fargo & Company Price Performance
WFC stock opened at $86.62 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $86.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $82.71. The firm has a market cap of $261.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.59, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.90. Wells Fargo & Company has a 1 year low of $72.78 and a 1 year high of $97.76.
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.73 by $0.23. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 13.85% and a net margin of 17.55%.The company had revenue of $22.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.86 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.60 earnings per share. Wells Fargo & Company’s revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Wells Fargo & Company will post 7.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Wells Fargo & Company Increases Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 7th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. This is a boost from Wells Fargo & Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Wells Fargo & Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.07%.
Wells Fargo & Company News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Wells Fargo & Company this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo is reportedly seeking to recruit hundreds of independent financial advisers, expanding its Wealth & Investment Management division and targeting affluent and high-net-worth clients. The initiative builds on a multiyear overhaul and could support fee-based revenue, asset growth and deeper customer relationships. WFC Broadens Wealth Focus: Can Its Multi-Year Revamp Drive Growth?
- Positive Sentiment: The wealth-management push follows an approximately $1.5 billion revamp and emphasizes independent advisers who can use Wells Fargo’s platform and infrastructure. Successful hiring and retention could improve the division’s long-term growth prospects, although benefits will take time to materialize. Wells Fargo Steps Up Wealth Hiring After $1.5 Billion Revamp
- Neutral Sentiment: Analysts collectively maintain a “Moderate Buy” recommendation for Wells Fargo. The rating indicates generally constructive sentiment, but it does not represent a new earnings forecast or a clearly identifiable catalyst. Wells Fargo Given Average Recommendation of Moderate Buy by Analysts
- Neutral Sentiment: A market-focused report noted that WFC advanced even as the broader market declined, suggesting relative investor support. The article did not identify a major new earnings announcement, guidance change or regulatory development behind the move. Wells Fargo Gains As Market Dips: What You Should Know
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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