MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH Makes New Investment in Wells Fargo & Company $WFC

MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH purchased a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 11,589 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $958,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Wells Fargo & Company in the fourth quarter worth $4,512,563,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,635,881,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,364,923,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 2nd quarter worth $859,431,000. Finally, Pzena Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the 2nd quarter worth $729,502,000. 75.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Wells Fargo & Company

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

Wells Fargo & Company Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of NYSE:WFC opened at $86.62 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. Wells Fargo & Company has a 12-month low of $72.78 and a 12-month high of $97.76. The business has a 50 day moving average of $86.27 and a two-hundred day moving average of $82.71. The company has a market capitalization of $261.94 billion, a PE ratio of 12.59, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.92.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.73 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $22.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.86 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 17.55% and a return on equity of 13.85%. The business’s revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.60 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Wells Fargo & Company will post 7.26 EPS for the current year.

Wells Fargo & Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared 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. This is a boost from Wells Fargo & Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.07%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $93.50 to $95.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Phillip Securities upgraded shares of Wells Fargo & Company from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $97.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $98.61.

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.