Ellen Patterson Sells 60,000 Shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) Stock

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) EVP Ellen Patterson sold 60,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.40, for a total value of $5,244,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 169,496 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,813,950.40. This represents a 26.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Wells Fargo & Company Stock Down 5.8%

Shares of NYSE WFC traded down $4.97 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $81.33. 29,112,314 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 16,787,727. Wells Fargo & Company has a 1 year low of $58.42 and a 1 year high of $97.76. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $90.96 and a 200 day moving average of $86.37. The stock has a market cap of $250.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.97, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.66 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $21.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.63 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 17.27% and a return on equity of 12.90%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.43 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Wells Fargo & Company will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Wells Fargo & Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 6th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Wells Fargo & Company’s payout ratio is presently 28.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WFC has been the subject of a number of research reports. HSBC reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $74.00 target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Thursday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $99.00 to $99.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Robert W. Baird raised Wells Fargo & Company from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $85.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Argus upped their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $94.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $97.03.

Key Wells Fargo & Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst / internal commentary: Wells Fargo credit analyst Mike Mayo expressed confidence that the firm’s de‑risking in financials is supporting stronger credit trends—this is constructive for loan quality and loss provisions and can ease investor concerns about credit risk. Wells Fargo’s Mike Mayo feels good about de-risking in financials supporting stronger credit
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/rate context: Coverage pieces on how further Fed rate cuts could affect Wells Fargo note mixed implications—lower rates can pressure net interest income but the stock also has moderately bullish analyst coverage and hedge‑fund interest. Monitor rate‑cut expectations and NII guidance for near‑term impact. What Do Further Rate Cuts Mean for Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)
• Negative Sentiment: Sector pressure: A broader article reports bank and brokerage stocks suffered one of their worst days in months as investors price in potential AI‑driven disruption and other headwinds—this broad negative sentiment toward financials likely amplified selling in WFC. Bank, Brokerage Stocks Suffer Their Worst Day in Months. Here’s Why.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — EVP Bridget E. Engle sold 30,000 WFC shares at an average $87.10 (≈$2.61M); her post‑sale holding fell ~26% — large, disclosed insider sales can weigh on sentiment even if they’re for personal reasons. Bridget E. Engle Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — EVP Ellen R. Patterson sold 60,000 WFC shares at an average $87.40 (≈$5.24M); her post‑sale holding declined ~26% — another large, concurrent insider sale increases near‑term selling pressure and may trigger short‑term investor caution. Ellen R. Patterson Form 4

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wells Fargo & Company

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 302,092,955 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $24,203,688,000 after buying an additional 1,341,222 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Wells Fargo & Company in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,990,551,000. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 37,421,387 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,487,687,000 after purchasing an additional 1,760,484 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 21,197,423 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,975,600,000 after purchasing an additional 188,186 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 13.0% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 20,625,070 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,922,257,000 after buying an additional 2,369,260 shares in the last quarter. 75.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.