Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)
Wells Fargo is a massive American bank that provides everyday banking, loans, and financial services to millions of individuals and businesses.
Is Wells Fargo & Company a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Massive scale and deep roots in the US economy. Worth weighing: History of regulatory issues and oversight.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does Wells Fargo & Company do?
Wells Fargo makes its money by taking in deposits and lending that cash out as mortgages, credit cards, and business loans, pocketing the difference in interest. It is one of the 'Big Four' banks in the US, meaning it is deeply woven into the fabric of the American economy. How well the bank manages its regulatory reputation while trying to grow its lending business in a changing interest rate environment is the thing to follow.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and income, and weakest on quality.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 2.3% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 10% over the year
- ✓Very profitable - turns about 27% of sales into profit
- Value screens high
- Income screens high
- —
Does Wells Fargo & Company pay a dividend?
Yes - Wells Fargo & Company currently pays a dividend of about 2.3% a year, which is £23 a year for every £1,000 invested (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it. An ISA doesn't shelter the US tax on this one →
What do the numbers say about Wells Fargo & Company's dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
Most recent ex-dividend date: 7 Aug 2026. To receive a dividend you must already own the shares before the ex-dividend date; become a holder on or after it and the previous owner keeps that payment. Why the price usually falls that morning →
What do Wells Fargo & Company's numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Wells Fargo & Company actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Wells Fargo & Company fell as much as −25% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Who owns Wells Fargo & Company?
About 79% of Wells Fargo & Company, or about 79 in every 100 shares, is held by big institutions such as pension and index funds. The rest, roughly 21%, is held by the public and smaller investors.
What this does and doesn't tell you
This is a recent snapshot of the share register, and it moves. We don't read anything into who owns what - a high institutional share is common for any large listed company and is not a signal about it.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does Wells Fargo & Company make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
When does Wells Fargo & Company report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Wells Fargo & Company is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-13 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-14 | $1.72 | $2.00 | Beat +16% |
| 2026-04-14 | $1.60 | $1.56 | Missed -3% |
| 2026-01-14 | $1.67 | $1.62 | Missed -3% |
| 2025-10-14 | $1.54 | $1.73 | Beat +12% |
| 2025-07-15 | $1.40 | $1.54 | Beat +10% |
| 2025-04-11 | $1.22 | $1.28 | Beat +5% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Wells Fargo & Company came in ahead of what analysts expected 4 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for Wells Fargo & Company?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
Full recovery of reputation leading to market share gains.
Structural decline in traditional banking due to new technology.
What are the pros and cons of Wells Fargo & Company?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Massive scale and deep roots in the US economy
- Strong profit margins compared to many other sectors
- Regular dividend payments provide a steady income component
- History of regulatory issues and oversight
- Highly sensitive to the ups and downs of the broader economy
- Competition from agile, tech-focused digital banks
- Potential for further regulatory fines or restrictions
- Economic recession leading to higher loan losses
- Changes in interest rates impacting profit margins
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A permanent removal of regulatory caps on the bank's growth
- A major shift in how the bank generates revenue away from traditional lending
Common questions about Wells Fargo & Company
Does Wells Fargo & Company pay a dividend?
Yes - Wells Fargo & Company currently pays a dividend of about 2.3% a year. Dividends are a share of profit paid to holders; the yield moves with the price and payouts can be cut.
When does Wells Fargo & Company report earnings next?
Wells Fargo & Company is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-10-13. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.