Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) Stock Price & How to Invest
Last updated October 2026
Short answer
You can invest in Wells Fargo (WFC) by buying shares or fractional shares at any major broker, through an ETF that holds it, or as one holding in a thematic basket. Wells Fargo is one of the largest U.S. banks, operating across consumer banking, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, and wealth management, and it earns money mainly from net interest income (the spread on loans versus deposits) plus fee income. The investment thesis centers on a multi-year turnaround under CEO Charlie Scharf, capped by the Federal Reserve lifting its $1.95 trillion asset cap in June 2025, which removes the constraint on balance-sheet growth that had been in place since 2018. As of October 16, 2026 the stock closed near $83.87 (market value about $252 billion), down about 11.9% year to date and roughly flat over twelve months, just after a third quarter in which EPS of $1.87 edged past estimates while revenue of about $21.9 billion came in light. The biggest risks are interest-rate sensitivity in net interest income, the credit cycle, lingering regulatory legacy from the 2016 fake-accounts scandal, and execution on growth now that the cap is gone.
WFC stock price
As of 2026-10-30, Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) last closed at $83.40, down 4.1% over the past year. Over the past 52 weeks it has traded between $73.42 and $96.39.
Prices are daily closing prices from Yahoo Finance and may be delayed. For the live quote, check your broker or Wells Fargo & Company's investor relations page. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
What does Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) do?
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, with roughly $1.9-2.0 trillion in assets and operations organized into four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending (checking, savings, mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards), Commercial Banking (lending and treasury services for middle-market companies), Corporate and Investment Banking (markets trading, banking, and lending for large clients), and Wealth and Investment Management (advisory and private banking). The bank makes money in two broad ways: net interest income, the spread between what it earns on loans and securities and what it pays on deposits, which was roughly $47.7 billion in 2025, and noninterest fee income from cards, investment banking, trading, wealth management, and deposit services.
Wells Fargo's recent history was defined by the 2016 fake-accounts scandal, in which employees opened millions of unauthorized accounts to hit sales targets, leading the Federal Reserve to impose a $1.95 trillion asset cap in 2018 along with multiple consent orders. Charlie Scharf became CEO in 2019 and led a multi-year turnaround focused on rebuilding risk and control infrastructure, closing consent orders, cutting costs, and reshaping the business mix. That effort reached a milestone on June 3, 2025, when the Federal Reserve lifted the asset cap after concluding the bank had met the required governance and risk-management conditions, freeing Wells Fargo to grow its balance sheet again for the first time in seven years. In full-year 2025 the bank earned net income of about $21.3 billion (up roughly 8%), diluted EPS of $6.26 (up about 17%), and a return on tangible common equity of about 14.6%, while authorizing a large buyback program and raising its dividend.
2026 has brought better earnings and a weaker share price. Net income was about $5.0 billion in the first quarter, $6.2 billion in the second (EPS of $2.00 against ~$1.72 expected) and $5.7 billion in the third, when EPS of $1.87 was a touch above the ~$1.85 consensus but revenue of about $21.87 billion missed the ~$22.15 billion estimate. Third-quarter ROTCE was about 16.3%, average deposits rose about 11% year over year to roughly $1.48 trillion, and management reiterated roughly $50 billion of 2026 net interest income and about $55.7 billion of noninterest expense. Trailing twelve-month net income is about $22.0 billion on roughly $83.1 billion of revenue. The stock closed near $83.87 on October 16, 2026, down about 11.9% for the year and roughly flat over twelve months, as big-bank shares fell even on solid reports; Scharf said on the call that inflation, gas prices and higher rates continue to weigh on consumers and that credit should weaken at some point, though the bank does not see it yet.
What's driving Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)?
1. Asset cap removal unlocks balance-sheet growth.
The Federal Reserve lifted Wells Fargo's $1.95 trillion asset cap on June 3, 2025, ending a seven-year restriction that had been in place since 2018. The cap had forced the bank to turn away deposits and limit growth in higher-returning businesses like markets and trading. With the cap gone, Wells Fargo can grow loans, deposits, and trading inventory; period-end loans crossed $1 trillion in Q1 2026 for the first time since early 2020. Management has framed this as a pivot from remediation to growth.
2. Turnaround economics and rising returns.
Return on tangible common equity rose to about 14.6% in 2025 from 13.4% in 2024, and management has pointed to a medium-term ROTCE target in the 17-18% range. Diluted EPS grew roughly 17% to $6.26 in 2025, helped by expense discipline and a shrinking share count. Continued progress on efficiency (the efficiency ratio has run in the mid-60s percent range) and closing remaining consent orders would support the case that returns can keep climbing toward the target. Third-quarter 2026 ROTCE reached about 16.3%, the closest the bank has come to that target, and analysts expect EPS of about $7.34 for 2026 and $8.05 for 2027.
3. Large capital return through dividends and buybacks.
Wells Fargo authorized a new common stock repurchase program of up to $40 billion in 2025, with capacity that reached roughly $50 billion, and bought back about $18 billion of stock during the year, including $5 billion in Q4. The board also raised the quarterly dividend, approving a 13% increase in the third quarter of 2025. A CET1 ratio of about 10.6% at year-end 2025, above the bank's own target range, gives it room to keep returning excess capital while still funding growth. The pace slowed in 2026: Wells Fargo bought back about $2.5 billion of stock in the third quarter, and CET1 ended the quarter at about 10%, with management guiding to a 10-10.5% range. The dividend now runs about $2.00 a year ($0.50 quarterly), a yield near 2.4% at the mid-October price.
4. Diversified fee income beyond lending.
Beyond net interest income, Wells Fargo earns fees across investment banking, markets trading, wealth management, and cards, which helps cushion the rate-sensitive lending business. In Q1 2026 every operating segment grew revenue year over year, with Corporate and Investment Banking up about 13% and markets revenue up roughly 19%, while Wealth and Investment Management remained the most profitable segment by return on allocated capital. Growing fee streams reduce dependence on the interest-rate cycle alone. The third quarter of 2026 was mixed on that front: Corporate and Investment Banking revenue rose about 3% (banking up 8%) while markets revenue slipped about 1%, and markets-related net interest income is now expected near $1.8 billion for the year versus a prior $2 billion assumption. Consumer activity was stronger, with more than 660,000 new credit card accounts and auto originations up about 15%.
What are the risks to Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)?
Wells Fargo is highly sensitive to interest rates: net interest income is its single largest revenue line (about $47.7 billion in 2025), so falling rates or deposit repricing can compress earnings, and 2025 revenue was roughly flat partly because of lower net interest income. As an economically cyclical bank, it is exposed to the credit cycle, where a recession or rising unemployment would increase loan losses, particularly in cards, commercial real estate, and consumer lending. Regulatory legacy remains a factor: while the asset cap is lifted, certain consent-order provisions from the 2016 fake-accounts scandal persist and reputational and compliance costs can recur. Execution risk is real now that the cap is gone, because growing profitably without re-introducing the controls problems of the past is unproven at scale. Revenue growth has been thin (third-quarter 2026 revenue was up only about 0.4% year over year and missed estimates), so earnings gains lean on expenses, buybacks and credit staying benign; Scharf has said he expects credit to weaken at some point. The bank also still draws regulatory penalties, most recently a $4.4 million settlement with state regulators in October 2026 over alleged commission overcharges on small-dollar trades, shared with Merrill Lynch. Finally, broad macro risks (trade and geopolitical uncertainty, fiscal pressures, and market volatility) could weigh on loan demand, fee income, and the value of the bank's securities portfolio.
What is the Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) forecast?
24 analysts publish price targets on WFC, averaging $97.48 against a $83.87 price as of October 2026, or +16.2%. The published targets run from $88.00 to $108.00, a narrow spread, and the ratings split 19 buy, 8 hold, 0 sell. Over the last six months there have been 3 raises and 8 cuts among the published actions. A price target is what an analyst published on a date, not a prediction, and sell-side ratings skew positive across the whole market.
Read the full WFC forecast and price target for the target table, the recent rating actions by firm, and how the consensus has shifted.
Is WFC a buy or a sell?
We give no verdict on Wells Fargo & Company. Both cases are real, which is why the question is contested at all, so here is the strongest version of each.
The case for buying. Asset cap removal unlocks balance-sheet growth. The Federal Reserve lifted Wells Fargo's $1.95 trillion asset cap on June 3, 2025, ending a seven-year restriction that had been in place since 2018. The most optimistic published target, $108.00, assumes this works close to its best case.
The case against. Wells Fargo is highly sensitive to interest rates: net interest income is its single largest revenue line (about $47.7 billion in 2025), so falling rates or deposit repricing can compress earnings, and 2025 revenue was roughly flat partly because of lower net interest income. The most pessimistic target, $88.00, is roughly what WFC is worth if this bites instead.
Read the full bull and bear case on WFC, including what would have to change to break either one. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
Has Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) split its stock?
No. Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) has not split its stock in the last 10 years. That is a statement about the window we check rather than about the company’s entire history, so an older split is possible. It also matters less than it once did: fractional shares mean a high price per share no longer keeps smaller investors out, which removed most of the practical reason to split.
How is Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) valued? (approximate, October 2026)
A simple financial snapshot. These are approximations and refresh quarterly; for current figures see Wells Fargo & Company's investor relations page or your broker.
- Revenue (TTM): ~$83.1 billion; Q3 2026 ~$21.9 billion (up ~0.4% YoY, vs ~$22.15 billion expected)
- Net Income (TTM): ~$22.0 billion; Q3 2026 ~$5.7 billion
- Diluted EPS: Q3 2026 $1.87 vs ~$1.85 expected; TTM ~$6.88
- Return on Tangible Common Equity (Q3 2026): ~16.3% (target ~17-18%)
- Net Interest Income (FY2026 guidance): ~$50 billion, reiterated
- CET1 Ratio (Q3 2026): ~10% (management range 10-10.5%)
- P/E (trailing / forward): ~12x / ~10x
- Dividend Yield: ~2.4% (~$2.00 annualized), paid quarterly
- Market Capitalization: ~$252 billion at ~$83.87 (October 16, 2026)
Reading a large bank means looking past a single earnings number to a handful of structural metrics. Return on tangible common equity (ROTCE) shows how efficiently the bank turns shareholder capital into profit; Wells Fargo's ~16.3% in the third quarter of 2026 is up from ~14.6% for 2025 and approaching its 17-18% target. Net interest income, guided to about $50 billion for 2026, tracks the rate-sensitive core of profitability, and the CET1 ratio (~10%) gauges how much room exists for buybacks and dividends. At about $83.87 the stock trades near 12 times trailing and 10 times forward earnings and roughly 1.5 times book value, below where it stood at the start of 2026 even as earnings rose; analysts' mean target is about $97.48. The distinctive upside remains the 2025 asset-cap removal, and the open question is whether revenue growth, which was close to flat in the third quarter, picks up enough to carry returns the rest of the way.
Which ETFs hold Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)?
If you want WFC exposure as part of a larger bundle rather than directly, these ETFs hold it meaningfully. Weights are approximate and refresh quarterly.
| ETF | Name | % in WFC | Expense ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFF | iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | 2.1% | 0.45% | |
| XLF | State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF | 3.21% | 0.08% | |
| PFFD | Global X U.S. Preferred ETF | 2.26% | 0.23% | |
| VFH | Vanguard Financials Index Fund ETF Shares | 2.8% | 0.09% | |
| JAVA | JPMorgan Active Value ETF | 2.2% | 0.44% | |
| KBWB | Invesco KBW Bank ETF | 8.1% | 0.35% |
What themes does Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) fit?
These are the investment theses WFC naturally fits into. Each links to a full theme guide listing every other stock that belongs and the ETFs commonly used as a passive proxy.
Who competes with Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)?
U.S. Money-Center Banks
JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup compete with Wells Fargo across consumer deposits, mortgages, credit cards, commercial lending, and capital markets. JPMorgan and Bank of America are larger and have generated higher returns on equity in recent years, so Wells Fargo's turnaround thesis is partly about narrowing that gap now that its asset cap is gone.
Regional and Super-Regional Banks
Banks such as U.S. Bancorp, PNC, Truist, and Capital One compete for retail deposits, small-business and commercial lending, and consumer credit in overlapping geographies. They are smaller and more regionally concentrated than Wells Fargo, but they compete directly for the same Main Street customers and often trade on similar rate and credit-cycle dynamics.
ETFs and Diversified Alternatives
Investors who want bank exposure without picking a single stock often use financials and bank ETFs such as the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF), the SPDR S&P Bank ETF (KBE), and the Invesco KBW Bank ETF (KBWB), which hold Wells Fargo alongside peers. These funds spread risk across many institutions, diluting both the upside of a successful WFC turnaround and the downside of company-specific setbacks.
What stocks are similar to Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)?
Other names that sit close to WFC: same theme, named as a direct competitor, or held beside it in the same funds. Each entry says which. Worth a look if you are thinking about diversification within a thesis rather than concentration on one ticker.
How to invest in Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)
There are three common ways to get WFC exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) directly at any major broker. Hold an ETF that includes it (PFF, XLF, PFFD), which spreads the position across many companies. Or build it into a focused thematic portfolio, so WFC sits alongside other stocks that express the same thesis.
Walnut takes the portfolio route. Describe a thesis where WFC fits (for example “AI infrastructure” or “dividend-growth large-caps”) and the AI proposes 5 to 6 constituents with target weights. You review the plan and fund it through your own broker when you're ready.
New to this? Start with how to invest in stocks, see how to analyze a stock with AI, or compare the best AI stock analyzers.
The bottom line on Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)
Wells Fargo is a large-cap U.S. money-center bank in the late stages of a regulatory turnaround, with the Federal Reserve's asset cap lifted in 2025, full-year 2025 net income of ~$21.3 billion on ~14.6% return on tangible common equity, and ROTCE up to about 16.3% in the third quarter of 2026. At ~$83.87 in mid-October 2026 it trades near 12x trailing and 10x forward earnings. As a value-oriented, economically cyclical bank stock, it tends to move with interest rates, the credit cycle, and the broader economy, paying a quarterly dividend and returning large amounts of capital through buybacks.
More on Wells Fargo & Company (WFC)
Whether WFC is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, what would have to go right, and the risks in is WFC a buy or a sell?, and where the stock could go from here in the WFC stock forecast.
For income investors, whether WFC pays a dividend and how the payout looks is covered in does WFC pay a dividend? And to weigh WFC against a peer, read the full side-by-side comparisons: WFC vs BAC and WFC vs JPM.
Wondering how WFC fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Wells Fargo & Company with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how WFC fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What does Wells Fargo do?
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Wells Fargo is one of the largest banks in the United States, with roughly $1.9-2.0 trillion in assets. It operates across four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending (checking, savings, mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards), Commercial Banking (middle-market lending and treasury services), Corporate and Investment Banking (markets, trading, and large-client lending), and Wealth and Investment Management (advisory and private banking). It earns money primarily from net interest income and fee income.
Does WFC pay a dividend?
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Yes. Wells Fargo pays a quarterly cash dividend, currently about $0.50 a share ($2.00 annualized), which yields roughly 2.4% at the October 16, 2026 price near $83.87. The board approved a 13% dividend increase in the third quarter of 2025. The bank also returns large amounts of capital through buybacks, authorizing a repurchase program of up to $40 billion in 2025 (with capacity reaching about $50 billion) and repurchasing roughly $18 billion of stock during the year. Buybacks slowed to about $2.5 billion in the third quarter of 2026.
Was the Fed asset cap on Wells Fargo removed?
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Yes. On June 3, 2025, the Federal Reserve lifted the $1.95 trillion asset cap it had imposed in 2018 in the wake of the 2016 fake-accounts scandal, after determining Wells Fargo had met the required governance and risk-management conditions. The removal lets the bank grow its balance sheet for the first time in seven years, though certain other consent-order provisions remain in place.
What is the Wells Fargo turnaround under Charlie Scharf?
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Charlie Scharf became CEO in 2019 and led a multi-year effort to recover from the 2016 fake-accounts scandal: rebuilding risk and control infrastructure, closing consent orders, cutting costs, and reshaping the business mix toward higher-returning areas like markets and wealth management. The effort reached a milestone with the 2025 asset-cap removal, and 2025 results showed return on tangible common equity rising to about 14.6% with EPS up roughly 17%. By the third quarter of 2026 ROTCE had reached about 16.3%.
Is WFC a good stock?
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This is descriptive, not advice. The bull case is a continuing turnaround with the asset cap lifted, rising returns on equity heading toward a 17-18% target, and heavy capital return through dividends and buybacks. The bear case is interest-rate sensitivity in net interest income, exposure to the credit cycle, lingering regulatory legacy, and the unproven nature of profitable growth post-cap. Whether it fits you depends on your own goals and risk tolerance.
Is WFC a good stock to buy right now?
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This is informational, not a recommendation. Wells Fargo delivered net income of about $21.3 billion and EPS of $6.26 in 2025, and trailing twelve-month net income of about $22.0 billion through the third quarter of 2026, with ROTCE up to about 16.3%. Yet the stock was down about 11.9% year to date at roughly $83.87 on October 16, 2026, near 12 times trailing earnings, but its returns still trail top peers and the stock is sensitive to rates and the credit cycle. Whether any of that is already reflected in the price is a judgment each investor has to make. Walnut provides information, not investment advice.
What are the biggest risks for Wells Fargo stock?
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The main risks are: interest-rate sensitivity, since net interest income (about $47.7 billion in 2025) is the largest revenue line and can compress when rates fall; the credit cycle, where a recession would raise loan losses; regulatory legacy from the 2016 scandal, including remaining consent-order provisions; execution risk in growing profitably now that the asset cap is gone; and broad macro uncertainty affecting loan demand and markets.
Which ETFs or baskets include WFC?
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Wells Fargo is a large holding in financials and bank ETFs such as the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF), the SPDR S&P Bank ETF (KBE), and the Invesco KBW Bank ETF (KBWB), and it appears in broad index funds that track the S&P 500. In Walnut, WFC can be held as one constituent inside a thematic basket, such as a banking, financials, or value-oriented theme, alongside other holdings.
How did Wells Fargo do in its latest quarter?
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In the third quarter of 2026, reported in mid-October, Wells Fargo earned about $5.7 billion, or $1.87 a share, slightly above the ~$1.85 consensus, while revenue of about $21.87 billion fell short of the ~$22.15 billion expected. ROTCE was about 16.3%, average deposits rose about 11% to roughly $1.48 trillion, CET1 was about 10%, and the bank repurchased about $2.5 billion of stock. Management reiterated roughly $50 billion of full-year net interest income. The next report is scheduled for January 14, 2027.
How has WFC stock performed in 2026?
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WFC closed at about $83.87 on October 16, 2026, down about 11.9% year to date and roughly flat (about -0.2%) over the past year, inside a 52-week range of roughly $72.78 to $97.76. Shares slipped after third-quarter results even though EPS beat, as big-bank stocks broadly fell on solid reports. The 24 analysts covering it average a buy rating with a mean target near $97.48. Walnut is not an investment adviser; this is descriptive, not a recommendation.
Guides that feature WFC
WFC is one of the names covered in these guides. Each one puts the stock next to its peers so you can see where it fits rather than judging it alone.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Financial figures on this page are approximations; always verify current numbers with Wells Fargo & Company's investor relations page or your broker before making investment decisions.