Fact based stock research
Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC)

US9497461015

How to read the free ranks

For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

Wells Fargo stock research in summary

wellsfargo.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 3 (worse than 97% compared with investment alternatives), Wells Fargo (Diversified Banks, USA) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Wells Fargo are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 25 (worse than 75% of alternatives), show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 25), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 25), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 3, is a sell recommendation based on Wells Fargo's financial characteristics. As the company Wells Fargo's key financial metrics all exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 25), low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 25), and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 25), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. Such poor financial performance sometimes indicates that the company's business is all concentrated in some distant future. This is sometimes the case for high-tech or biotechnology companies. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and risky today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts are all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that should only amount to a small fraction of a safe portfolio. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	25
Growth Rank	25
Safety Rank	25
Combined Rank	3

Country	USA
Industry	Diversified Banks
Index	Diversity USA, Renewables Users, Recycling, S&P 500
Size class	XX-Large

19-Dec-2024. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

Multiple opinions. One number.

Analysts rarely agree on a stock’s future. So, who do you believe? Obermatt translates those collective views into a single Sentiment Rank. That plus the financial ranks give you the ultimate 360° View. Sign up to access them.

Why popular stocks have low ratings

It’s easier said than done. When your stock drops, it’s easy to want to sell it and find a better performer. Think twice, or even three times, before trading. Those fees (especially the hidden ones) can eat up your gains.

Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: Wells Fargo

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	52	63	68	25
GROWTH
GROWTH	88	69	77	25
SAFETY
SAFETY	95	35	41	25
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	n/a	17	38	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	n/a	33	54	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 19-Dec-2024. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 30-Sep-2024. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better Wells Fargo is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	52	63	68	25
GROWTH
GROWTH	88	69	77	25
SAFETY
SAFETY	95	35	41	25
COMBINED
COMBINED	95	63	72	3

Last update of combined financial performance: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of Wells Fargo the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 25 (worse than 75% compared with alternatives), Wells Fargo shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, where the majority of metrics are below, and only one is above average for Wells Fargo. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 73, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than 73% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning to Wells Fargo's revenue size. But all other performance indicators point in a different direction. Dividend yields have a Dividend Yield rank of 28, meaning that dividends are expected to be lower than for 72% of comparable investments. Furthermore, Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) is less favorable than 79% of alternatives (only 21% of peers have an even higher ratio). The same is valid for Price-to-Profit (or Price / Earnings, P/E), which is higher than for 64% of comparable companies, making the stock more expensive compared with the company's expected profit levels. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 25, is a hold recommendation based on Wells Fargo's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Since Price-to-Sales is a stable value indicator even in challenging times, investing in Wells Fargo could be seen as a value investment. However, there must be a good reason for the low market-to-book rank. If the company has a typical capital investment practice, the stock may be overvalued because the profit and dividend-related performance indicators are also low. The stock is only good value if investors can expect profits and dividends to pick up in the future. Else, Wells Fargo looks like an expensive investment today. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision, which is especially important in this case, as the financial indicators are inconclusive. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	91	83	83	73
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	56	25	59	36
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	69	56	63	21
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	9	43	40	28
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	52	63	68	25

Last update of Value Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of Wells Fargo; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 25 (better than 25% compared with alternatives), Wells Fargo shows a below-average growth dynamic in its industry. There is limited momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Wells Fargo. Sales Growth has a below market rank of 16, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 84% of its competitors. The same is valid for Capital Growth, with a rank of 9, and Profit Growth, with a rank of 40. Currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 60% of its competitors). Only shareholders are optimistic. Stock Returns are above average at a rank of 91, which means that the stock returns have recently been above 91% of alternative investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 25, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. That picture may be the result for a company that has reached the bottom. All went south for Wells Fargo, and it still looks bad, but some investors already see light at the end of the tunnel, rewarding the stock with recent above-market stock returns. It could also mean that investors are correcting an overreaction to negative news. If that were the case, the positive stock returns are not yet a sign of recovery. Investors should look closely at the Value and Sentiment indicators before they make a stock purchasing decision, because growth is unlikely to be the driving argument behind this investment. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is low here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	79	64	17	16
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	60	4	96	40
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	n/a	82	59	9
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	69	99	93	91
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	88	69	77	25

Last update of Growth Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of Wells Fargo.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 25 (better than 25% compared with alternatives), the company Wells Fargo has financing practices on the riskier side, which means that their overall debt burden is above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of Wells Fargo is also risky, it only means that the company is on the riskier side in respect to bankruptcy in case things turn sour, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with just one indicator above average for Wells Fargo and the other two below average. Refinancing is at 84, meaning the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 84% of its competitors. But Leverage is high with a rank of 4, meaning the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 96% of its competitors. Liquidity is also on the riskier side with a rank of 40, meaning the company generates less profit to service its debt than 60% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 25 (worse than 75% compared with alternatives), Wells Fargo has a financing structure that is riskier than that of its competitors. A good Refinancing Rank means that the problems of the company may not be around the corner. But high Leverage is only good if things go well, and low Liquidity is a signal for caution. The financing signals for Wells Fargo are on the riskier side, requiring the company's future to be on the safer side. Investors may want to look at Growth and Sentiment ranks before making an investment decision. In the long-term, investors may have a debt challenge with Wells Fargo and should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	83	2	2	4
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	91	80	88	84
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	91	41	51	40
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	95	35	41	25

Last update of Safety Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Wells Fargo and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2021	2022	2023	2024
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	58	70	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	n/a	11	28	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	n/a	70	58	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	n/a	1	25	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	n/a	17	38	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for Wells Fargo.
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