Wells Fargo (WFC, $48.42) Shelled Out a Record $7.4 Billion in Share Buybacks, After Struggling With Scandal Over Two Years
Embroiled in scandals over recent years, Wells Fargo has been apparently trying to shake up its organization and appease shareholders. In the third quarter, the bank showered $7.4 billion towards share buybacks, which is nearly triple the amount it spent the year before.
In September 2016, Wells Fargo got itself in a controversy after announcing that it had fired 5,300 employees over several years for creating millions of fake accounts. Since then, Wells Fargo has spent an average of $3.2 billion each quarter on share repurchases, according to a CNN Business review of company filings. That’s 45% higher than what the bank typically spent during the prior eight quarters.
A company’s stock buyback lowers the count of its outstanding shares, and therefore potentially jacks up the company’s earnings per share (EPS). A higher EPS is usually attractive to investors, and is therefore expected to boost the stock’s demand. With its shares down -24% in the past year amidst scandals, Wells Fargo seems to have increasingly relied on share buybacks in hopes of bolstering its stock price.
Wells Fargo is also slashing jobs - apparently to deal with the shift in consumer preference to digital banking. In September, the company announced plans to cut as many as 26,500 jobs over three years.
The bank underwent a -3% drop in deposits in the third quarter on a year-over-year basis, as consumers and businesses held lower balances. It was also hurt by reduced mortgages, while several other big banks like JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup experienced positively solid loan growth in the third quarter.
WFC sees MACD Histogram just turned negative
WFC saw its Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) turn negative on May 22, 2025. This is a bearish signal that suggests the stock could decline going forward. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 48 instances where the indicator turned negative. In of the 48 cases the stock moved lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of a downward move at .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for WFC moved out of overbought territory on May 20, 2025. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 43 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In of the 43 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at .
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on June 12, 2025. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on WFC as a result. In of 80 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where WFC declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator shows that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 4 days. The price of this ticker is presumed to bounce back soon, since the longer the ticker stays in the oversold zone, the more promptly an upward trend is expected.
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where WFC advanced for three days, in of 320 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
WFC may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In of 278 cases where WFC Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are .
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 30, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to consistent earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. WFC’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (1.227) is normal, around the industry mean (0.958). P/E Ratio (11.928) is within average values for comparable stocks, (8.937). WFC's Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (24.155) is very high in comparison to the industry average of (2.643). WFC has a moderately low Dividend Yield (0.023) as compared to the industry average of (0.053). P/S Ratio (2.595) is also within normal values, averaging (2.460).
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a major bank
Industry MajorBanks
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