WFC

Agilent Technologies stock surges as Wall Street approves of the company’s second-quarter earnings and guidance update.

Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should. Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Wells Fargo with the means to add long-term value to shareholders. We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free. If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Impressively, Wells Fargo has grown EPS by 23% per year, compound, in the last three years. As a general rule, we'd say that if a company can keep up that sort of growth, shareholders will be beaming. Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. Not all of Wells Fargo's revenue this year is revenue from operations, so keep in mind the revenue and margin numbers used in this article might not be the best representation of the underlying business. Wells Fargo maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 5.0% to US$81b. That's encouraging news for the company! In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers. View our latest analysis for Wells Fargo The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. While crystal balls don't exist, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for Wells Fargo's future EPS 100% free. Since Wells Fargo has a market capitalisation of US$234b, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a large percentage of shares. But we do take c...

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Wells Fargo (WFC). Shares have lost about 8.4% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500. Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Wells Fargo due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers. Wells Fargo has reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $1.56, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.58. In the prior-year quarter, the company reported earnings per share of $1.27. Results were primarily hurt by an increase in expenses and higher provisions. A rise in non-performing assets also acted as a headwind. However, an improvement in net interest income, along with higher non-interest income, offered some support. Additionally, higher loan and deposit balances acted as tailwinds. Results excluded 4 cents per share of discrete tax benefits related to the resolution of prior period matters. After considering this, the net income (GAAP basis) was $5.25 billion, representing a 7.3% increase from the prior-year quarter. Revenues Improve, Expenses Rise Total revenues were $21.44 billion, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $21.73 billion. Also, the top line increased 6.4% from the year-ago quarter. NII was $12.09 billion, up 5.2% year over year. The increase was driven by higher deposit balances and lower deposit costs, improved results in the Markets business, higher loan and investment securities balances, and fixed-rate asset repricing, partially offset by the impact of lower interest rates on floating rate assets. The net interest margin (on a taxable-equivalent basis) contracted 20 basis points year over year to 2.47%. Non-interest income grew 8% year over year to $9.35 billion. The increase reflected the absence of $149 million of net losses recorded in the prior-year quarter due to the repositioning of the investment securities portfolio. The current quarter also benefited from improved results from venture capital investments and higher asset-based fees, primarily in Wealth and Investment Management on higher market valuations, along with increases in most other fee categories. Non-interest expenses of $14.33 billion increased 3.2% year over year. The increas...

Never miss an important update on your stock portfolio and cut through the noise. Over 7 million investors trust Simply Wall St to stay informed where it matters for FREE. Wells Fargo (WFC) has moved back into focus after Phillip Securities upgraded the stock to Buy following Q1 2026 results that showed 15% diluted EPS growth and 11% loan growth. See our latest analysis for Wells Fargo. The upgrade comes after a sharp swing in sentiment, with the stock down 22.76% year to date on a share price basis and 15.13% over 30 days, even though the 3 year total shareholder return of 95.86% and 5 year total shareholder return of 79.64% remain strong. This suggests that recent selling reflects a reset in risk perceptions rather than the longer term record. If this kind of volatility has you looking beyond a single bank, it could be a good time to broaden your watchlist with 20 top founder-led companies The stock now trades well below many analyst targets and at what some models flag as a discount to intrinsic value. Yet recent price weakness and mixed sentiment raise a key question for you: is there genuine value here, or is the market already pricing in the next leg of growth? According to the most followed narrative, Wells Fargo's fair value of $74.70 sits slightly above the last close at $73.53, framing the stock as modestly discounted rather than deeply mispriced. Read the complete narrative. Curious how this narrative interprets slow sector conditions as a potential edge for Wells Fargo? The story focuses on compound earnings, steady revenue progress, and a profitability profile that assumes those advantages persist. Want to see exactly how those elements support a fair value above the current share price? Result: Fair Value of $74.70 (UNDERVALUED) Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what's behind the forecasts. However, there are still clear risks, including prolonged weakness in housing and manufacturing, or regulatory outcomes on the asset cap that differ from what the narrative assumes. Find out about the key risks to this Wells Fargo narrative. With mixed sentiment running through this story, it makes sense to check the data for yourself and weigh both sides carefully using 5 key rewards and 2 important warning signs If you stop at Wells Fargo, you could miss stocks that better match your goals. Take a few minutes to scan these focused sets of...

(Bloomberg) -- HSBC Holdings Plc reported profit that missed estimates, weighed down by an unexpected charge related to the collapse of UK mortgage lender Market Financial Solutions Ltd. and rising economic risks stemming from the conflict in the Middle East. Most Read from Bloomberg US Has Opened a Passage Through Hormuz, Central Command Says US and Iran Trade Fire in Gulf, Jolting Four-Week-Old Truce China’s Rare Sanctions Pushback Leaves Banks Caught in Crossfire Former NYC Mayor Giuliani in Critical Condition, Trump Says Beijing Tells China Firms to Ignore US Sanctions on Refiners Pretax profit for the first three months of the year fell to $9.4 billion, missing the $9.6 billion average estimate compiled by the bank. Those results were partially offset by a resilient performance within the lender’s wealth and Hong Kong units, as well as an upgrade to its net interest income outlook. The London-based bank booked $1.3 billion in expected credit losses for the period. This figure was driven largely by a $400 million charge linked to what the bank described as a “fraud-related, secondary, securitization exposure with a financial sponsor in the UK.” That’s tied to the failure of specialized lender Market Financial Solutions, also known as MFS, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. Apollo Global Management Inc.’s unit Atlas SP Partners is the financial sponsor, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter that it didn’t identify. HSBC also recorded a $300 million increase in allowances tied to a deteriorating global economic outlook following the onset of hostilities in the Middle East. The “results contained a fair amount of noise across revenue and cost lines, but the underlying picture is one of a mildly stronger banking NII print and ongoing strength in wealth,” Joseph Dickerson and Priya Rathod, analysts at Jefferies, said in a note. They rate the shares a hold. HSBC’s shares were down 6.25% at 10:03 a.m. in London. The lender’s exposure to the MFS saga underlines how intertwined banking has become with private credit and nonbanks, with firms including Barclays Plc and Banco Santander SA also caught out. The broadening scope of the conflict in Iran is also threatening a region that HSBC had targeted for aggressive wealth and corporate banking expansion, th...

Never miss an important update on your stock portfolio and cut through the noise. Over 7 million investors trust Simply Wall St to stay informed where it matters for FREE. Aflac’s price target story right now is less about big moves and more about small reset points, with several firms trimming targets by US$2 to US$5 while others edge them higher toward US$118. Those shifts line up with cautious analyst commentary that pulls earnings expectations in a bit, yet still keeps ratings neutral and highlights room for modest upside rather than a sharply negative view. As you read on, you will see how to track these changing targets and what they might signal for Aflac’s evolving narrative. Analyst Price Targets don't always capture the full story. Head over to our Company Report to find new ways to value Aflac. Wells Fargo lifted its Aflac price target to US$118 from US$109 and kept an Equal Weight rating, signaling that the firm still sees the shares as reasonably aligned with its view of fair value. Wells Fargo highlighted refreshed 2027 and 2028 EPS frameworks, which provides a longer runway of earnings assumptions that can support current valuation arguments if Aflac meets those guides. Piper Sandler, Barclays, Mizuho, and UBS each trimmed Aflac price targets by US$2 to US$5, which reflects more cautious stances around execution and earnings, even if ratings are not aggressively negative. Keefe Bruyette reinitiated Aflac at Market Perform and later made a small price target increase, underscoring that some analysts see the risk or reward as balanced rather than skewed toward strong growth. Do your thoughts align with the Bull or Bear Analysts? Perhaps you think there's more to the story. Head to the Simply Wall St Community to discover more perspectives! We've flagged 2 risks for Aflac. See which could impact your investment. Aflac Re Bermuda Ltd. agreed with Japan Post Insurance Co. Ltd. to reinsure a block of whole life annuities through coinsurance, with Japan Post Insurance continuing to service and administer the policies from March 31, 2026. Aflac added a long term care rider to its Group Life Term to 120 product, combining term life coverage with long term care benefits for home based or facility based care, subject to state availability and underwriting entities. Empower Brokerage began an affiliation with Aflac, giving more than 8,000 partnering agent...

(Bloomberg) -- First-quarter earnings season is delivering Wall Street better-than-expected results, propelling US equities’ run from one record to the next. Most Read from Bloomberg Supertanker Appears to Have Crossed the Strait of Hormuz World’s Largest Container Carrier Plans Route Avoiding Hormuz Beijing Tells China Firms to Ignore US Sanctions on Refiners Philippines Says Thousands Evacuated as Mayon Volcano Erupts Iran Juggles Oil Cuts and Storage Strain to Resist US Blockade As earnings wind down for two-thirds of the stocks in the S&P 500 Index, the proportion of companies missing analysts’ estimates is hovering at the lowest level since 2021. It’s not just due to blowout earnings from technology giants, which were expected to lead the charge. S&P 500 companies outside of the tech realm have been posting the sharpest positive earnings surprises since the fourth quarter of 2024, according to Seaport Research Partners. For Wall Street investors, that’s a vote of confidence in Corporate America’s profit machine, which keeps humming along despite an oil price shock, tariff turmoil and rising worries about the health of the US consumer. “As I look at how companies have reported results, I would argue that resilient is almost too modest of a word. There’s real, obvious strength,” said Marta Norton, chief market strategist at Empower. “The foundation of the economy is proving to be very, very strong.” The strength is showing up across sectors. Small caps are on a tear, bank profits are booming and firms keep plowing past macroeconomic obstacles, though some worries still linger. Here are five themes that investors are watching play out in this reporting period: Spending Spree Microsoft Corp., Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc., Meta Platforms Inc. and Apple Inc. — which make up roughly a quarter of the S&P 500’s total market capitalization — were the headliners this week. Their earnings were generally better than expected, though Meta and Microsoft retreated amid concerns around the companies’ capital spending plans. Meanwhile, the rally in semiconductor stocks extended. Intel Corp. topped the leaderboard, soaring 114% in April, helped by an estimate-shattering sales forecast. Texas Instruments Inc. was also a notable earnings-driven gainer. After soaring nearly 50% during an 18-session winning streak last month the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, or SOX, clo...

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Release Date: April 29, 2026 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Seven Hills Realty Trust (NASDAQ:SEVN) reported solid first quarter results with distributable earnings of $5.3 million or $0.24 per share, at the high end of guidance. The company achieved a new high watermark with approximately $776 million in total outstanding loan commitments after originating three new loans totaling $67.5 million. The loan portfolio demonstrated strong credit performance with a weighted average risk rating of 2.8 and no realized losses, with all loans current on debt service. Seven Hills Realty Trust (NASDAQ:SEVN) extended the maturities of its UBS and Wells Fargo financing facilities to 2028 and doubled the capacity of the Wells Fargo facility to $250 million. The company maintains strong liquidity with approximately $110 million of cash on hand and nearly $400 million of available capacity under secured financing facilities. Recent market volatility, driven by geopolitical tensions and interest rate fluctuations, has impacted transaction activity and owner decision-making. The rights offering in December has caused near-term dilution, impacting earnings, although deployment of proceeds is progressing. Distributable earnings have not covered the dividend over the past quarter, although the company remains committed to maintaining the dividend level through 2026. The company faces challenges in underwriting refinancing transactions due to the difficulty in assessing reset basis compared to acquisitions. The multifamily sector, while desirable, presents competitive challenges with compressed yields, impacting the company's ability to achieve desired returns. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with SEVN. Is SEVN fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. Q: I noticed your origination net interest margin (NIM) of 195 basis points this quarter is wider than last year's average. Is this due to market access or product mix? Where do you see the NIM for the rest of the year? A: (Tom Lorenzini, President and Chief Investment Officer) The wider NIM is primarily due to the product mix, including medical office, retail, and hospitality loans, which tend to have wider spreads. We avoid competitive bidding situations to maintain higher margins. For...

Achieved a four-year high net interest margin of 195 basis points on new originations by avoiding commodity-style auctions and focusing on high-yield sectors like medical office and hospitality. Maintained a fully performing loan portfolio with a 2.8 weighted average risk rating and zero realized losses, supported by RMR's deep asset-level operational expertise. Successfully deployed capital from the December rights offering into three new loans totaling $67.5 million, reaching a record high watermark of $776 million in total outstanding commitments. Strategically reduced office exposure to approximately 21% of the portfolio through disciplined repayment activity, including an expected $26.5 million payoff in suburban Chicago. Utilized interest rate floors on nearly all loans to provide a baseline of downside protection, contributing $0.01 per share in earnings protection during the quarter. Enhanced capital deployment capacity by extending UBS and Wells Fargo financing facilities to 2028 and doubling the Wells Fargo facility capacity to $250 million. Projecting second quarter distributable earnings between $0.23 and $0.25 per share, with a goal to return to dividend coverage levels by the end of 2026. Targeting a total portfolio size of approximately $950 million by year-end 2026, implying roughly $200 million in incremental growth. Anticipating near-term net portfolio growth of $50 million to $75 million in the current quarter, supported by a $105 million pipeline of outstanding term sheets. Committing to a $0.28 per share quarterly dividend through at least 2026, despite current temporary dilution from the recent rights offering. Expects to evaluate a potential disposition of the Yardley REO property in late 2026 following incremental leasing activity and tenant renewals. Acknowledged a moderation in acquisition activity due to market volatility and uncertainty surrounding interest rates, inflation, and geopolitical tensions in Iran. Noted that while the CMBS market slowed recently, capital availability remains stable across banks, debt funds, and government-sponsored enterprises. Maintains a modest CECL reserve of 130 basis points, reflecting a portfolio with no five-rated loans, no collateral-dependent loans, and no specific reserves. Mitigated construction risk by limiting future funding exposure to 6% of total commitments and requiring sponsor equity...

The early Q1 results from the big banks like JPMorgan JPM, Wells Fargo WFC and operators from other industries like Delta Air Lines DAL reinforce the favorable expectations that have been in place in recent months. This is despite the elevated macro uncertainty resulting from the Middle East conflict that thankfully is starting to ease already. In short, the earnings picture was very strong at the start of the year and the early Q1 results validate those expectations, despite the geopolitical overhang. Through Friday, April 17th, we have seen Q1 results from 48 S&P 500 members or 9.6% of the index’s total membership. Total earnings for these 48 index members are up +29.3% from the same period last year on +12.4% higher revenues, with 79.2% beating EPS estimates and an equal proportion beating revenue estimates. This is a better showing from these 48 index members relative to what we have seen from the group in other recent periods. The outperformance is particularly notable on the revenues side, both in terms of the growth pace as well as the beats percentage. In fact, the Q1 revenue beats percentage of 79.2% is towards the high end of the high-low range over the preceding 20 quarters (5 years) for this group of S&P 500 members, as the comparison charts below show. Looking at Q1 as a whole, combining the actual results from the 48 S&P 500 members that have reported with estimates for the still-to-come companies, total earnings are currently on track to be up +14.1% from the same period last year. But if the trends we have seen already remain in place through the end of this reporting cycle, the final Q1 growth pace will most likely exceed the +15.8% we saw in 2025 Q3 and be the highest in the post-Covid period. For more details on the overall earnings picture, please check out our weekly Earnings Trends report here >>>Q1 Earnings Season Starts Off Strong Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) : Free Stock Analysis Report JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Citigroup, Inc. C kicked off 2026 with a solid start. Its first-quarter 2026 earnings and revenues easily topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate. This reflects solid execution of its turnaround strategy. The bank posted its highest quarterly revenues in a decade, driven by growth across all five divisions. Trading and dealmaking businesses performed particularly well, benefiting from increased market volatility. The market responded positively following the strong quarterly results. Shares of C climbed modestly and hit a 52-week high of $132.86 in yesterday’s trading session. Aided by its turnaround progress, the stock has emerged as a leading performer in the past year, outperforming industry and its close peers like Wells Fargo WFC and Bank of America BAC. Price Performance Image Source: Zacks Investment Research With such a strong rally, investors now face a familiar dilemma: is it time to lock in gains, or does the C stock still have room to run? Before addressing that question, it is worth taking a closer look at quarterly performance and the key drivers behind its recent strength. Net Interest Income (NII) & Non-Interest Revenues: NII rose 12% year over year in the first quarter 2026 to $15.7 billion, while non-interest revenues jumped 17% to $8.9 billion. Wells Fargo’s NII rose 5.2% year over year, while its non-interest income grew 8% in the first quarter. Conversely, Bank of America’s NII (fully taxable-equivalent basis) grew 9% year over year while non-interest income rose 5.2%. Expenses Rise, but Within Context: Citigroup’s operating expenses increased 7% year over year to $14.3 billion. The rise was primarily driven by higher compensation and benefits expenses, including severance, and the impacts of foreign exchange translation. Markets & Investment Banking Lead the Charge: The bank’s markets division was a big driver of its solid first-quarter results. The Markets segment’s revenues increased 19% year over year to $7.2 billion, driven by growth in Fixed Income and Equity markets revenues. The company also registered increase of 19% in investment banking (IB) revenues, reflecting growth in Advisory and Equity Capital Markets. BAC’s IB fees (in the Global Banking division) increased 23.6% year over year in the first quarter of 2026. Asset Quality Shows Signs of Pressure: Provisions for credit losses and benefits, and claims were $2.8 billion in the...

Wells Fargo & Company WFC reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $1.56, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.58. In the prior-year quarter, the company reported earnings per share of $1.27. Shares of the company lost nearly 6.7% in the early trading session following the release of worse-than-expected results. A full day’s trading session will provide a clearer picture. Results were primarily hurt by an increase in expenses and higher provisions. A rise in non-performing assets also acted as a headwind. However, an improvement in net interest income (NII), along with higher non-interest income, offered some support. Additionally, higher loan and deposit balances acted as tailwinds. Results excluded 4 cents per share of discrete tax benefits related to the resolution of prior period matters. After considering this, the net income (GAAP basis) was $5.25 billion, representing a 7.3% increase from the prior-year quarter. Total revenues were $21.44 billion, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $21.73 billion. Also, the top line increased 6.4% from the year-ago quarter. NII was $12.09 billion, up 5.2% year over year. The increase was driven by higher deposit balances and lower deposit costs, improved results in the Markets business, higher loan and investment securities balances, and fixed-rate asset repricing, partially offset by the impact of lower interest rates on floating rate assets. The net interest margin (on a taxable-equivalent basis) contracted 20 basis points year over year to 2.47%. Non-interest income grew 8% year over year to $9.35 billion. The increase reflected the absence of $149 million of net losses recorded in the prior-year quarter due to the repositioning of the investment securities portfolio. The current quarter also benefited from improved results from venture capital investments and higher asset-based fees, primarily in Wealth and Investment Management on higher market valuations, along with increases in most other fee categories. Non-interest expenses of $14.33 billion increased 3.2% year over year. The increase was due to higher revenue-related compensation expense, primarily in Wealth and Investment Management, an increase in advertising expense and higher technology and equipment expense. Wells Fargo's efficiency ratio of 67% was lower than 69% in the year-ago quarter. A decline in the efficiency rat...