Wells Fargo & Co Stock Buy Recommendation Reiterated (WFC)

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) has been reiterated by TheStreet Ratings as a buy with a ratings score of B+ . The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, solid stock price performance, impressive record of earnings per share growth, compelling growth in net income and expanding profit margins. Although the company may harbor some minor weaknesses, we feel they are unlikely to have a significant impact on results.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 16.0%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 2.3%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share.
• Investors have apparently begun to recognize positive factors similar to those we have mentioned in this report, including earnings growth. This has helped drive up the company's shares by a sharp 42.68% over the past year, a rise that has exceeded that of the S&P 500 Index. Regarding the stock's future course, although almost any stock can fall in a broad market decline, WFC should continue to move higher despite the fact that it has already enjoyed a very nice gain in the past year.
• WELLS FARGO & CO has improved earnings per share by 17.1% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue. During the past fiscal year, WELLS FARGO & CO increased its bottom line by earning $2.82 versus $2.21 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($3.31 versus $2.82).
• The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has exceeded that of the S&P 500 and the Commercial Banks industry average. The net income increased by 17.1% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from $3,948.00 million to $4,622.00 million.
• The gross profit margin for WELLS FARGO & CO is currently very high, coming in at 86.20%. It has increased from the same quarter the previous year. Along with this, the net profit margin of 20.40% is above that of the industry average.

Wells Fargo & Company, through its subsidiaries, provides retail, commercial, and corporate banking services primarily in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Community Banking; Wholesale Banking; and Wealth, Brokerage, and Retirement. The company has a P/E ratio of 11.6, below the average banking industry P/E ratio of 11.7 and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Wells Fargo has a market cap of $185.93 billion and is part of the financial sector and banking industry. Shares are up 26.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday.

You can view the full Wells Fargo Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

--Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff.

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