We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best American Bank Stocks To Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) stands against the other American bank stocks.
2024 was a memorable year for America’s banking giants. According to a recent report in the Financial Times, the seven largest banks in the country represented 56% of the industry’s profits during the first nine months of the year, up from 48% during the same period in 2023.
READ ALSO: 10 High Growth Financial Stocks To Invest In and 10 Best Bank Penny Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds.
The banking sector is also experiencing improved capitalization. In November, the Federal Reserve Board found that 99% of the country’s banks reported capital above regulatory requirements. Moreover, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) noted a 3.5% increase in equity capital in Q3 2024, reflecting the upward trend in capitalization.
Globally, credit rating agency Moody’s upgraded the overall outlook for the industry from negative to stable in December for the first time since 2023, citing interest rate cuts and monetary adjustments being made by the G-20 countries. The Federal Reserve announced three cuts last year, lowering the central bank’s target interest rate to 4.25% and 4.5%.
Trump’s return to the White House has also raised optimism about lax regulations in the financial sector, which analysts believe can spur dealmaking activity in the banking sector. Reduced oversight and a business-friendly environment are also likely to boost revenue and loan growth, and subsequently improve banks’ bottom line.
The U.S. president has also repeatedly demanded further reductions to the interest rate. Here is what he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 23.
With oil prices going down, I’ll demand that interest rates drop immediately, and likewise they should be dropping all over the world.
While the general outlook for the banking industry looks promising for 2025, analysts also warn of the potential risks associated with ongoing geopolitical conflicts, which can have adverse effects on the global economy. Increasing trade tensions and protectionist policies can also hurt investment inflows.
On January 31, the White House announced that President Trump would move ahead with his planned tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico, starting February 1. The 78-year-old has also threatened to impose tariffs on the EU, citing the bloc’s treatment of the U.S.
“Am I going to impose tariffs on the European Union? You want the truthful answer or shall I give you a political answer? Absolutely. The European Union has treated us so terribly.”
Methodology
For this article, we sampled stocks from ETFs with exposure to American banking companies and our previous articles on the sector. From there, we selected the 10 stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors, based on Insider Monkey’s database of over 900 prominent hedge funds as of Q3 2024. The 10 best American bank stocks to buy now have been ranked in ascending order based on the number of hedge funds holding stakes in them. Where two or more stocks were tied on hedge fund sentiment, we used a higher market cap as a tiebreaker between them.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
A team of bankers in suits, discussing the success of the company’s banking products.
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 72
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) is a financial services company that owns the Wells Fargo Bank, which is considered among the ‘Big Four’ banks in the United States. It also boasts a significant global presence, serving 68 million customers worldwide. The bank’s extensive network of branches and ATMs provides it a substantial edge over its smaller competitors.
WFC has been actively expanding its offerings. In January, the company partnered with Derivative Path to deliver a new foreign exchange payment solution, featuring over 120 currency swap options and tools, for regional banks in the US. Last year in September, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) announced a multi-year agreement with the Volkswagen Group of America, under which the former would become the preferred vehicle purchase financing provider for the Audi, Ducati, and Volkswagen brands in the country. The partnership is expected to commence in April 2025.
The company’s share price surged by 46.5% in the calendar year, 2024, driven by its robust financial performance. In its Q4 2024 investor letter, Oakmark Fund highlighted that Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC)’s share price continued its upward trajectory following Donald’s Trump victory in the November presidential elections, as investors pin hopes on relaxed regulations under the new administration to stimulate dealmaking activities. The fund is confident that the bank’s superior business mix and return potential will unlock further value ahead.
On January 15, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) posted better-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, with net income growing 47% from last year to reach $5.1 billion, translating to an EPS of $1.43 per share. The company also issued strong guidance on net interest income for fiscal 2025, which has resulted in a bullish sentiment around the stock.
According to Insider Monkey’s database for Q3 2024, 72 hedge funds held a stake in WFC, making it one of the best American stocks to buy now.
Overall WFC ranks 4th on our list of the best American bank stocks to buy now. While we acknowledge the potential of WFC as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than WFC but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
