Wells Fargo & Co Stock Buy Recommendation Reiterated (WFC)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) has been reiterated by TheStreet Ratings as a buy with a ratings score of A. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, solid stock price performance, growth in earnings per share, increase in net income and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows weak operating cash flow.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 24.8%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 3.9%. This growth in revenue appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, improving the earnings per share.
• The stock has not only risen over the past year, it has done so at a faster pace than the S&P 500, reflecting the earnings growth and other positive factors similar to those we have cited here. Turning our attention to the future direction of the stock, it goes without saying that even the best stocks can fall in an overall down market. However, in any other environment, this stock still has good upside potential despite the fact that it has already risen in the past year.
• WELLS FARGO & CO has improved earnings per share by 11.9% 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 ($3.30 versus $2.82).
• The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has exceeded that of the S&P 500 and greatly outperformed compared to the Commercial Banks industry average. The net income increased by 13.0% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from $3,759.00 million to $4,248.00 million.
• The gross profit margin for WELLS FARGO & CO is currently very high, coming in at 85.40%. It has increased from the same quarter the previous year. Regardless of the strong results of the gross profit margin, the net profit margin of 18.50% trails 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 11.5, equal to the average banking industry P/E ratioand below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Wells Fargo has a market cap of $177.91 billion and is part of thefinancial sector and banking industry. Shares are up 21.5% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.

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.

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.

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