Wells Fargo (WFC) Tops Q3 EPS by 18c

Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) reported Q3 EPS of $1.17, $0.18 better than the analyst estimate of $0.99. Revenue for the quarter came in at $18.83 billion versus the consensus estimate of $18.35 billion.

Chief Executive Officer Charlie Scharf commented on the quarter, “The actions we’re taking to improve operating effectiveness and financial returns are coming through in our results, in addition to the benefits we’re experiencing from the economic recovery. We recorded a $1.7 billion pre-tax reduction in the allowance for credit losses and had strong equity gains. More importantly, charge-offs were low, net interest income stabilized and period-end loans grew for the first time since first quarter 2020. Expenses continued to decline as we made progress on our efficiency initiatives, and we increased our capital return to shareholders by repurchasing $5.3 billion of common stock and increasing our dividend.”

“While the recent expiration of the 2018 CFPB consent order regarding retail sales practices is an important milestone in our progress to correct our past practices, the recent OCC enforcement actions are a reminder that the significant deficiencies that existed when I arrived must remain our top priority. We are a different company today and the operational and cultural changes we’ve made are enabling us to execute with significantly greater discipline than we have in the past. I believe we are making significant progress, and I remain confident in our ability to continue to close the remaining gaps over the next several years, though we may continue to have setbacks along the way,” Scharf continued.

“The investments we’re making in risk and regulatory-related work come alongside investments we’re making in customer experience. These include new digital and mobile capabilities, a new digital infrastructure strategy, and new products with unique value propositions, including the Wells Fargo ReflectSM Card, which is the second new product in our redesigned portfolio of consumer credit cards,” Scharf added.

“Finally, we continue to invest in our communities. We have donated $305 million from our Open for Business Fund, which has helped nearly 150,000 small businesses across the country navigate the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Business owners have used the funding to pay their employees, pivot to new business models, buy needed supplies, and meet other business needs. We’re really proud of it,” Scharf concluded.

For earnings history and earnings-related data on Wells Fargo (WFC) click here.

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