Wells Fargo Moving in the Right Direction

Wide-moat

Primary consumer checking customers were up 1.7% year over year, retention rates for these customers reached a five year high, and debit and credit card purchase volumes were also both up year over year. We view these as positive signs that Wells’ underlying consumer business has not been permanently weakened or impaired. Average loan balances were down, which was largely expected, and this was across a broad number of different loan portfolios. However, average credit card balances still managed to grow quarter over quarter for the bank. Credit quality remained pristine, as the net charge-off ratio remained range-bound and provisions picked up only slightly. Management reiterated their expense guidance, and we see the bank being able to consistently decrease the expense base through 2020. This is partially helped by the assumption that legal accruals will not be as sizable and will eventually go away, but it is also based on taking real costs out of the business as well.

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