Wells Fargo Corporate Bonds and Leverage Analysis

WFC Stock  USD 57.61  0.93  1.64%   
Wells Fargo has over 219.47 Billion in debt which may indicate that it relies heavily on debt financing. At present, Wells Fargo's Total Debt To Capitalization is projected to slightly decrease based on the last few years of reporting. The current year's Debt Ratio is expected to grow to 0.22, whereas Short and Long Term Debt Total is forecasted to decline to about 159 B. Wells Fargo's financial risk is the risk to Wells Fargo stockholders that is caused by an increase in debt. In other words, with a high degree of financial leverage come high-interest payments, which usually reduce Earnings Per Share (EPS).

Asset vs Debt

Equity vs Debt

Wells Fargo's liquidity is one of the most fundamental aspects of both its future profitability and its ability to meet different types of ongoing financial obligations. Wells Fargo's cash, liquid assets, total liabilities, and shareholder equity can be utilized to evaluate how much leverage the Company is using to sustain its current operations. For traders, higher-leverage indicators usually imply a higher risk to shareholders. In addition, it helps Wells Stock's retail investors understand whether an upcoming fall or rise in the market will negatively affect Wells Fargo's stakeholders.
For most companies, including Wells Fargo, marketable securities, inventories, and receivables are the most common assets that could be converted to cash. However, for the executing running Wells Fargo the most critical issue when dealing with liquidity needs is whether the current assets are properly aligned with its current liabilities. If not, management will need to obtain alternative financing to ensure that there are always enough cash equivalents on the balance sheet in reserve to pay for obligations.
Price Book
1.2068
Book Value
46.205
Operating Margin
0.2859
Profit Margin
0.248
Return On Assets
0.01
At present, Wells Fargo's Total Debt To Capitalization is projected to slightly decrease based on the last few years of reporting. The current year's Debt Ratio is expected to grow to 0.22, whereas Short and Long Term Debt Total is forecasted to decline to about 159 B.
  
Check out the analysis of Wells Fargo Fundamentals Over Time.
For information on how to trade Wells Stock refer to our How to Trade Wells Stock guide.

Wells Fargo Bond Ratings

Wells Fargo bond ratings play a critical role in determining how much Wells Fargo have to pay to access credit markets, i.e., the amount of interest on their issued debt. The threshold between investment-grade and speculative-grade ratings has important market implications for Wells Fargo's borrowing costs.
Piotroski F Score
7  Strong
Beneish M Score

Wells Fargo Debt to Cash Allocation

As Wells Fargo follows its natural business cycle, the capital allocation decisions will not magically go away. Wells Fargo's decision-makers have to determine if most of the cash flows will be poured back into or reinvested in the business, reserved for other projects beyond operational needs, or paid back to stakeholders and investors. Many companies eventually find out that there is only so much market out there to be conquered, and adding the next product or service is only half as profitable per unit as their current endeavors. Eventually, the company will reach a point where cash flows are strong, and extra cash is available but not fully utilized. In this case, the company may start buying back its stock from the public or issue more dividends.
The company has 219.47 B in debt with debt to equity (D/E) ratio of 8.26, demonstrating that the company may be unable to create cash to meet all of its financial commitments. Debt can assist Wells Fargo until it has trouble settling it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. So, Wells Fargo's shareholders could walk away with nothing if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt. However, a more frequent occurrence is when companies like Wells Fargo sell additional shares at bargain prices, diluting existing shareholders. Debt, in this case, can be an excellent and much better tool for Wells to invest in growth at high rates of return. When we think about Wells Fargo's use of debt, we should always consider it together with cash and equity.

Wells Fargo Common Stock Shares Outstanding Over Time

Wells Fargo Assets Financed by Debt

Typically, companies with high debt-to-asset ratios are said to be highly leveraged. The higher the ratio, the greater risk will be associated with the Wells Fargo's operation. In addition, a high debt-to-assets ratio may indicate a low borrowing capacity of Wells Fargo, which in turn will lower the firm's financial flexibility. Like all other financial ratios, a a Wells Fargo debt ratio should be compared their industry average or other competing firms.

Wells Fargo Corporate Bonds Issued

Wells Fargo issues bonds to finance its operations. Corporate bonds make up one of the most significant components of the U.S. bond market and are considered the world's largest securities market. Wells Fargo uses the proceeds from bond sales for a wide variety of purposes, including financing ongoing mergers and acquisitions, buying new equipment, investing in research and development, buying back their own stock, paying dividends to shareholders, and even refinancing existing debt. Most Wells bonds can be classified according to their maturity, which is the date when Wells Fargo has to pay back the principal to investors. Maturities can be short-term, medium-term, or long-term (more than ten years). Longer-term bonds usually offer higher interest rates but may entail additional risks.

Wells Short Long Term Debt Total

Short Long Term Debt Total

159.03 Billion

At present, Wells Fargo's Short and Long Term Debt Total is projected to increase significantly based on the last few years of reporting.

Understaning Wells Fargo Use of Financial Leverage

Wells Fargo financial leverage ratio helps in determining the effect of debt on the overall profitability of the company. It measures Wells Fargo's total debt position, including all of outstanding debt obligations, and compares it with the equity. In simple terms, the high financial leverage means the cost of production, together with running the business day-to-day, is high, whereas, lower financial leverage implies lower fixed cost investment in the business and generally considered by investors to be a good sign. So if creditors own a majority of Wells Fargo assets, the company is considered highly leveraged. Understanding the composition and structure of overall Wells Fargo debt and outstanding corporate bonds gives a good idea of how risky the capital structure of a business and if it is worth investing in it. Financial leverage can amplify the potential profits to Wells Fargo's owners, but it also increases the potential losses and risk of financial distress, including bankruptcy, if the firm cannot cover its debt costs. The degree of Wells Fargo's financial leverage can be measured in several ways, including by ratios such as the debt-to-equity ratio (total debt / total equity), equity multiplier (total assets / total equity), or the debt ratio (total debt / total assets).
Last ReportedProjected for 2024
Short and Long Term Debt Total219.5 B159 B
Net Debt-17.7 B-16.9 B
Short Term Debt11.9 B11.3 B
Long Term Debt207.6 B159.4 B
Long Term Debt Total224.2 B217.9 B
Short and Long Term Debt11.9 B11.3 B
Long Term Debt To Capitalization 0.53  0.65 
Total Debt To Capitalization 0.54  0.75 
Debt Equity Ratio 1.18  1.12 
Debt Ratio 0.11  0.22 
Cash Flow To Debt Ratio 0.18  0.19 
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Wells Fargo Investors Sentiment

The influence of Wells Fargo's investor sentiment on the probability of its price appreciation or decline could be a good factor in your decision-making process regarding taking a position in Wells. The overall investor sentiment generally increases the direction of a stock movement in a one-year investment horizon. However, the impact of investor sentiment on the entire stock market does not have solid backing from leading economists and market statisticians.
Investor biases related to Wells Fargo's public news can be used to forecast risks associated with an investment in Wells. The trend in average sentiment can be used to explain how an investor holding Wells can time the market purely based on public headlines and social activities around Wells Fargo. Please note that most equities that are difficult to arbitrage are affected by market sentiment the most.
Wells Fargo's market sentiment shows the aggregated news analyzed to detect positive and negative mentions from the text and comments. The data is normalized to provide daily scores for Wells Fargo's and other traded tickers. The bigger the bubble, the more accurate is the estimated score. Higher bars for a given day show more participation in the average Wells Fargo's news discussions. The higher the estimated score, the more favorable is the investor's outlook on Wells Fargo.

Wells Fargo Implied Volatility

    
  46.32  
Wells Fargo's implied volatility exposes the market's sentiment of Wells Fargo stock's possible movements over time. However, it does not forecast the overall direction of its price. In a nutshell, if Wells Fargo's implied volatility is high, the market thinks the stock has potential for high price swings in either direction. On the other hand, the low implied volatility suggests that Wells Fargo stock will not fluctuate a lot when Wells Fargo's options are near their expiration.
Some investors attempt to determine whether the market's mood is bullish or bearish by monitoring changes in market sentiment. Unlike more traditional methods such as technical analysis, investor sentiment usually refers to the aggregate attitude towards Wells Fargo in the overall investment community. So, suppose investors can accurately measure the market's sentiment. In that case, they can use it for their benefit. For example, some tools to gauge market sentiment could be utilized using contrarian indexes, Wells Fargo's short interest history, or implied volatility extrapolated from Wells Fargo options trading.

Also Currently Popular

Analyzing currently trending equities could be an opportunity to develop a better portfolio based on different market momentums that they can trigger. Utilizing the top trending stocks is also useful when creating a market-neutral strategy or pair trading technique involving a short or a long position in a currently trending equity.
When determining whether Wells Fargo offers a strong return on investment in its stock, a comprehensive analysis is essential. The process typically begins with a thorough review of Wells Fargo's financial statements, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements, to assess its financial health. Key financial ratios are used to gauge profitability, efficiency, and growth potential of Wells Fargo Stock. Outlined below are crucial reports that will aid in making a well-informed decision on Wells Fargo Stock:
Check out the analysis of Wells Fargo Fundamentals Over Time.
For information on how to trade Wells Stock refer to our How to Trade Wells Stock guide.
Note that the Wells Fargo information on this page should be used as a complementary analysis to other Wells Fargo's statistical models used to find the right mix of equity instruments to add to your existing portfolios or create a brand new portfolio. You can also try the Money Managers module to screen money managers from public funds and ETFs managed around the world.

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When running Wells Fargo's price analysis, check to measure Wells Fargo's market volatility, profitability, liquidity, solvency, efficiency, growth potential, financial leverage, and other vital indicators. We have many different tools that can be utilized to determine how healthy Wells Fargo is operating at the current time. Most of Wells Fargo's value examination focuses on studying past and present price action to predict the probability of Wells Fargo's future price movements. You can analyze the entity against its peers and the financial market as a whole to determine factors that move Wells Fargo's price. Additionally, you may evaluate how the addition of Wells Fargo to your portfolios can decrease your overall portfolio volatility.
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Is Wells Fargo's industry expected to grow? Or is there an opportunity to expand the business' product line in the future? Factors like these will boost the valuation of Wells Fargo. If investors know Wells will grow in the future, the company's valuation will be higher. The financial industry is built on trying to define current growth potential and future valuation accurately. All the valuation information about Wells Fargo listed above have to be considered, but the key to understanding future value is determining which factors weigh more heavily than others.
Quarterly Earnings Growth
0.15
Dividend Share
1.3
Earnings Share
4.83
Revenue Per Share
20.931
Quarterly Revenue Growth
0.006
The market value of Wells Fargo is measured differently than its book value, which is the value of Wells that is recorded on the company's balance sheet. Investors also form their own opinion of Wells Fargo's value that differs from its market value or its book value, called intrinsic value, which is Wells Fargo's true underlying value. Investors use various methods to calculate intrinsic value and buy a stock when its market value falls below its intrinsic value. Because Wells Fargo's market value can be influenced by many factors that don't directly affect Wells Fargo's underlying business (such as a pandemic or basic market pessimism), market value can vary widely from intrinsic value.
Please note, there is a significant difference between Wells Fargo's value and its price as these two are different measures arrived at by different means. Investors typically determine if Wells Fargo is a good investment by looking at such factors as earnings, sales, fundamental and technical indicators, competition as well as analyst projections. However, Wells Fargo's price is the amount at which it trades on the open market and represents the number that a seller and buyer find agreeable to each party.

What is Financial Leverage?

Financial leverage is the use of borrowed money (debt) to finance the purchase of assets with the expectation that the income or capital gain from the new asset will exceed the cost of borrowing. In most cases, the debt provider will limit how much risk it is ready to take and indicate a limit on the extent of the leverage it will allow. In the case of asset-backed lending, the financial provider uses the assets as collateral until the borrower repays the loan. In the case of a cash flow loan, the general creditworthiness of the company is used to back the loan. The concept of leverage is common in the business world. It is mostly used to boost the returns on equity capital of a company, especially when the business is unable to increase its operating efficiency and returns on total investment. Because earnings on borrowing are higher than the interest payable on debt, the company's total earnings will increase, ultimately boosting stockholders' profits.

Leverage and Capital Costs

The debt to equity ratio plays a role in the working average cost of capital (WACC). The overall interest on debt represents the break-even point that must be obtained to profitability in a given venture. Thus, WACC is essentially the average interest an organization owes on the capital it has borrowed for leverage. Let's say equity represents 60% of borrowed capital, and debt is 40%. This results in a financial leverage calculation of 40/60, or 0.6667. The organization owes 10% on all equity and 5% on all debt. That means that the weighted average cost of capital is (.4)(5) + (.6)(10) - or 8%. For every $10,000 borrowed, this organization will owe $800 in interest. Profit must be higher than 8% on the project to offset the cost of interest and justify this leverage.

Benefits of Financial Leverage

Leverage provides the following benefits for companies:
  • Leverage is an essential tool a company's management can use to make the best financing and investment decisions.
  • It provides a variety of financing sources by which the firm can achieve its target earnings.
  • Leverage is also an essential technique in investing as it helps companies set a threshold for the expansion of business operations. For example, it can be used to recommend restrictions on business expansion once the projected return on additional investment is lower than the cost of debt.
By borrowing funds, the firm incurs a debt that must be paid. But, this debt is paid in small installments over a relatively long period of time. This frees funds for more immediate use in the stock market. For example, suppose a company can afford a new factory but will be left with negligible free cash. In that case, it may be better to finance the factory and spend the cash on hand on inputs, labor, or even hold a significant portion as a reserve against unforeseen circumstances.

The Risk of Financial Leverage

The most obvious and apparent risk of leverage is that if price changes unexpectedly, the leveraged position can lead to severe losses. For example, imagine a hedge fund seeded by $50 worth of investor money. The hedge fund borrows another $50 and buys an asset worth $100, leading to a leverage ratio of 2:1. For the investor, this is neither good nor bad -- until the asset price changes. If the asset price goes up 10 percent, the investor earns $10 on $50 of capital, a net gain of 20 percent, and is very pleased with the increased gains from the leverage. However, if the asset price crashes unexpectedly, say by 30 percent, the investor loses $30 on $50 of capital, suffering a 60 percent loss. In other words, the effect of leverage is to increase the volatility of returns and increase the effects of a price change on the asset to the bottom line while increasing the chance for profit as well.