Wells Fargo (WFC) is a Top Dividend Stock Right Now: Should You Buy?

Company Overview - Wells Fargo (WFC) is headquartered in San Francisco and operates in the Finance sector, specifically as the largest U.S. mortgage lender [3] - The stock has experienced a price change of 15.13% since the beginning of the year [3] Dividend Information - Wells Fargo currently pays a dividend of $0.45 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 2.23%, which is higher than the Financial - Investment Bank industry's yield of 0.94% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.5% [3] - The company's annualized dividend of $1.80 has increased by 20% from the previous year, with an average annual increase of 36.70% over the last five years [4] - The current payout ratio for Wells Fargo is 28%, indicating that it pays out 28% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Growth - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Wells Fargo's earnings in 2025 is $6.06 per share, reflecting an expected increase of 12.85% from the previous year [5] Investment Considerations - Wells Fargo is considered a compelling investment opportunity due to its strong dividend profile and current Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [6] - The company is viewed as a solid dividend option, particularly in contrast to high-growth businesses or tech start-ups that typically do not offer dividends [6]