Short vs. Long-Term Covered Calls on WFC: Which Works Better?

Core Viewpoint - Income investors are increasingly interested in covered calls, with blue-chip high-yielding stocks like Wells Fargo (WFC) being a prime choice, as WFC has shown a strong performance with a 28.22% increase in 2025 so far [1][2]. Summary by Sections Investment Performance - Wells Fargo has performed strongly in 2025, with a year-to-date increase of 28.22% [1]. - The current dividend yield for WFC is 1.89%, providing a reasonable income for investors [2]. Covered Call Strategy - A covered call strategy can generate additional income from high-yielding stocks like WFC [2]. - An example of a covered call involves buying 100 shares of WFC at approximately $9,006 and selling a January 16, $92.50 strike call option for around $2.31, generating $231 in premium [3]. - Selling the January call option yields an income of 2.6% over 39 days, which annualizes to about 24.6% [4]. - If WFC closes above $92.50 at expiration, the total return would be 5.4%, equating to an annualized return of 50.7% [4]. Alternative Covered Call Example - An alternative covered call example involves selling a September 18, 2026, $92.50 strike call option for $8.20, generating an income of 10.0% over 284 days, which annualizes to approximately 12.9% [5]. - If WFC closes above $92.50 at expiration, the total return would be 13.0%, translating to an annualized return of 16.7% [5]. Technical Opinion - The Barchart Technical Opinion rates WFC as a 100% Buy, indicating a strong short-term outlook for maintaining the current direction [8]. - Long-term indicators support a continuation of the upward trend, with implied volatility at 24.07%, compared to a 12-month low of 20.49% and a high of 61.76% [8]. Company Overview - Wells Fargo & Company is one of the largest financial services companies in the U.S., offering a wide range of services including banking, insurance, trust and investments, mortgage banking, investment banking, retail banking, brokerage services, and consumer and commercial finance through over 4,700 retail bank branches and various distribution channels globally [9].