Wells Fargo reports second-quarter 2026 earnings today at 7 a.m. ET, with a conference call to follow at 10 a.m., marking a critical test of the bank’s ability to grow after years of regulatory constraints on its balance sheet.
Analysts are forecasting WFC stock to deliver earnings per share of approximately $1.71 to $1.72 for the quarter, while the market expects revenue to grow 4.6% year-over-year, a marked improvement from flat revenue in the same period last year, according to recent analyst estimates.
The earnings report carries special significance because in June 2025, the Federal Reserve lifted the asset cap that had frozen Wells Fargo’s balance sheet at $1.95 trillion since 2018, following the bank’s fake-accounts scandal. That removal of the constraint now allows the bank to grow for the first time in seven years. For the first quarter of 2026, Wells Fargo demonstrated the potential of that freedom: loans grew 11% year-over-year and period-end loans surpassed $1 trillion for the first time since 2020, with commercial and industrial loans and auto loans leading the expansion, according to Wells Fargo’s quarterly results.
Management has guided investors to expect about $50 billion in net interest income for the full year 2026, a mid-single-digit growth target that leans on the second and third quarters delivering stronger results. In the first quarter, net interest income rose 5% year-over-year, though it slipped $235 million sequentially due to two fewer days and slightly lower rates. The key question for today’s report is whether second-quarter net interest income accelerates, signaling that the growth trajectory is intact.
Wells Fargo has positioned 2026 as a return-to-growth year for its loan portfolio, betting heavily on credit cards and auto lending to drive expansion while mortgage momentum is expected to stabilize later in the year. The bank also expects wealth management revenues to increase at a low double-digit pace year-over-year in the second quarter, and management signaled mid-teens growth in markets revenue for the period.
Beyond earnings per share, investors and analysts will scrutinize the bank’s capital return strategy. Wells Fargo repurchased $17.7 billion of its own stock in 2025 and still has roughly $26 billion remaining on a $40 billion buyback authorization. After clearing the Federal Reserve’s 2026 stress test, management announced plans to raise the quarterly dividend 11%, to $0.50 a share, adding to the income support for shareholders while the balance-sheet growth case plays out.
At around $87 a share before today’s report, Wells Fargo trades at roughly 13 times earnings, a discount to the broader S&P 500 and to many of its large-bank peers. That valuation, combined with the newly unfrozen balance sheet and rising dividend, positions the stock as a potential value opportunity—if management can demonstrate that the loan and deposit growth momentum from Q1 is continuing and that the $50 billion net interest income target remains achievable.
Sources
- The Motley Fool — Wells Fargo Q2 earnings timing, the asset cap lift in June 2025, $50 billion net interest income guidance, and first-quarter net interest income figures.
- Wells Fargo Newsroom — Official announcement of Q2 earnings release date and time (July 14, 2026, at 7 a.m. ET).
- Perplexity and AlphaStreet — Q2 2026 EPS analyst forecasts of $1.71–$1.72 per share.
- Yahoo Finance — Q1 2026 loan growth of 11% year-over-year, period-end loans exceeding $1 trillion, and deposit growth figures.
- Reuters and Yahoo Finance — Wells Fargo’s 2026 loan growth strategy focused on credit cards and auto lending.
- StockStory and TradingView — Q2 revenue growth expectations of 4.6% year-over-year and analyst sentiment on earnings season.
- Zacks Investment Research — Wealth management revenue guidance and markets revenue expectations for Q2 2026.
