Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) ended the Christmas Eve, holiday-shortened session in positive territory and continued to trade modestly higher after the closing bell—keeping the stock near fresh highs as year-end momentum stays intact across U.S. equities.
Just as important for investors planning the next trade: the U.S. stock market is closed on Thursday, December 25, 2025 (Christmas Day), so the “next open” is the following session. [1]
WFC after the bell: today’s close, after-hours price, and key levels
Because December 24 was an early-close session (1:00 p.m. ET), the “after the bell” window begins much earlier than on a normal trading day—often with thinner liquidity and wider spreads. [2]
Here’s what to know from the close and extended trading:
- Closing price: WFC finished the shortened session at $95.30, up 0.88% on the day. [3]
- After-hours (snapshot): Shortly after the close, WFC traded around $95.50 in after-hours dealings (timestamped mid-afternoon ET). [4]
- Day range / fresh high: The stock traded between roughly $94.47 and $95.85 today, with $95.85 marking the top of its 52-week range. [5]
- Volume reality check: Holiday sessions tend to be “light tape.” Across the market, volumes were thin on Christmas Eve, which can exaggerate moves in both directions. [6]
Why this matters: In thin holiday trading, small after-hours price changes can look meaningful on the screen without representing broad institutional repositioning. It’s worth treating late-day prints as “directional hints,” not confirmations.
The big picture today: record highs and a bank-friendly backdrop
WFC’s positive close didn’t happen in a vacuum.
U.S. stocks ended the day at record highs (Dow and S&P 500) in a broad rally during the shortened session. Reuters noted that financials were among the stronger sectors, and investors continue to price in rate cuts in 2026—a macro variable that can materially change bank earnings expectations depending on how the yield curve moves. [7]
Separately, one of the dominant 2025 narratives for large U.S. banks has been the combination of stronger capital markets activity and shifting regulatory expectations. The Financial Times reported that the six biggest U.S. banks—including Wells Fargo—collectively added significant market value over 2025 amid a more deregulatory tone and a rebound in investment banking activity. [8]
Today’s most-cited WFC catalyst: the options-clearing expansion theme
One of the most repeated storylines around Wells Fargo in recent market coverage is its effort to expand its Wall Street footprint—notably through plans to enter options clearing, an operationally complex and capital-intensive business.
A Nasdaq-hosted Zacks analysis (published today) tied recent strength in WFC shares to optimism around that move and the broader bank rally. [9]
Related Nasdaq/Zacks coverage explains the strategic setup:
- Wells Fargo is preparing to enter the options clearing business, aiming to serve market makers and institutional clients, with expectations that market makers could begin clearing options through WFC’s platform in the second half of 2026. [10]
- The same coverage emphasizes that the opportunity became more practical after the regulatory asset cap was lifted in June 2025, freeing balance-sheet capacity for more capital-intensive activities. [11]
In other words, investors are increasingly treating Wells Fargo less like a “turnaround-only” retail/commercial bank story and more like a bank trying to re-expand fee-based and markets capabilities—which can command a different valuation if execution holds.
Forecasts and analyst positioning: what Wall Street thinks now
After a strong run into late December, the key question is whether analysts still see meaningful upside—or whether the stock has already “priced in” a lot of good news.
Two widely followed consensus snapshots show WFC trading near the middle of many published targets:
- Investing.com consensus: “Buy” overall, with an average 12‑month price target around $95.79, with estimates ranging from $83 to $107. [12]
- MarketBeat consensus (separate methodology/coverage set): average target about $92.04 (with a wide range), implying less upside from current levels in that dataset. [13]
Meanwhile, today’s Nasdaq/Zacks analysis argues valuation still looks comparatively reasonable on certain metrics, citing:
- earnings estimates for 2025 and 2026 indicating mid‑teens percentage growth, and
- a trailing P/E multiple presented as below the broader industry average. [14]
How to read this: The market is no longer treating WFC as “deeply discounted,” but consensus targets still show dispersion—typical when investors debate whether the bank can sustain higher returns as it expands fee businesses and continues cost/efficiency initiatives.
What to know before the market “opens tomorrow” (and what that actually means this week)
A crucial calendar note:
- Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025: U.S. markets are closed for Christmas Day. [15]
- Next regular session: The next chance to trade WFC in the standard market is Friday, Dec. 26, 2025 (pre-market first, then the opening auction). [16]
Also note the structure of extended trading around this holiday:
- NYSE confirms Dec. 24, 2025 early close at 1:00 p.m. ET and indicates that its late trading sessions close earlier than usual on the holiday schedule. [17]
- Nasdaq’s schedule lists early closes and the standard extended-hours framework (broker-dependent). [18]
The practical checklist for WFC holders into the next session
1) Expect liquidity quirks.
Holiday weeks often bring lower participation. That can amplify reactions to headlines (or even sector ETF flows) and can make breakouts above highs less reliable.
2) Watch rates and the yield curve first, not just bank headlines.
Reuters highlighted that markets are pricing in about 50 bps of Fed cuts in 2026 and that rate expectations remain a central cross‑asset driver. For banks, the “direction of rates” matters less than the shape of the curve and funding competition—factors that can swing net interest income expectations quickly. [19]
3) Know the near-term technical markers traders will reference.
With WFC printing near a 52‑week high today, many desks will watch:
- the $95.85 area (today’s top / 52-week high area) and
- the mid‑$94s as a near-term reference zone (today’s lower range / prior close neighborhood). [20]
4) Keep the “next catalyst” date on your radar: earnings.
Wells Fargo’s investor relations page lists Q4 2025 expected earnings on Jan. 14, 2026. That’s the next major scheduled event likely to reset estimates, guidance expectations, and buyback/dividend narratives. [21]
5) Re-check what’s “already priced in.”
With WFC now trading around many consensus target medians, upside may depend on evidence that:
- fee-based expansion (including markets initiatives like options clearing) turns into measurable revenue lift, and/or
- efficiency efforts keep pushing returns higher without a credit-cost surprise. [22]
Bottom line
Wells Fargo stock ended the Christmas Eve session higher and traded slightly higher after hours, staying close to fresh highs. [23] The broader backdrop remains supportive—U.S. indexes notched record closes in thin holiday trading, and financials participated. [24]
But with markets closed on Dec. 25 and liquidity often patchy into year-end, the most useful “before the next open” approach is less about predicting a single print—and more about tracking the drivers that can actually move WFC: rates/yield curve shifts, bank-sector flows, and evolving expectations around fee-based expansion and returns, with Jan. 14 earnings as the next major checkpoint. [25]
References
1. www.nasdaq.com, 2. www.nyse.com, 3. www.marketwatch.com, 4. finance.yahoo.com, 5. www.bloomberg.com, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. www.ft.com, 9. www.nasdaq.com, 10. www.nasdaq.com, 11. www.nasdaq.com, 12. www.investing.com, 13. www.marketbeat.com, 14. www.nasdaq.com, 15. www.nasdaq.com, 16. www.nasdaq.com, 17. www.nyse.com, 18. www.nasdaq.com, 19. www.reuters.com, 20. www.bloomberg.com, 21. www.wellsfargo.com, 22. www.nasdaq.com, 23. www.marketwatch.com, 24. www.reuters.com, 25. www.nasdaq.com
