New York, Feb 1, 2026, 14:13 EST — Market closed.
Wells Fargo & Company shares (WFC) dipped slightly on Friday, closing just off the flat line at $90.49, down 0.1%. The stock traded between $89.76 and $91.04, with roughly 18.3 million shares exchanging hands.
U.S. markets were closed Sunday, so all eyes turn to Monday’s open. Traders will once more lean on banks as a gauge for rates. Wells Fargo’s shares often react sharply to bond yield shifts, and governance issues have a knack for popping up at inconvenient moments.
According to a Form 8-K filed with the SEC, the bank’s independent directors approved CEO Charlie Scharf’s total 2025 pay package at $40 million. That includes a $2.5 million base salary and $37.5 million in variable compensation. The board pointed to key regulatory achievements — like closing seven consent orders and the Fed lifting the bank’s asset cap — as justification. They highlighted net income hitting $21.3 billion, diluted EPS up 17%, and fee-based revenue climbing 5%. The bank also set a medium-term target of 17%–18% return on average tangible common equity, a measure excluding goodwill and intangibles. (SEC)
Scharf’s pay package comes amid a broader trend of rising Wall Street executive compensation. Goldman Sachs Group Inc CEO David Solomon saw his pay jump 21% to $47 million, while JPMorgan Chase & Co CEO Jamie Dimon received just over a 10% bump, bringing his total to $43 million, Reuters reported. (Reuters)
Friday’s trading was choppy. U.S. stocks slipped as investors digested inflation data and the uncertainty swirling around President Donald Trump’s choice of Kevin Warsh to replace Jerome Powell as Fed chair, Reuters reported. “Markets are calibrating to Trump’s pick of Kevin Warsh … and the outlook for monetary policy,” said Michael Hans, chief investment officer at Citizens Wealth. (Reuters)
Monday brings new data on factory activity, with the ISM manufacturing survey for January out from the Institute for Supply Management. A weaker reading could push yields lower and weigh on bank shares; a stronger result might lift them. (Trading Economics)
Bond supply is drawing attention. The U.S. Department of the Treasury plans to auction new 3-year and 10-year notes on Feb. 4. This midweek event frequently shakes up yields. (TreasuryDirect)
Wells Fargo’s upcoming steps could hinge less on a single pay filing and more on shifting rate expectations and credit trends. Should this week’s data spark renewed speculation about quicker rate cuts, or if delinquencies begin to rise, the bank’s net interest margins could face headwinds.
The U.S. central bank’s next policy meeting is set for March 17-18. Investors will focus on officials’ views on the pace of inflation cooling and the state of economic growth. (Federal Reserve)
Friday’s U.S. jobs report is the immediate trigger to watch: the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the January employment numbers on Feb. 6 at 8:30 a.m. ET. For Wells Fargo shares, this report offers the clearest short-term gauge of rate expectations as the week wraps up. (Bls)
