Jan 22, 2010
Bank results week: Wells Fargo profits from Wachovia
Wells Fargo used 2009 as a good time to review its national footprint and with Wachovia in its belt used the time to grow its retail presence and cement a leadership position that now threatens BofA directly
Also a couple of tricks of the trade, kept it more profitable than most in its competitor set, using the now derogatoy ‘Proprietary Trading’ desks to hedge with mortgage securities
In investor-speak, that means Wells Fargo, which has 6,600 branches in 39 states, purchased investments that pay off when short-term rates fall–which is exactly the action central bankers have taken to keep credit flowing during the financial crisis.
Wells Fargo reported a profit of $2.82 billion or 8 cents a share for the 4th Quarter up 92 cents a share from the year ago results. The bank reported revenues of $88.7 billion for 2009, producing $12.7 billion in income and the 4th quarter results were well ahead of expectations
MORTGAGE WARS: Wells Fargo vs Bank of America
In the fourth quarter, Wells Fargo originated $94 billion in mortgages while Bank of America originated $84 billion, up sharply from the volume of mortgages they made in the fourth quarter of 2008 at the depths of the financial crisis. According to trade publication National Mortgage News, the two banks accounted for 40% of new mortgages in the third quarter of 2008, the latest period for which information is available. They have similarly dominant positions in the servicing of mortgages.
After this, the war is now heavily tilted in favour of the west coast headquartered Wells Fargo, with Citi struggling to keep up with both. Wells Fargo and BofA originate mortgages and have shown 40-50% increases in mortgage volumes in 2009
Wells Fargo was never under the pay czar’s administration and despite a 47 cent loss from a $25 b repayment in the fourth quarter, did not tailspin like the other two
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