Big banks warn of uncertain year ahead after mixed financial performances in the first quarter
Big banks warned of an uncertain year ahead after mixed financial results during the first quarter in an environment of stubbornly high inflation and geopolitical clashes in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere.
Wells Fargo 4Q profit falls by half but tops expectations
Wells Fargoโs profit for the fourth quarter came in ahead of Wall Streetโs targets but were about half of what it earned last year as the bank had to pay another $3.3 billion in fines and penalties to settle numerous scandals from recent years.
Wells Fargo to pay $3.7B over consumer law violations
Consumer banking giant Wells Fargo agreed to pay $3.7 billion to settle charges that it harmed consumers by charging illegal fees and interest on auto loans and mortgages, as well as incorrectly applied overdraft fees against savings and checking accounts.
Pipeline foes gear up for large northern Minnesota protests
Environmental and tribal groups opposed to Enbridge Energyโs ongoing effort to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline are planning large protests in northern Minnesota as the Canadian-based company gears up for a final construction push.
Wells Fargo posts $2 billion profit in 3Q, reversing 2Q loss
Wells reported revenue of $18.86 billion in the quarter, also down from last year's third quarter when it took in $22 billion. Wells set aside $769 million in the third quarter for loan loss provisions, which is the money set aside to cover potentially bad loans. Wells Fargo lost $2.4 billion in the second quarter, the first quarterly loss for the bank since the real estate crash of 2008. Wells Fargo said its net interest income was $9.4 billion, down $2.3 billion from last year's period. On top of the difficulties presented by the virus pandemic, Wells has been in seemingly constant trouble with regulators for years.
Asian stocks follow Wall St lower as stimulus hopes fade
Stocks are pulling slightly higher in the early going on Wall Street, Wednesday, Oct. 14, as investors pore over another batch of earnings reports from big U.S. companies. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)Asian stocks followed Wall Street lower on Thursday as hopes U.S. leaders will agree on a new economic stimulus before the Nov. 3 presidential election faded. The Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.1% to 3,337.51 and the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo fell 0.5% to 23,517.63. On Wall Street, companies that rely on consumer spending, banks and technology and communication stocks bore the brunt of the selling. Wells Fargo dropped 6% after its earnings were lower than Wall Street expected.
Hundreds of families receive food at mobile distribution drive
ROANOKE, Va. โ More than 400 families have food on their tables thanks to a local drive-thru distribution. It was the second of two events organized by Feeding Southwest Virginia and Wells Fargo to help those in need. We also have fresh produce and other supplies that weโre using to supplement that,โ said Lisa Uhl, director of marking and communications for Feeding Southwest Virginia. โI am really thankful that theyโre doing this because it is really helping the families,โ said Iris King, who appreciated the gifted groceries. โAnd with people going through the pandemic right now, people are in need!โFeeding Southwest Virginia pulled off the pull-up event thanks to a national grant from Wells Fargo.
Drive-by food pantry feeds hundreds of Roanoke families
ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. โ Rain or shine, a local nonprofit and a group of volunteers' were determined to help feed hungry families on Friday in Roanoke. Feeding Southwest Virginia hosted a drive-by food pantry distribution in Roanoke County thanks to a $22,000 grant from Wells Fargo. Hundreds of people, including Maurice Stimeson, waited in line to get boxes of fresh produce, emergency meals and non-perishable food staples. โA box of food and fresh fruits and vegetables always brings a smile," said Irvine. There will be another drive-by food pantry on Friday, Oct. 2.
Wells Fargo CEO apologizes for comments about diversity
FILE - In this March 10, 2020 file photo, Wells Fargo CEO and President Charles Scharf is seated before he testifies during a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee, on Capitol Hill, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)NEW YORK โ Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf apologized Wednesday for comments he made suggesting it is difficult to find qualified Black executives in the financial industry. Scharf said in a memo to employees โthere is a very limited pool of Black talent to recruit fromโ in corporate America. โPerhaps it is the CEO of Wells Fargo who lacks the talent to recruit Black workers,โ said Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez of New York, on Twitter. The last prominent African American to serve as CEO at a large financial services company was Kenneth Chenault, the former CEO of American Express.
Federal Reserve to boost small business lending efforts
WASHINGTON โ The Federal Reserve said Monday it will support the government's $349 billion small business lending program, which had a rocky start Friday. By purchasing the loans, the Fed would create an incentive for the banks to engage in more lending. Otherwise, when banks make a loan, they are typically required to hold some cash in reserve in the case of default. Because of the bankโs prior scandals, Wells Fargo is under restraints from the Federal Reserve on how many loans it can hold on its books. Many smaller banks have complained that they have had trouble accessing the lending program, according to the ICBA.
Wells Fargo takes $1.6 billion hit linked to fake-account scandal
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Wells Fargo's fake-account scandal continues to haunt the big bank, exacerbating headaches caused by shrinking interest rates. Wells Fargo revealed on Tuesday a 23% drop in third-quarter profit that disappointed investors. The legal hit underscores Wells Fargo's struggles to move past a scandal that first came to light three years ago. Wells Fargo did not detail what sparked the legal hit other than to say it is related to its previously disclosed retail sales practices trouble broadly. Wells Fargo has yet to resolve a trio of investigations launched in 2016 by the SEC, Justice Department, and Labor Department.
Dow pops 250 points on blockbuster earnings
Blockbuster earnings from the likes of JPMorgan Chase and UnitedHealth sent the Dow climbing more than 250 points, or roughly 1%, in afternoon trading. After weeks of trying to decipher the latest developments in the trade war, the start of earnings season has allowed investors to refocus on the fundamentals. The IMF on Tuesday cut its 2019 global growth forecast, calling for the weakest pace since the financial crisis. However, the big banks on the front lines of America's economy reported mostly upbeat results on Tuesday. The Wall Street firm was hurt by slowdowns in M&A and the trouble in the IPO market.
Wells Fargo has a new boss. His first task is taming Washington
SAN FRANCISCO - The Wells Fargo stagecoach veered off into a ditch more than three years ago. And Scharf's not-so-secret weapon is the fact that "Wells Fargo" did not previously appear on his resume. It took Wells Fargo six months to find a replacement, leaving a rare power vacuum atop one of America's biggest and most troubled banks. Wells Fargo has yet to resolve a trio of investigations launched in 2016 by the Justice Department, SEC and Labor Department. "He's got a onetime opportunity to become the role model for the changed behavior of the Wells Fargo culture."
Wells Fargo names financial veteran Charles Scharf as CEO
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - Wells Fargo has hired an outsider to clean up its broken culture, three years after a reputation-tarnishing series of scandals erupted. The bank on Friday named Charles Scharf, previously the CEO of Bank of New York Mellon and Visa, to become its new boss. The hiring of Scharf ends Wells Fargo's six-month struggle to find a replacement for Tim Sloan, who stepped down abruptly in late March. "I am honored and energized by the opportunity to assume leadership of this great institution, which is important to our financial system and in the midst of fundamental change," Scharf said in a statement. The-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company.
Wells Fargo to pay Navajo Nation $6.5M to settle lawsuit
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - Wells Fargo is paying the Navajo Nation $6.5 million to settle allegations the bank preyed on the Native American tribe by using shady sales tactics. "Wells Fargo's predatory actions defrauded and harmed the Nation," said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said in a statement on Thursday announcing the settlement. Wells Fargo is trying to move beyond the scandals by working to repair its reputation and relationship with customers. Wells Fargo, the only national bank in the Navajo Nation territory as of 2017, said it looks forward to "continue building upon our long-standing relationships with the Navajo Nation and its members." Wells Fargo has been operating without a permanent CEO since April when Tim Sloan stepped down suddenly.
Dreamer files discrimination lawsuit against Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo, which is based in California, declined to comment to CNN Business and has not responded in court yet. Wells Fargo's legal troublesThe new DACA lawsuit adds to the legal headaches for Wells Fargo. Approximately 51,000 of those customers required to make those larger payments ultimately had their vehicles repossessed, Wells Fargo has said. Pea said that after getting denied by Wells Fargo, credit unions and several other lenders also denied him credit. That argument was rejected by a judge in the broader lawsuit brought against Wells Fargo by DACA recipients.