Wells Fargo Beats on Profit, Revenue as Turnaround Takes Hold
- Scharf says loan demand, interest rates are still a headwind
- Lending book declines 12% as customers avoid new borrowing
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Wells Fargo & Co. beat analysts’ estimates for second-quarter profit, revenue and expenses, a sign Chief Executive Officer Charlie Scharf’s turnaround is taking hold.
The bank reported a $1.6 billion release of reserves previously set aside for bad loans, with $1.3 billion of that amount falling directly to the bottom line, according to a statement Wednesday. That pushed net income to $6 billion, compared with the $4.4 billion estimate in a Bloomberg survey of analysts.