ITUB vs. WFC: Itaú Unibanco vs. Wells Fargo Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) and Wells Fargo (WFC) are both classified in the Diversified Banks sub-industry within the broader Banks industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Wells Fargo (WFC) trades as ordinary local shares, while Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 20.96% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Wells Fargo (WFC) at 12.91%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

Both Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 32.46% and Wells Fargo (WFC) at 27.64% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) in Banks and Wells Fargo (WFC) in Banks, funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Both Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 4.21% and Wells Fargo (WFC) at 1.70% post bottom-quartile revenue growth versus peers, pointing to weaker demand or pricing momentum than typical rivals.

Both Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 9.21% and Wells Fargo (WFC) at 16.57% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) in Banks and Wells Fargo (WFC) in Banks both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.

debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) in Banks and Wells Fargo (WFC) in Banks run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Wells Fargo (WFC) at 2.19% pays an industry-typical yield; Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 40.54% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.

Wells Fargo (WFC) at 26.09% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 70.75% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 9.12 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Wells Fargo (WFC) at 11.84 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for ITUB, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

P/S ratio is set aside for both Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) in Banks and Wells Fargo (WFC) in Banks: without a conventional revenue line, pricing per dollar of sales isn’t meaningful, and book- or earnings-based multiples make the better comparison.

Both Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 1.79 and Wells Fargo (WFC) at 1.59 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.

Valuation Metrics