Wells Fargo & Co. $49 - New York symbol WFC

WELLS FARGO & CO. $49 (New York symbol WFC; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 5.1 billion; Market cap: $249.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.9; Dividend yield: 3.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.wellsfargo.com) recently increased its quarterly dividend by 1.3%, to $0.38 a share from $0.375. The new annual rate of $1.52 yields 3.1%.

As well, the bank will likely earmark more funds for share buybacks than the $8.35 billion it spent in the year ended June 30, 2016. Wells Fargo should earn $4.07 a share this year, and the stock trades at a low 12.0 times that forecast.

Wells Fargo is a buy.

A professional investment analyst for more than 30 years, Pat has developed a stock-selection technique that has proven reliable in both bull and bear markets. His proprietary ValuVesting System™ focuses on stocks that provide exceptional quality at relatively low prices. Many savvy investors and industry leaders consider it the most powerful stock-picking method ever created.