Wells Fargo & Co., a diversified financial services company, is among the four largest banks in the U.S. The company provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance. Its subsidiaries also encompass equipment leasing, agricultural finance, commercial finance, securities brokerage and investment banking, insurance agency and brokerage services, computer and data processing services, trust services, investment advisory services and venture-capital investment.
The San Francisco-based company takes pride in its Wild West roots and its six-horse stagecoach and Pony Express business that once was the lifeline between frontier outposts. More recently, Wells Fargo scooped up East Coast rival Wachovia Corp., creating a nationwide banking giant. The Wachovia integration is the bank's top priority. The bank plans to invest in and grow Wachova's securities business, the newly named Wells Fargo Securities, which will focus on merger advice, stock and bond underwriting, loan syndications and fixed-income trading. Wachovia bank branches in Colorado will convert to Wells Fargo ones later in 2009.
The bank's strategy is based on cross-selling financial products to consumers and small to midsize businesses. Wells Fargo Advisors is the No. 3 retail brokerage network, combining the sales forces of Wachovia, Prudential and AG Edwards.
.