Which Is a Better Investment, KeyCorp or Wells Fargo & Co Stock?

By AAII Staff
June 17, 2026
Large versus logo comparing two stocks in the same industry
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Sifting through countless of stocks in the Banks industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Wells Fargo & Company or KeyCorp because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Wells Fargo & Company and KeyCorp compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Wells Fargo & Company and KeyCorp

Wells Fargo & Company, a financial services company, provides diversified banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management. The company’s financial products and services includes checking and savings accounts, and credit and debit cards, as well as home, auto, personal, and small business lending services. It also provides personalized wealth management, brokerage, financial planning, lending, private banking, trust and fiduciary products and services; and financial solutions to private, family owned and public companies through products and services including banking and credit products across multiple industry sectors and municipalities, secured lending and lease products, and treasury management. In addition, it offers a suite of capital markets, banking, and financial products and services, such as corporate banking, investment banking, treasury management, commercial real estate lending and servicing, equity, and fixed income solutions, as well as sales, trading, and research capabilities services to corporate, commercial real estate, government, and institutional clients. Wells Fargo & Company was founded in 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

KeyCorp operates as the holding company for KeyBank National Association that provides various retail and commercial banking products and services in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer Bank and Commercial Bank. The company offers various deposits and investment products; personal finance and financial wellness, lending, student loan refinancing, mortgage and home equity, credit card, treasury, and business advisory; commercial leasing, investment management, consumer finance; and wealth management and investment services for institutional, non-profit, and high-net-worth clients. It also provides lending, cash management, equipment financing, and commercial mortgage loans; and capital market products and services, such as syndicated finance, debt and equity underwriting, fixed income and equity sales and trading, derivatives, foreign exchange, mergers and acquisition, other advisory services, and public finance to large corporate and institutional clients. In addition, the company offers personal and institutional trust custody services, personal financial and planning services, access to mutual funds, treasury services, and international banking services. Further, it provides community development financing, securities underwriting, brokerage, and investment banking services, as well as merchant services. The company was founded in 1849 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

Latest Banks and Wells Fargo & Company, KeyCorp Stock News

As of June 17, 2026, Wells Fargo & Company had a $256.5 billion market capitalization, compared to the Banks median of $727.3 million. Wells Fargo & Company’s stock is down 10.1% in 2026, up 2.2% in the previous five trading days and up 14.57% in the past year.

Currently, Wells Fargo & Company’s price-earnings ratio is 12.9. Wells Fargo & Company’s trailing 12-month revenue is $81.1 billion with a 26.7% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 5.7%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $7.002 per share for the current fiscal year. Wells Fargo & Company currently has a 2.1% dividend yield.

As of June 17, 2026, KeyCorp had a $24.4 billion market cap, putting it in the 88th percentile of all stocks. KeyCorp’s stock is up 9.5% in 2026, up 2.8% in the previous five trading days and up 41.87% in the past year.

Currently, KeyCorp’s price-earnings ratio is 13.9. KeyCorp’s trailing 12-month revenue is $7.2 billion with a 27.0% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 11.8%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.823 per share for the current fiscal year. KeyCorp currently has a 3.6% dividend yield.

How We Compare Wells Fargo & Company and KeyCorp Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Wells Fargo & Company and KeyCorp’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Wells Fargo & Company and KeyCorp’s Quality Grades

Company Ticker Quality
Wells Fargo & Company WFC F
KeyCorp KEY D

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

Wells Fargo & Company has a Quality Score of 14, which is Very Weak. KeyCorp has a Quality Score of 34, which is Weak.

The Quality Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Wells Fargo & Company or KeyCorp has a high enough Quality Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Wells Fargo & Company or KeyCorp is the better investment when it comes to quality.

Wells Fargo & Company and KeyCorp’s Momentum Grades

Company Ticker Momentum
Wells Fargo & Company WFC C
KeyCorp KEY B

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Wells Fargo & Company has a Momentum Score of 53, which is Average. KeyCorp has a Momentum Score of 70, which is Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: KeyCorp

As you can clearly see from the Momentum Grade breakdown above, KeyCorp is considered to have stronger momentum compared to Wells Fargo & Company. For those specifically looking for companies that have stronger momentum compared to other companies in the same industry, KeyCorp could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Wells Fargo & Company and KeyCorp’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company Ticker Earnings Estimate
Wells Fargo & Company WFC D
KeyCorp KEY B

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

Wells Fargo & Company has a Earnings Estimate Score of 39, which is Negative. KeyCorp has a Earnings Estimate Score of 64, which is Positive.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: KeyCorp

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, KeyCorp has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than Wells Fargo & Company. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, KeyCorp could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Don’t Forget Your Free Special Report on How A+ Grades Can Help You Make Investment Decisions

Other Wells Fargo & Company and KeyCorp Grades

In addition to Estimate Revisions, Quality and Momentum, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Growth.

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Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Wells Fargo & Company and KeyCorp pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Wells Fargo & Company or KeyCorp Stock?

Overall, Wells Fargo & Company stock has a Momentum Score of 53, Estimate Revisions Score of 39 and Quality Score of 14.

KeyCorp stock has a Momentum Score of 70, Estimate Revisions Score of 64 and Quality Score of 34.

Comparing Wells Fargo & Company and KeyCorp’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

Learn More About A+ Investor

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.



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