JPM vs WFC — which stock performed better?

JPMorgan (JPM) versus Wells Fargo (WFC), Financial Services, on 2026-10-12.

Result

JPMorgan (JPM) performed better on 2026-10-12. JPM moved 0.060%, WFC moved -0.870%.

Why these two companies

Wall Street's third-quarter bank earnings season opens Tuesday, October 13, with JPMorgan and Wells Fargo both scheduled to report before the opening bell alongside Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, according to Reuters. That shared pre-earnings setup is sharpened by a Wells Fargo-specific overhang: a federal housing-lending probe disclosed on Wednesday, October 7, that JPMorgan does not share, giving players two very different risk profiles heading into the same print.

The research

JPMorgan is the largest bank in the United States, offering everything from everyday checking accounts to large-scale Wall Street trading and deal-making. Wells Fargo is also a giant, well-known bank, but it focuses mostly on everyday banking for U.S. households and businesses rather than big trading desks. Both companies release their latest quarterly results on the same morning, Tuesday, October 13, which tends to bring extra attention and price swings to both stocks in the days around it.

One reason someone might like JPMorgan is its size and variety of businesses, which have historically helped it perform steadily even when one part of banking slows down. One reason someone might like Wells Fargo is that its shares are priced more cheaply relative to its profits, which some investors see as room for the stock to catch up if the bank keeps improving.

Something to keep in mind about Wells Fargo is that it just became the subject of a new federal review into some of its past lending commitments, announced on October 7, which could keep extra attention on the stock in the near term. Something to keep in mind about JPMorgan is that, precisely because it is so large and widely owned, its stock often reacts to broad economic news like interest-rate moves, not just its own company news.

In short, this matchup pairs the biggest, most diversified U.S. bank against a more streamlined rival that is cheaper on paper but carries a fresh regulatory headline, with both set to report earnings on the very same morning.