WFC vs. PANW

Last updated Jun 13, 2026

WFC (Wells Fargo & Company) and PANW (Palo Alto Networks, Inc.) are both stocks. WFC operates in Banks - Diversified (Financial Services), while PANW operates in Software - Infrastructure (Technology). Over the past 10 years, WFC returned 8.95%/yr vs 29.12%/yr for PANW. At a 0.23 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

WFC vs. PANW - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) and Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, WFC achieves a -9.20% return, which is significantly lower than PANW's 51.80% return. Over the past 10 years, WFC has underperformed PANW with an annualized return of 8.95%, while PANW has yielded a comparatively higher 29.12% annualized return.

WFC

• 1D: 1.61%
• 1M: 13.87%
• YTD: -9.20%
• 6M: -8.77%
• 1Y: 15.62%
• 3Y*: 28.38%
• 5Y*: 15.64%
• 10Y*: 8.95%

PANW

• 1D: 0.03%
• 1M: 22.75%
• YTD: 51.80%
• 6M: 45.87%
• 1Y: 41.46%
• 3Y*: 33.77%
• 5Y*: 35.61%
• 10Y*: 29.12%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

WFC vs. PANW - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
WFC Wells Fargo & Company	-9.20%	35.57%	46.48%	22.94%	-11.92%	61.15%	-41.65%	21.44%	-21.83%	13.21%
PANW Palo Alto Networks, Inc.	51.80%	1.23%	23.41%	111.32%	-24.81%	56.66%	53.68%	22.78%	29.95%	15.91%

Correlation

The correlation between WFC and PANW is 0.03, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.03
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.16
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.21
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.20
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 20, 2012	0.23

Over the past year, the correlation between WFC and PANW has dropped to 0.03 - well below their long-term average of 0.23, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap WFC : $269.39B PANW : $208.04B
EPS WFC : $6.73 PANW : $1.17
PE Ratio WFC : 12.44 PANW : 238.46
PEG Ratio WFC : 1.07 PANW : 0.02
PS Ratio WFC : 2.15 PANW : 18.95
PB Ratio WFC : 1.65 PANW : 7.52
Total Revenue (TTM) WFC : $125.70B PANW : $10.61B
Gross Profit (TTM) WFC : $81.14B PANW : $7.63B
EBITDA (TTM) WFC : $31.58B PANW : $1.33B

Return for Risk

WFC vs. PANW — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

WFC

WFC Risk / Return Rank: 58
WFC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
WFC Sortino Ratio Rank: 55
WFC Omega Ratio Rank: 54
WFC Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
WFC Martin Ratio Rank: 58

PANW

PANW Risk / Return Rank: 69
PANW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 75
PANW Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
PANW Omega Ratio Rank: 70
PANW Calmar Ratio Rank: 66
PANW Martin Ratio Rank: 66

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

WFC vs. PANW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) and Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	WFC	PANW	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.59	1.07	-0.48
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.94	1.57	-0.63
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.12	1.21	-0.09
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.68	1.16	-0.48
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	1.54	2.62	-1.08

WFC vs. PANW - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current WFC Sharpe Ratio is 0.59, which is lower than the PANW Sharpe Ratio of 1.07. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of WFC and PANW, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

WFC vs. PANW - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum WFC drawdown since its inception was -79.01%, which is greater than PANW's maximum drawdown of -47.98%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for WFC and PANW.

Drawdown Indicators

	WFC	PANW	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-79.01%	-47.98%	-31.03%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-23.02%	-36.01%	+12.99%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-24.73%	-36.01%	+11.28%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.10%	-36.01%	-1.09%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-64.46%	-47.98%	-16.48%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-12.21%	-6.94%	-5.27%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.35%	-14.68%	-0.67%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	10.18%	15.87%	-5.69%

Volatility

WFC vs. PANW - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) is 5.95%, while Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) has a volatility of 16.97%. This indicates that WFC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PANW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	WFC	PANW	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.95%	16.97%	-11.02%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	19.95%	32.33%	-12.38%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.75%	38.96%	-12.21%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	30.23%	41.72%	-11.49%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	32.28%	38.62%	-6.34%

Dividends

WFC vs. PANW - Dividend Comparison

WFC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.15%, while PANW has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PANW Palo Alto Networks, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
WFC Wells Fargo & Company	2.15%	1.82%	2.14%	2.64%	2.66%	1.25%	4.04%	3.57%	3.56%	2.54%	2.75%	2.71%

Financials

WFC vs. PANW - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Wells Fargo & Company and Palo Alto Networks, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

WFC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Wells Fargo & Company reported a gross profit of 20.31B and revenue of 31.80B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 63.9%.

PANW - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Palo Alto Networks, Inc. reported a gross profit of 2.03B and revenue of 3.00B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 67.6%.

WFC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Wells Fargo & Company reported an operating income of 5.85B and revenue of 31.80B, resulting in an operating margin of 18.4%.

PANW - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Palo Alto Networks, Inc. reported an operating income of -186.00M and revenue of 3.00B, resulting in an operating margin of -6.2%.

WFC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Wells Fargo & Company reported a net income of 5.29B and revenue of 31.80B, resulting in a net margin of 16.6%.

PANW - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Palo Alto Networks, Inc. reported a net income of -177.00M and revenue of 3.00B, resulting in a net margin of -5.9%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both WFC and PANW in my portfolio?

WFC and PANW have a correlation of 0.03, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, WFC or PANW?

PANW has higher volatility (16.97%) compared to WFC (5.95%). In terms of maximum drawdown, WFC dropped -79.01% vs PANW's -47.98%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

PANW currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.07 vs 0.59), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.