Chase, Bank of America or Wells Fargo — Which Big Bank Stock Is a Buy?
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Cory Dudak
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
Like many industries, the banking industry is dominated by a few major players — and in the U.S., those players are JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citigroup. The Big Four had a combined $8.8 trillion in consolidated assets as of Q4 2024, according to the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, the next four biggest banks had a combined $2.3 trillion.
Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America all boast strong retail banking operations based on their national reach and number of branches. Citi has a much smaller branch count and operates them in only about a dozen states. In this respect, Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America are the closest rivals from both a business and investment standpoint.
If you want to buy shares of Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC) and Bank of America (BAC), the first thing you’ll want to know is how their stocks are performing. Like the stock market in general, big bank stocks have gotten off to a rough start this year.
Shares of Chase were down 3.85% year-to-date as of March 11, 2025. Wells Fargo had slipped 2.29% over the same period, while Bank of America suffered a 9.47% decline. The picture is brighter if you look over the longer term, however. Over the past year, Chase’s stock price has risen 21%, Wells Fargo is up about 19% and Bank of America has gained 11%.
In terms of share prices, Chase has the priciest stock at about $230 a share, Wells Fargo trades near $65, and Bank of America has the cheapest stock at about $40.
So which big bank stock is the best to buy right now?
Experts Weigh In
Wells Fargo seems to be the popular pick among analysts and investment pros. GOBankingRates contacted two experts to get their take.
Anthony Grosso, a New York-based financial strategist and mortgage loan originator, told GBR that Wells Fargo is “better suited as a buy” than the other big banks.
“They have a bigger domestic banking focus, which limits the international risks, currency fluctuations, trade wars, etc.,” he said. “They have strong retail branches and have been actively cutting costs and consolidating, while [Chase] and [Bank of America] have been more aggressive in expanding — something that can drag on earnings if the market shifts.”
He also considers Wells Fargo a safer pick in terms of stock market volatility because it has a smaller investment banking footprint than the others.
“The same goes for corporate credit risk and leveraged loans,” Grosso added. “Overall, Wells Fargo is the safer choice, and offers more stability for the unexpected.”
Edward Corona, a Florida-based trader and publisher of The Options Oracle Newsletter, told GOBankingRates that while all three stocks are in a “downtrend,” Wells Fargo has the “best setup of the three.” Chase is the “weakest of the group,” he said, while Bank of America is “still weak, but not as bad” as Chase.
“[Wells Fargo] is oversold, but more stable than [Chase] and [Bank of America],” Corona added. “Their relative strength is holding up better, showing it’s performing better than its peers. Support near $65 seems to be holding, and buyers are starting to step in. If I had to pick one, Wells Fargo looks like the best bet. It has better relative performance, solid support, and a more stable technical setup compared to [Chase] and [Bank of America]. If the banking sector rebounds, Wells Fargo has the strongest technical setup to benefit.”
More From GOBankingRates
