Early in this morning's trading session, a short-term Covered Calls position was established in Wells Fargo & Company (ticker symbol WFC) when the Covered Calls Advisor's buy/write limit order was executed -- 500 shares were purchased at $78.08 and 5 August 15th, 2025 monthly Call options were sold at $2.72 at the $76.00 strike price. The corresponding extrinsic value (i.e. time value) was $.64 per share
[$2.72 Call options premium - ($78.08 stock purchase price - $76.00
strike price)], all of which will be profit if the stock is assigned (either by early assignment on the day prior to the August 8th ex-dividend date or at the August 15th options expiration date). The Implied Volatility of the Call options was 24.2 which, as desired by the Covered Calls Advisor, is above the current 20.5 of the S&P 500 Volatility Index (i.e. VIX). Also as preferred, the next earnings report on October 14th, 2025 is well after the options expiration date.
At today's purchase price, the upcoming ex-dividend of $.45 has a 2.2% annualized dividend yield. So, this short-term (only 11 days until options expiration) position is established to take advantage of the potential to achieve a satisfactory annualized return-on-investment in a position that meets all nine criteria of the Covered Calls Advisor's Dividend Capture Strategy (see table at end of this post). This $.45 dividend is a 12.5% increase from the $.40 dividend rate during the same quarter last year.
Wells Fargo has a current Average Score of 9 and an Optimized Score of 8 (on a scale of 1 to 10) by LSEG's fundamentals-based models and Market Edges's technical indicators rate it a Strong Buy. The average 12-month target price of the 21 analysts covering Wells Fargo is $87.00 (+11.4% above today's purchase price).
Most companies in the Financial Sector (such as Wells Fargo) provide only modest growth prospects, but they often provide good annual dividend yields. Consequently, the Covered Calls Advisor targets opportunities to use the Dividend Capture Strategy in all Financial Sector Covered Calls positions. This new Wells Fargo Covered Calls position continues the Covered Calls Advisor's Dividend Capture Strategy of often selling
in-the-money monthly Covered Calls for one of six mega-cap U.S. banks (Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo) for each options expiration
month: (JPMorgan Chase quarterly for Jan, Apr, July, and Oct options expirations; Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and/or Wells Fargo for Feb, May, Aug, and Nov options expirations; and Bank of America and/or Goldman Sachs for Mar, Jun, Sep, and Dec options expirations).
The goal of these monthly Covered Calls in these banks is to both provide an opportunity to either: (1) potentially capture the quarterly dividend payment and if the stock price remains above the strike price at
options expiration, in which case the maximum possible return-on-investment result on the options expiration date for the position would be achieved; or (2) have the stock assigned early on the day prior to the ex-dividend date in which case the Covered Calls Advisor is usually very pleased since the Dividend Capture Strategy criteria are designed such that the annualized return-on-investment for early assignment normally exceeds the Covered Calls Advisor's minimum threshold (as is the case with this Wells Fargo position). So far, applying this approach has provided attractive annualized return results -- better than would be achieved
if Covered Calls positions for these bank stocks were held in the Covered Calls Advisor Portfolio during the other two non-dividend paying months each quarter.
Two potential return-on-investment results for this position are
highlighted below (including the possibility of early assignment since
the ex-dividend is prior to the August 15th options expiration date).
Given the Covered Calls Advisor's current Neutral overall market
sentiment, a slightly in-the-money Covered Calls position was established with a probability of 71.7% that the stock will be in-the-money, and therefore assigned (i.e. sold), on the August 15th, 2025 options expiration date.
As detailed below, two potential return-on-investment results are:
- +0.8% absolute return (equivalent to +43.8% annualized
return-on-investment for the next 7 days) in the albeit relatively unlikely event that the stock is assigned early (business day
prior to next Friday's 8/8/2025 ex-dividend date); OR
- +1.4% absolute return (equivalent to +37.5% annualized return-on-investment over the next 14 days) if the stock is assigned on the August 15th options expiration date.
Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) -- New Covered Calls Position
The buy/write transaction was:
8/1/2025 Bought 500 Wells Fargo shares @ $78.08
8/1/2025 Sold 5 Wells Fargo 8/15/2025 $76.00 Call options @ $2.72
8/8/2025 Upcoming quarterly ex-dividend of $.45 per share
Two possible overall performance results (including commissions) for this Wells Fargo Covered Calls position are as follows:
Covered Calls Net Investment: $37,683.35
= ($78.08 - $2.72) * 500 shares + $3.35 commission
Net Profit Components:
(a) Options Income: +$1,356.65
= ($2.72 * 500 shares) - $3.35 commission
(b) Dividend Income (If option exercised early on August 7th, the day prior to the August 8th ex-div date): +$0.00;
or
(b) Dividend Income (If Wells Fargo stock assigned at the August 15th, 2025 options expiration; so the $.45 dividend is captured): +$225.00
= ($.45 dividend per share x 500 shares)
(c) Capital Appreciation (If Wells Fargo Call options assigned early on August 7th, 2025): -$1,040.00
+($76.00 strike price - $78.08 stock purchase price) * 500 shares; or
(c) Capital Appreciation (If shares assigned at $76.00 strike price at options expiration): -$1,040.00
+($76.00 - $78.08) * 500 shares
1. Total Net Profit [If option exercised on 8/7/2025 (business day prior to the 8/8/2025 ex-dividend date)]: +$316.65
= (+$1,356.65 options income + $0.00 dividend income - $1,040.00 capital appreciation); or
2. Total Net Profit (If Wells Fargo shares assigned at $76.00 at the 8/15/2025 expiration): +$541.65
= (+$1,356.65 options income + $225.00 dividend income - $1,040.00 capital appreciation)
1. Absolute Return-on-Investment [If option exercised early on 8/7/2025]: +0.8%
= +$316.65/$37,683.35
Annualized Return-on-Investment (If option exercised early): +43.8%
= (+$316.65/$37,683.35) * (365/7 days); or
2. Absolute Return-on-Investment (If Wells Fargo shares assigned at $76.00 at the 8/15/2025 options expiration): +1.4%
= +$541.65/$37,683.35
Annualized Return-on-Investment (If Wells Fargo shares assigned at $76.00 at the 8/15/2025 options expiration date): +37.5%
= (+$541.65/$37,683.35) * (365/14 days)
Either
outcome provides a good return-on-investment result for this
Wells Fargo investment. These returns will be achieved as long as the stock is
above the $76.00 strike price at assignment. If the stock declines
below the strike price, the breakeven price of $74.91 ($78.08 - $2.72 - $.45)
provides a 4.1% downside protection below today's stock purchase
price.
At least eight of the nine metrics used in the Covered Calls Advisor's Dividend Capture Strategy spreadsheet must be 'YES' prior to establishing a position. As shown below with this Wells Fargo position, all nine criteria are met.
