Wells Fargo has been inching onto Wall Street recently, buying prime broker Merlin Securities and building on the acquisition of a team from Citadel in 2011. It is now in the top 10 for US investment banking fees, but this year Euromoney recognizes Wells Fargo for its retail business, awarding it the title of best bank in the US. Wells Fargo has more bank branches than Bank of America or Chase, and in terms of deposits it is now the second-largest bank in the US. It is considered by analysts to be one of the safest and most profitable banks in the country because of its diversified business lines and conservative lending policies.
