Wells Fargo Convertible Bonds

Howard Atkins, the chief financial officer of Wells Fargo, is considering issuing $3 billion in convertible debt. With an investment-grade credit rating, Wells Fargo is not the typical issuer of convertible securities, but the market conditions in 2003 are unusual. Strong demand from both convertible arbitrage hedge funds and income mutual funds appears to create an opportunity for Wells Fargo to raise capital at a low cost.