As of April 29, Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) stock is up by 25% over the past five years. But keep in mind that it also pays a substantial dividend, so it is important to take that into account as well.

Including dividends, and assuming that you reinvest them, Wells Fargo has produced a 44.3% total return over the past five years. So if you had invested $1,000 in Wells Fargo stock five years ago, your investment would be worth $1,443 today.

On the other hand, the S&P 500 benchmark index produced an 89% total return over the same period. And the overall financial sector, as measured by the Financial Sector SPDR ETF (NYSEMKT: XLF), has returned 63% over the past five years. So although Wells Fargo wouldn't have lost you money, its performance hasn't measured up to the overall stock market or to its financial sector peers.

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Source Fool.com