Exhibit 12(b). Wells Fargo & Company and Subsidiaries formerly known as Norwest Corporation and Subsidiaries COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS (Unaudited) Nine Months Ended September 30, Year Ended December 31, In thousands 1998 1997 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 Computation of Income: Income before income taxes $1,701,627 1,524,069 2,049,726 1,781,509 1,422,814 1,180,601 879,755 Capitalized interest - - (22) (14) (112) (69) (65) Income before income taxes and capitalized inter- est 1,701,627 1,524,069 2,049,704 1,781,495 1,422,702 1,180,532 879,690 Fixed charges 2,234,327 2,032,875 2,734,466 2,685,447 2,503,603 1,640,049 1,485,936 Total income for comput- ation $3,935,954 3,556,944 4,784,170 4,466,942 3,926,305 2,820,581 2,365,626 Total income for computation excluding interest on deposits from fixed char- ges $2,815,133 2,481,532 3,337,488 3,142,024 2,770,005 1,957,224 1,513,317 Computation of Fixed Charges: Net rental expense (a) $ 175,203 155,309 211,191 205,409 166,591 149,462 128,573 Portion of rentals deemed repres- entative of inter- est $ 58,401 51,770 70,397 68,470 55,530 49,821 42,858 Interest: Interest on dep- osits 1,120,821 1,075,412 1,446,682 1,324,918 1,156,300 863,357 852,309 Interest on federal funds and other short-term borrow- ings 466,718 327,062 439,492 454,013 515,646 290,211 238,046 Interest on long-term debt 588,387 578,631 777,873 838,032 776,015 436,591 352,658 Capitalized inter- est - - 22 14 112 69 65 Total inter- est 2,175,926 1,981,105 2,664,069 2,616,977 2,448,073 1,590,228 1,443,078 Total fixed char- ges $2,234,327 2,032,875 2,734,466 2,685,447 2,503,603 1,640,049 1,485,936 Total fixed charges excluding interest on dep- osits $1,113,506 957,463 1,287,784 1,360,529 1,347,303 776,692 633,627 Preferred stock divi- dends 13,322 13,322 17,763 17,763 41,220 27,827 31,170 Pre-tax earnings needed to meet pre- ferred stock dividend require- ments 19,838 20,409 26,950 27,424 61,349 41,044 44,728 Total combined fixed charges and pre- ferred stock div- idends $2,254,165 2,053,284 2,761,416 2,712,871 2,564,952 1,681,093 1,530,664 Total combined fixed charges and pre- ferred stock dividends excluding interest on dep- osits $1,133,344 977,872 ,314,734 1,387,953 1,408,652 817,736 678,355 (a) Includes equipment rentals. Exhibit 12(b). (continued) Wells Fargo & Company and Subsidiaries formerly known as Norwest Corporation and Subsidiaries COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS (Unaudited) Nine Months Ended September 30, Year Ended December 31, In thousands 1998 1997 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 Ratio of Income to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends: Excluding interest on deposits 2.48x 2.54 2.54 2.26 1.97 2.39 2.23 Including interest on deposits 1.75x 1.73 1.73 1.65 1.53 1.68 1.55