Wells Fargo & Co. reported second-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street expectations, helped by loan growth and disciplined expenses. Net income rose 12% from a year earlier to $5.49 billion, or $1.60 a share, topping the roughly $1.41 consensus. Revenue edged up 1% to $20.82 billion, also ahead of forecasts. Average loans climbed to $916.7 billion while deposits stood at $1.33 trillion. The outperformance was tempered by softer interest income. Net interest income fell 13% year-on-year to $11.71 billion, missing projections, and the bank lowered its full-year outlook for the metric to be roughly unchanged at about $47.7 billion, down from previous guidance calling for growth of 1% to 3%. Executives cited pressure from lower interest rates and a slower trading environment. Asset quality remained resilient: provisions for credit losses were $1.01 billion, below estimates, and non-performing assets fell to $7.96 billion. Return on equity improved to 12.8% and return on assets to 1.14%. Backed by its capital position, Wells Fargo said it intends to raise its common-stock dividend by 12.5% in the third quarter, pending board approval.