The plaintiffs in the proposed class action must "allege more than that the sham interviews were an open secret," Thompson wrote.
"While Wells Fargo's history provides some context for the allegedly misleading statements, it is not sufficient to confer [intent to defraud]."
Wells Fargo did not immediately respond to similar requests.
The plaintiffs had claimed that San Francisco-based Wells Fargo inflated its stock price through nine public statements discussing its "diverse slates" guidelines.
The case is SEB Investment Management AB et al v Wells Fargo & Co, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.
Persons:
Wells, Trina Thompson, Thompson, Charlie Scharf, Wells Fargo, Kirsten Donovan
Organizations:
U.S, New York Times, SEB Investment, Wells Fargo & Co, Court, Northern District of, Thomson
Locations:
San Francisco, Francisco, Manhattan, Wells, Northern District, Northern District of California