Wells Fargo's profit beat analysts' expectations in the third quarter, helped by resilience in wealth management and lower provisions for credit losses, which sent its shares up 3.5% before the bell on Friday.

Earnings season kicks off in earnest Friday with the first results from major banks: JPMorgan and Wells Fargo. MarketWatch will be breaking down the expectations and results.

Key Takeaways Wells Fargo shares rose roughly 6% Friday morning following the release of third-quarter results that beat analysts' consensus estimates.Revenue and profit fell year-over-year, but not by as much as analysts anticipated.