Wells Fargo & Co. spent much of its third-quarter earnings report trying to get ahead of its sales-tactics scandal, disclosing that the problems already have crimped its branch business.

The San Francisco-based bank has been in the spotlight for the past month after agreeing to a $185 million settlement over opening as many as two million accounts with fictitious or unauthorized customer information. It faces investor questions about its business model given the departure this week of Chief Executive John Stumpf and changes...