Traders Buy Large Volume of American Express Call Options (NYSE:AXP)

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders bought 36,110 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 159% compared to the average daily volume of 13,936 call options.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Express

In other American Express news, insider Douglas Tabish sold 2,515 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.61, for a total value of $894,359.15. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 2,515 shares in the company, valued at $894,359.15. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CMO Elizabeth Rutledge sold 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.21, for a total transaction of $18,010,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 85,577 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $30,825,691.17. This represents a 36.88% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 57,515 shares of company stock valued at $20,658,509 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of American Express

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AXP. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in American Express by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,712 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $1,233,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp grew its stake in shares of American Express by 10.0% during the third quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 308 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $105,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 1.0% in the third quarter. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,910 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $967,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in American Express by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,378 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $458,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invenio Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in American Express by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. Invenio Wealth Partners LLC now owns 776 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $258,000 after buying an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Express Price Performance

NYSE:AXP opened at $370.04 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $254.90 billion, a PE ratio of 24.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.15. American Express has a 12 month low of $220.43 and a 12 month high of $387.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.59, a current ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $366.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $336.01.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported ($11.85) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.56 by ($15.41). American Express had a return on equity of 33.41% and a net margin of 14.97%.The firm had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.91 billion. On average, equities analysts anticipate that American Express will post 15.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. American Express’s payout ratio is presently 22.01%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AXP has been the topic of several recent research reports. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on American Express from $395.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of American Express from $330.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Compass Point restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $324.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of American Express from $330.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 30th. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, December 8th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Express presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $335.55.

About American Express

American Express is a global financial services company primarily known for its payment card products, travel services and merchant network. Founded in 1850 as an express mail business, the company evolved through the 20th century into a payments and travel-focused organization. Its core activities include issuing consumer and commercial charge and credit cards, operating a global card acceptance and processing network, and providing travel-related services and customer loyalty programs.

American Express issues a range of products for individuals, small businesses and large corporations, including personal cards, business and corporate cards, and co‑brand partnerships with airlines, hotels and retailers.