FARMERS & MERCHANTS TRUST Co OF LONG BEACH Has $6.39 Million Stock Holdings in American Express Company $AXP

FARMERS & MERCHANTS TRUST Co OF LONG BEACH trimmed its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 34.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 19,230 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 10,261 shares during the quarter. American Express accounts for 1.3% of FARMERS & MERCHANTS TRUST Co OF LONG BEACH’s holdings, making the stock its 15th largest holding. FARMERS & MERCHANTS TRUST Co OF LONG BEACH’s holdings in American Express were worth $6,387,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AXP. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of American Express in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,897,335,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of American Express by 31,595.9% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,742,009 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $555,666,000 after buying an additional 1,736,513 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in American Express by 11.1% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 13,487,316 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $4,282,984,000 after buying an additional 1,349,746 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its position in American Express by 26.1% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 3,125,133 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $988,676,000 after acquiring an additional 646,039 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Provident Trust Co. grew its position in American Express by 136.6% in the second quarter. Provident Trust Co. now owns 1,108,971 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $353,740,000 after acquiring an additional 640,214 shares during the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AXP has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group set a $385.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Monday. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, December 8th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday. BTIG Research reissued a “sell” rating and set a $328.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a report on Monday. Finally, Evercore ISI set a $400.00 price objective on American Express in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $352.82.

American Express Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $357.85 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a current ratio of 1.61. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $220.43 and a 52 week high of $387.49. The firm has a market cap of $246.50 billion, a PE ratio of 24.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.15. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $368.96 and its 200-day moving average is $340.50.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported ($11.85) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.56 by ($15.41). The company had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 33.41% and a net margin of 14.97%. Sell-side analysts predict that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Announces Dividend

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

Key American Express News

Here are the key news stories impacting American Express this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators say AXP is resilient and could absorb regulatory changes better than peers — a view that supports the stock amid headline risk. American Express stock well-positioned to weather Trump’s credit card cap
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on AXP to $385 (neutral rating), suggesting upside exists if company fundamentals hold — a counterweight to headline-driven selling. Benzinga analyst price target note
• Neutral Sentiment: Opinion pieces argue a 10% cap “won’t break anything,” noting scenarios where AXP could adapt through fees, product mix or underwriting changes — outcome depends on regulatory specifics. Seeking Alpha analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains mixed: the broker consensus is largely “Hold,” reflecting divided views on policy risk vs. long‑run card franchise strength. Consensus rating report
• Negative Sentiment: President Trump’s public push for a 10% cap is the immediate headline driver; markets are pricing regulatory uncertainty that could compress card yields and rewards economics. CNBC coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Big‑bank executives warn a cap could reduce consumer access to credit and hurt revenue, amplifying investor concern about loan loss, underwriting shifts and lower interchange income for card issuers like AXP. Fox Business report
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: coverage shows premarket and intraday selling in bank and card stocks, plus at least one downgrade and headlines noting AXP shares falling — sentiment is pressured while political risk remains unresolved. Seeking Alpha downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: News outlets and market reports flagged sharp intraday moves and analyst notes calling out the policy risk as the primary reason for AXP’s recent weakness. Zacks coverage

Insider Activity at American Express

In other American Express news, insider Denise Pickett sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.73, for a total transaction of $1,753,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,709,739.98. This represents a 39.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Elizabeth Rutledge sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $360.21, for a total transaction of $18,010,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 85,577 shares in the company, valued at $30,825,691.17. This trade represents a 36.88% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 57,515 shares of company stock worth $20,658,509 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

American Express Company Profile

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.