State of Michigan Retirement System Lowers Stock Holdings in American Express Company $AXP

State of Michigan Retirement System lowered its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 146,777 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 3,700 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System’s holdings in American Express were worth $48,753,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AXP. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. raised its position in shares of American Express by 153.3% in the 3rd quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in American Express in the third quarter worth about $27,000. Access Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of American Express in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Briaud Financial Planning Inc bought a new position in shares of American Express in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new stake in shares of American Express during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on AXP. Wall Street Zen cut American Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 9th. Barclays upped their price target on American Express from $355.00 to $367.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. HSBC set a $295.00 price objective on American Express and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Morgan Stanley set a $395.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of American Express from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $353.05.

American Express Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $359.26 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $247.48 billion, a PE ratio of 23.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.14. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $368.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $345.13. American Express Company has a twelve month low of $220.43 and a twelve month high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.54 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.91 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.04 earnings per share. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that American Express Company will post 15.33 EPS for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.82 per share. 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 21.31%.

Key American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Truist reaffirmed a Buy on AXP, citing the company’s underlying growth despite rising costs after Q4 — this supports upside expectations from analysts who focus on AmEx’s margin and card‑member trends. Truist Maintains Buy Rating on American Express
• Positive Sentiment: AmEx launched a Flexible Payment Option for small businesses (instant line of credit), which can expand payment volume and merchant relationships — a growth catalyst for loan receivables and fees. AmEx Debuts Flexible Payments for Small Businesses
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators are reassessing AXP’s valuation after double‑digit revenue and earnings growth in the latest quarter and a FY‑2026 EPS guide that implies upside vs. some street estimates. That narrative supports the current uptick. Assessing American Express (AXP) Valuation After Strong Double Digit Revenue And Earnings Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple news services report that brokerages’ consensus rating is Hold, reflecting mixed views — steady fundamentals but limited near‑term upside per some firms. American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Robert W. Baird and other outlets reiterate cautious/hold stances; analysts remain broadly optimistic on long‑term cash flows but cautious on near‑term multiples. Robert W. Baird Keeps Their Hold Rating on American Express (AXP)
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and comparisons (e.g., GBOOY vs AXP) keep AXP on investors’ radar for relative value, but don’t shift consensus decisively. GBOOY or AXP: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: A Fool.com piece questions whether AXP is a buy given recent underperformance versus the broader market, a narrative that can cap enthusiasm and limit multiple expansion. Is American Express a Buy, Sell, or Hold in 2026?

Insider Activity

In other American Express news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total value of $8,346,340.35. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,754 shares in the company, valued at $2,767,480.14. This represents a 75.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of American Express stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total value of $9,599,024.25. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 20,394 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,138,103.94. The trade was a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

American Express 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.