Aberdeen Group plc Sells 40,558 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Aberdeen Group plc reduced its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 5.4% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 707,382 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 40,558 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc’s holdings in American Express were worth $235,562,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in American Express by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,712 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $1,233,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp lifted its holdings in shares of American Express by 10.0% in the 3rd quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 308 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $105,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the period. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in American Express by 1.0% during 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 acquiring an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in American Express by 2.1% during the third 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Sandy Cove Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of American Express by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Sandy Cove Advisors LLC now owns 1,462 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $485,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Express news, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total transaction of $9,599,024.25. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 20,394 shares in the company, valued at $7,138,103.94. The trade was a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $346.73, for a total value of $2,820,301.82. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,433 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,270,704.09. This trade represents a 46.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

American Express Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NYSE AXP opened at $337.84 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $367.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $346.88. The company has a market capitalization of $231.96 billion, a PE ratio of 21.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.14. American Express Company has a 12-month low of $220.43 and a 12-month high of $387.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.66.

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

American Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd were paid a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. American Express’s payout ratio is 21.31%.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management set FY‑2026 guidance for revenue growth (~9–10%) and EPS of $17.30–$17.90 (midpoint above some analyst expectations), reinforcing the narrative of resilient premium card spending supporting earnings. AXP anticipates a strong 2026 profit (Yahoo)
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage pieces and a Seeking Alpha “rating upgrade” highlight AmEx as a steady compounder, calling out premium spend strength and steady guidance as reasons to consider the stock. Seeking Alpha: AXP rating upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate actions and marketing (expanded NBA partnership, ongoing premium card activation efforts) support brand engagement and higher‑yield customer spend—a longer‑term revenue positive. NBA and American Express partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly dividend was paid (maintains yield ~0.9%); steady capital return is supportive for income‑focused holders. MarketBeat AXP dividend details
• Neutral Sentiment: Company presented at the UBS Financial Services Conference — useful detail for modeling and analyst updates but not an immediate catalyst by itself. UBS presentation (Seeking Alpha)
• Neutral Sentiment: American Express issued new debt to boost funding — improves liquidity/funding flexibility but raises leverage and interest‑cost exposure; market impact depends on size/terms. AXP boosts funding with new debt issuances
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sales: Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares (~$5.35M at ≈$356.58) and Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares (~$2.82M at ≈$346.73). Big, concentrated insider reductions can weigh on near‑term sentiment. Insider trades alert (InsiderTrades)
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have underperformed peers and fell in recent sessions (coverage citing CNBC/Benzinga), which can trigger sector rebalancing outflows and exacerbate declines. CNBC ‘Final Trades’ note (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts have trimmed targets/ratings (Evercore/JPMorgan moves referenced), a reminder expectations are being modestly reset—analyst downgrades/target cuts can be immediate share‑price pressure. Analyst notes and PT changes (Benzinga)

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on AXP. Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of American Express from $420.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on American Express from $385.00 to $375.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, December 8th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on American Express from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of American Express from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Express has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $354.78.

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.