Banco Santander S.A. Buys 5,428 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Banco Santander S.A. grew its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 27.3% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 25,323 shares of the payment services company’s stock after buying an additional 5,428 shares during the quarter. Banco Santander S.A.’s holdings in American Express were worth $8,411,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AXP. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. boosted its position in American Express by 153.3% in the third quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Access Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of American Express in the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Express during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new stake in American Express during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC increased its holdings in American Express by 210.7% in the 3rd quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Express Stock Down 8.2%

Shares of NYSE AXP opened at $307.93 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $358.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $349.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.59. American Express Company has a 52-week low of $220.43 and a 52-week high of $387.49. The company has a market capitalization of $211.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.14.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last announced its earnings results 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). The firm 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 33.49% and a net margin of 15.00%.American Express’s quarterly revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.04 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were paid a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 2nd. American Express’s payout ratio is currently 21.31%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AXP has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley set a $395.00 price target on American Express in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of American Express from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $425.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, January 12th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of American Express from $355.00 to $367.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of American Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 9th. 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $352.73.

Key American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Large corporate real-estate move could be seen as a long-term vote of confidence in the business and NYC hub status; American Express will relocate its global HQ to 2 World Trade Center, a project that supports the firm’s long-term footprint and corporate visibility. American Express to move into new headquarters in final World Trade Center building
• Neutral Sentiment: Earlier session headlines and analyst coverage noted a rebound in AXP tied to macro / AI commentary (Nvidia CEO remarks) and mentions in listicles, but these items appear to have had only temporary upside ahead of today’s sell-off. Why the Market Dipped But American Express (AXP) Gained Today
• Negative Sentiment: Headline focus on AI-driven workforce cuts prompted fresh investor concern and selling pressure, cited in market commentary as a near-term catalyst for the drop. Is It Time to Sell American Express Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity: buyers bought ~21,709 put contracts (≈31% above average), indicating elevated short-term bearish bets and hedging demand that can amplify downside. (No direct article link provided.)
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose ~20% in February to ~8.6M shares, increasing the proportion of shares sold short and adding downward pressure risk if sentiment worsens. (Data summary provided in market feeds.)
• Negative Sentiment: Opinion / analysis pieces are flagging AXP’s YTD pullback (roughly mid-February-to-date slump and discussion of whether the fall is a buying opportunity or structural warning), which can drive momentum-based selling. American Express Has Slumped: Is It a Bargain or a Red Flag?

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Express news, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total value of $5,348,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. The trade was a 62.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total transaction of $8,346,340.35. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 7,754 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,767,480.14. This trade represents a 75.10% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366 over the last 90 days. 0.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.