First Trust Advisors LP Has $439.29 Million Stake in American Express Company $AXP

First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,322,520 shares of the payment services company’s stock after buying an additional 66,941 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in American Express were worth $439,288,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. lifted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Express during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new position in shares of American Express during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 210.7% during the 3rd quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in American Express during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

American Express Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $300.83 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $206.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.55, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.14. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $350.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $349.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. American Express Company has a twelve month low of $220.43 and a twelve month high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.54 by ($0.01). American Express had a return on equity of 33.49% and a net margin of 15.00%.The business had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.04 earnings per share. 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. Research analysts predict that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be issued a $0.95 dividend. This is a boost from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. American Express’s payout ratio is currently 21.31%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AXP has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $395.00 price target on American Express in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $420.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 target price on American Express in a report on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $395.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “sell” rating and issued a $328.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $352.73.

Insider Activity at American Express

In other American Express news, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total value of $5,348,700.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares in the company, valued at $3,189,608.10. This trade represents a 62.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the insider owned 20,394 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,138,103.94. This represents a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a 16% quarterly dividend increase to $0.95 and emphasized shareholder returns, a supportive sign for income-focused investors. American Express Announces 16% Increase in Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: New long-term stadium and NFL team partnerships aim to drive card engagement and incremental transactions in key metro markets — a revenue/TPV growth lever for premium cardholders. American Express announces stadium, NFL team partnerships
• Positive Sentiment: Company is expanding tech initiatives (AI partner Traversal) and planning a new World Trade Center HQ, signaling investment in operations and long-term productivity improvements. American Express Taps AI And Sports Deals As Stock Trades Below Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation write-ups note the dividend hike and partnerships but also point out the recent pullback — useful context for investors reassessing entry points. Taking A Fresh Look At American Express (AXP) Valuation After Dividend Hike And New Sports Partnerships
• Neutral Sentiment: Company updated its Q1 earnings date and will webcast the annual meeting — housekeeping items that provide upcoming catalysts/communication opportunities. American Express Updates First-Quarter 2026 Earnings Date and Plans to Host Live Audio Webcast of Annual Meeting of Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary says the current slide looks more sentiment-driven than business-driven — highlighting panic selling and momentum losses as drivers of the near-term weakness. American Express Stock’s Slide Worsens as Shares Hit $300. Time to Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest has risen materially, indicating growing bearish positioning that can amplify downward moves. American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest
• Negative Sentiment: New premium cards from competitors (Robinhood’s $695 Platinum) are being positioned against Amex’s lucrative premium card franchise — potential pressure on market share and fee income over time. Robinhood’s new $695 Platinum card vs $895 Amex Platinum: Which one has better perks?
• Negative Sentiment: Analysis pointing to a ~12% slip in March cites concerns about disruption (AI, competition) and investor rotation away from expensive financial names. Why American Express Stock Slipped 12% In March

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.