Chesley Taft & Associates LLC Lowers Stake in American Express Company $AXP

Chesley Taft & Associates LLC cut its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 19.7% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 84,354 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 20,733 shares during the quarter. American Express comprises about 1.2% of Chesley Taft & Associates LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 21st largest position. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $31,207,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Trajan Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American Express by 30.9% during the 3rd quarter. Trajan Wealth LLC now owns 24,901 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $8,271,000 after purchasing an additional 5,881 shares during the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in American Express by 218.7% during the 3rd quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,540 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $2,837,000 after buying an additional 5,860 shares during the last quarter. ZEGA Investments LLC acquired a new position in American Express during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,080,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. increased its position in American Express by 11.7% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. now owns 82,863 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $27,524,000 after buying an additional 8,651 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its stake in American Express by 0.3% in the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,598,743 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $531,038,000 after buying an additional 4,080 shares during the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

American Express Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AXP opened at $292.40 on Friday. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $220.43 and a 52 week high of $387.49. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $329.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $346.86. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The firm has a market cap of $200.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.14.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.91 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.04 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. 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. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is 21.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Express

In other American Express news, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of American Express stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total transaction of $5,348,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 8,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. This trade represents a 62.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,433 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,270,704.09. This trade represents a 46.30% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety 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.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: AXP is pushing new product and technology initiatives — the company rolled out a 2% cash-back Graphite card and is expanding AI-driven tools aimed at deepening engagement with business customers, which could support spend and revenue growth over time. American Express Bets Big on AI, Cash Back in 2026 Push
• Positive Sentiment: Investor-focused coverage highlights sustained demand for premium cards and membership services, which supports higher-margin revenue streams and customer loyalty—one of the reasons long-term thesis holders remain constructive. 3 Things Every American Express Investor Needs to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysis argues AXP is not materially threatened by rapid AI disintermediation of commerce today — management and analysts point to AmEx’s network, data, and premium customer base as defenses vs. “agentic AI” threats. This is more a reassurance than a near-term catalyst. Why American Express Doesn’t Fear an Agentic AI Shop-ocalypse
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry moves and competitor developments (Bread Financial, Clear Secure, travel rental players) are shaping the competitive and travel-spend backdrop; these stories can shift relative sentiment toward card issuers but are not direct AXP catalysts. BFH Stock Near 52-Week High: A Signal for Investors to Hold Tight? Hertz Stock and Other Shutdown Winners Slump as TSA Funding Truce Signals End to Travel Chaos
• Negative Sentiment: Market headlines note AXP declined more than the broader market today; short-term price pressure appears driven by recent share-price weakness and investor rotation away from higher-beta financials. Why American Express (AXP) Dipped More Than Broader Market Today
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain sensitive to recent fundamental signals — AXP’s latest quarter showed only a very small EPS miss and management set FY‑2026 EPS guidance that the market will closely scrutinize; lingering valuation concerns and the stock’s YTD weakness keep downside risk elevated. Is It Time To Revisit American Express (AXP) After Recent Share Price Weakness?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AXP has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Evercore set a $393.00 price target on American Express in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of American Express from $355.00 to $367.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of American Express from $385.00 to $375.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, American Express has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $352.95.

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.