Ascentis Independent Advisors Raises Stock Holdings in American Express Company $AXP

Ascentis Independent Advisors grew its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 234.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,349 shares of the payment services company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,957 shares during the quarter. Ascentis Independent Advisors’ holdings in American Express were worth $3,433,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 24.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,481 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $1,924,000 after acquiring an additional 1,273 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of American Express by 13.0% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,738 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $554,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. acquired a new position in shares of American Express during the second quarter worth about $428,000. Howland Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in American Express by 4.2% during the second quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $707,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in American Express by 19.9% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,898 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $924,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express was highlighted in multiple articles as an attractive value and momentum stock, with Zacks and other outlets pointing to strong earnings/price momentum and undervaluation versus peers. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: News that American Express is expanding its premium-card ecosystem beyond airports and into festivals and sporting events reinforces its appeal to affluent customers who generate high spending and fee revenue. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Tripadvisor said it will sell TheFork to American Express for $700 million in cash, a deal that suggests AmEx is still actively investing to broaden its travel and membership offerings. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles focused on valuation comparisons and sector commentary rather than a direct company-specific catalyst, including comparisons of AXP versus Intercorp Financial Services and Mastercard. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: American Express is approaching its next earnings report, with Wall Street expecting mid-single-digit EPS growth; this keeps attention on fundamentals but does not yet provide a new earnings result. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: One analysis argued Mastercard may be the safer choice because it has more fee-based, risk-light economics, implicitly reminding investors that American Express carries more credit exposure and sensitivity to consumer health. Article Title

American Express Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of AXP opened at $351.66 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.56. American Express Company has a 1-year low of $288.34 and a 1-year high of $387.49. The stock has a market cap of $239.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.04. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $322.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $332.93.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $14.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.60 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.American Express’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.64 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 17.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is currently 23.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler started coverage on American Express in a report on Monday, June 29th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $396.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Freedom Capital raised American Express from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Barclays cut their price objective on American Express from $323.00 to $322.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on American Express from $375.00 to $325.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $366.95.

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.