Fifth Third Bancorp Purchases 146,880 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 77.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 335,959 shares of the payment services company’s stock after acquiring an additional 146,880 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in American Express were worth $101,621,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP boosted its position in American Express by 159.5% during the third quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP now owns 31,611 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $10,500,000 after buying an additional 19,429 shares during the period. Investment Research Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express in the third quarter worth about $1,573,000. Keybank National Association OH increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 359,261 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $132,909,000 after buying an additional 10,495 shares during the period. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 34.1% in the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 139,887 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $51,751,000 after acquiring an additional 35,533 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in American Express by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,474,363 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $920,710,000 after acquiring an additional 144,512 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on AXP. BTIG Research lifted their price target on American Express from $285.00 to $324.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock 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 research note on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of American Express from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of American Express from $395.00 to $385.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Express has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $368.70.

American Express News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express is expanding AI across payments, including new tools and security features, which could improve customer experience, fraud prevention, and long-term growth prospects. Can AmEx’s AI Investments Unlock the Next Phase of Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on AXP to $391 from $387 and kept a buy rating, signaling continued confidence in upside from current levels. American Express price target raised by Bank of America Corporation
• Positive Sentiment: Some recent commentary says the stock may be a bargain after its pullback this year, with upcoming second-quarter earnings viewed as a potential catalyst for a rebound. Is American Express Stock a Bargain?
• Neutral Sentiment: American Express also broke ground on its new global headquarters at 2 World Trade Center, a long-term strategic project that supports brand and operational growth but is not an immediate earnings driver. American Express Breaks Ground on New Headquarters at 2 World Trade Center
• Negative Sentiment: Recent articles note AXP has been under pressure this year and fell more sharply than the broader market in the latest session, reminding investors that sentiment is still somewhat fragile ahead of earnings. American Express (AXP) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know

American Express Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of AXP traded up $3.80 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $350.52. The company had a trading volume of 2,791,983 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,064,715. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.57. The company has a market capitalization of $239.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.04. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $325.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $332.21. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $288.34 and a 52 week high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.01 by $0.27. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.The business had revenue of $14.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.60 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.64 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% 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 forecast that American Express Company will post 17.67 EPS for the current year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is presently 23.71%.

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.