American Express (NYSE:AXP) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• American Express updated FY2026 guidance to EPS $17.30–$17.90 (consensus $17.56) and revenue of $78.7–$79.5 billion, broadly in line with Street estimates.
• Q1 results beat on EPS at $4.28 versus a $4.01 consensus, driven by the strongest quarterly cardmember spending growth since 2022 and 11.4% year‑over‑year revenue growth.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 (annualized $3.80, 1.2% yield), but the stock fell about 2.2% to $325.71 after the update, while analysts' consensus rating remains a "Hold" with an average price target of $359.67.

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 17.300-17.900 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 17.560. The company issued revenue guidance of $78.7 billion-$79.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $78.8 billion.

American Express Trading Down 2.2%

AXP stock traded down $7.19 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $325.71. The company's stock had a trading volume of 664,478 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,489,576. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.59. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $314.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $344.56. American Express Company has a 1 year low of $257.21 and a 1 year high of $387.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $223.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.18, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.13.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. The company had revenue of $14.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.60 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 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.64 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.53 EPS for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. This is an increase from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. American Express's payout ratio is presently 24.69%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price target on American Express in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Barclays dropped their price target on American Express from $367.00 to $323.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 6th. BTIG Research dropped their price target on American Express from $328.00 to $285.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Truist Financial dropped their price target on 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, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 price target on American Express in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, American Express presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $359.67.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total value of $8,346,340.35. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,754 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,767,480.14. The trade was a 75.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the insider owned 9,433 shares in the company, valued at $3,270,704.09. This represents a 46.30% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366 over the last three months. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS topped estimates at $4.28 vs. a $4.01 consensus and cardmember spending grew at the strongest quarterly rate since 2022—driving the upside reaction. American Express (AXP) Stock Gains After Q1 Earnings Beat Expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Company reported higher net income ($3.0B) and management reaffirmed full‑year guidance, supported by fee growth, rising card balances and strong travel/discretionary spending. American Express trumps Q1 estimates, reaffirms full-year outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Premium/affluent customers remain a tailwind—spending on luxury goods and premium airfares drove the quarter and underpinned margin strength. Amex cardholders are loading up on luxury goods...
• Neutral Sentiment: Company is rolling out new membership/experiential initiatives (NFL Draft activation) and investing in AI/payment tools—positive for long-term engagement but not immediate EPS drivers. American Express Debuts New Membership Experiences
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts flagged macro uncertainty; JPMorgan recently trimmed its price target on AXP citing the backdrop, and consensus ratings remain largely in the "Hold" camp—these views cap upside. AXP PT Slashed by JPMorgan on Uncertain Macro Outlook

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Express

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in American Express by 24.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,481 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $1,924,000 after buying an additional 1,273 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of American Express in the second quarter valued at about $428,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of American Express in the third quarter valued at about $135,000. Rossby Financial LCC boosted its position in shares of American Express by 17.6% during the 4th quarter. Rossby Financial LCC now owns 321 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $119,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in American Express during the fourth quarter worth $93,000. 84.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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