American Express (NYSE:AXP) Upgraded at Piper Sandler

Key Points

• Piper Sandler upgraded American Express to a strong-buy rating, adding to a generally positive analyst backdrop for the stock.
• Other firms remain mixed: Bank of America and DZ Bank are bullish, while JPMorgan is neutral and BTIG still has a sell rating. Overall, MarketBeat shows a Moderate Buy consensus with an average target price of $365.05.
• American Express shares were down 0.8% to $338.15 on Monday, and the company recently reported Q1 EPS of $4.28, beating estimates even as revenue came in below expectations.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) was upgraded by research analysts at Piper Sandler to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Bank of America raised their price objective on American Express from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. DZ Bank upgraded American Express from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $375.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on American Express from $375.00 to $325.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Evercore set a $345.00 price target on American Express in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $365.05.

American Express Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE AXP opened at $338.15 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $230.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.06. American Express has a 52 week low of $288.34 and a 52 week high of $387.49. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $321.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $333.62. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.01 by $0.27. American Express had a net margin of 15.13% and a return on equity of 33.95%. The company had revenue of $14.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.60 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.64 earnings per share. The firm'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. Equities research analysts anticipate that American Express will post 17.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Express

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP raised 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 acquiring an additional 19,429 shares in the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 10,495 shares in the last quarter. Investment Research Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Express during the 3rd quarter worth $1,573,000. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd increased its stake in shares of American Express by 34.1% during the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 139,887 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $51,751,000 after purchasing an additional 35,533 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB raised its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 144,512 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express announced that U.S. card members can now redeem Membership Rewards points directly in Apple Pay checkout, expanding everyday points usage and potentially improving cardholder loyalty and spend. Amex and Apple Pay Enable Users to Pay With Points
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary highlighted American Express as a stock worth watching, with bullish write-ups citing resilient lending programs and the company’s credit performance metrics as signs of stable asset quality. Resilient Lending Programs Assert American Express Company (AXP) as a Stock to Buy for Good Returns
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG raised its price target on American Express but kept a sell rating, signaling mixed analyst sentiment rather than a clear bullish catalyst. American Express price target raised by BTIG Research
• Neutral Sentiment: American Express is also building a stablecoin and blockchain partnerships team, which suggests long-term innovation efforts but is too early to have a clear near-term earnings impact. American Express Builds a Stablecoin Team With VP Role Paying Up to $282,000

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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