BTIG Research Reiterates Sell Rating for American Express (NYSE:AXP)

Key Points

• BTIG Research reiterated a Sell rating on American Express with a $285 price target, implying roughly a 10.5% downside from the stock's current level.
• American Express reported an EPS beat for Q1 ($4.28 vs. $4.01) but management flagged a wide FY‑2026 guidance range and higher planned spending, producing mixed investor reactions.
• Market consensus remains a "Hold" with an average price target of $361.05 (8 Buys, 13 Holds, 1 Sell), institutional investors own about 84% of the shares, while insiders have sold meaningful stock recently.

American Express (NYSE:AXP)'s stock had its "sell" rating reaffirmed by analysts at BTIG Research in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $285.00 target price on the payment services company's stock. BTIG Research's price objective points to a potential downside of 10.52% from the stock's current price.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on AXP. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, January 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $420.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays set a $322.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target 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. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, American Express currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $361.05.

American Express Stock Performance

Shares of AXP stock opened at $318.51 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $218.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.70, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.13. 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 company has a 50-day simple moving average of $314.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $344.38. American Express has a 52 week low of $257.21 and a 52 week high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last announced 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. The business had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.60 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. American Express's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.64 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that American Express will post 17.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at American Express

In other American Express news, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total value of $5,348,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. This trade represents a 62.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total transaction of $9,599,024.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 20,394 shares in the company, valued at $7,138,103.94. This trade represents a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AXP. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of American Express by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 29,464,868 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $10,900,528,000 after purchasing an additional 369,967 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in American Express by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,023,482 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $3,338,238,000 after acquiring an additional 141,936 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in American Express by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,850,298 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $2,904,218,000 after acquiring an additional 558,533 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its stake in shares of American Express by 46.7% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,515,675 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $2,780,424,000 after purchasing an additional 2,393,340 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter worth about $2,464,215,000. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on profit and spending. Reported EPS of $4.28 topped estimates and management cited the strongest card‑member spending growth in ~3 years, lifting revenue to roughly $18.9B — a clear near‑term earnings beat that supports the business’s premium customer momentum. Reuters: Amex beats profit estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Premium customer mix, partnerships and product pushes underpin growth. Management highlighted strength in travel/luxury categories, an expanding younger card base and strategic deals (including the new NFL global payments partnership) plus AI and product initiatives that should help revenue and fee growth. Benzinga: NFL deal & revenue growth PYMNTS: millennials & AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Long‑term investor backing provides confidence but limited near‑term impact. AXP remains a long‑held Berkshire/Holdings favorite, signaling durable brand and franchise value — useful for long‑term investors but not a catalyst for today’s price move. Yahoo: AXP longest‑held by Buffett
• Neutral Sentiment: Company reaffirmed FY outlook but guidance sits in a wide range. Management reiterated full‑year targets (EPS and revenue ranges), which are roughly in line with consensus but leave room for investor interpretation — neither a clear positive nor outright warning on its own. Yahoo: Amex reaffirms guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious guidance and higher investment/expense plans weighed on the stock. Despite the beat, management signaled increased spending and a conservative EPS/revenue range that disappointed some investors, prompting an intraday selloff. ProactiveInvestors: cautious outlook & rising expenses
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical and macro concerns sapped sentiment. Re‑escalation in the Middle East and related inflation/flight‑risk worries made investors more risk‑averse, reducing enthusiasm for cyclical travel/consumer exposure even with positive company results. TheStreet: geopolitics and sentiment
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst moves have trimmed upside. Recent price‑target cuts and neutral/hold notes (e.g., broader macro caution reflected in JPMorgan’s earlier PT adjustment) tighten near‑term expectations for the stock. InsiderMonkey: JPMorgan PT cut

About American Express

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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