11,545 Shares in American Express Company $AXP Purchased by Spartan Wealth Advisory Services LLC

Key Points

• Spartan Wealth Advisory Services opened a new position in American Express, buying 11,545 shares worth about $3.49 million in the first quarter.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with 84.33% of American Express shares held by institutions; several large investors also recently increased their stakes.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but mostly constructive: the stock has a Moderate Buy consensus, though recent ratings from Jefferies and Barclays were both Hold. American Express also reported EPS that beat expectations in its latest quarter and recently declared a $0.95 quarterly dividend.

Spartan Wealth Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 11,545 shares of the payment services company's stock, valued at approximately $3,492,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp raised its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 369,967 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its position in American Express by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,023,482 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $3,338,238,000 after purchasing an additional 141,936 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of American Express by 7.7% in the 4th 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 purchasing an additional 558,533 shares during the period. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in shares of American Express by 46.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,515,675 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $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 during the fourth quarter valued at about $2,464,215,000. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies reiterated its Hold rating on American Express, signaling a wait-and-see stance rather than a more bullish upgrade. Jefferies Sticks to Their Hold Rating for American Express (AXP)
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays also kept a Hold rating on AXP, reinforcing the view that analysts are not seeing an immediate upside catalyst. Barclays Keeps Their Hold Rating on American Express (AXP)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks-related coverage noted that American Express has been attracting trading attention, but the article does not point to a fresh operational update or earnings surprise. Here is What to Know Beyond Why American Express Company (AXP) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Another Zacks piece similarly frames AXP as a trending stock without adding a new fundamental driver. Here is What to Know Beyond Why American Express Company (AXP) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage ahead of earnings highlighted that American Express was expected to report results soon, but the item itself did not provide a new beat/miss or guidance update. American Express (AXP) Projected to Release Earnings on Friday

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on AXP. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of American Express from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Piper Sandler downgraded American Express from an "overweight" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. TD Cowen increased their target price on American Express from $330.00 to $338.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. UBS Group raised their target price on American Express from $340.00 to $386.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price target on American Express from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, American Express presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $374.15.

American Express Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of NYSE AXP opened at $355.44 on Friday. 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 $242.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.04. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $329.39 and a 200 day moving average of $331.33. 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 (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27. American Express had a net margin of 15.13% and a return on equity of 33.95%. The business had revenue of $14.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.60 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.64 earnings per share. The business's revenue 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. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express's payout ratio is currently 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.

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