ABN AMRO Bank N.V. Boosts Stake in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• ABN AMRO Bank N.V. sharply increased its stake in American Express by 742.9% in the fourth quarter, ending with 7,670 shares valued at about $2.85 million.
• American Express reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $4.28 per share, though revenue of $14.22 billion missed analyst estimates despite rising 11.4% year over year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 per share from $0.82, while analysts currently hold a consensus "Hold" rating with an average price target of $357.47.

ABN AMRO Bank N.V. grew its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 742.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 7,670 shares of the payment services company's stock after buying an additional 6,760 shares during the period. ABN AMRO Bank N.V.'s holdings in American Express were worth $2,845,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 1,273 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in shares of American Express by 13.0% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,738 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $554,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. acquired a new position in American Express in the second quarter valued at $428,000. Howland Capital Management LLC increased its stake in American Express by 4.2% in the second quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $707,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in American Express by 19.9% during the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,898 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $924,000 after buying an additional 481 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Express Stock Performance

American Express stock opened at $312.35 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $213.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.08. American Express Company has a 12 month low of $281.46 and a 12 month high of $387.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The stock's 50-day moving average is $310.41 and its 200-day moving average is $343.51.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.60 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.64 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 17.59 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. This is a positive change from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.71%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was 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 directly owned 9,433 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,270,704.09. This represents a 46.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on AXP shares. Bank of America lifted their price target on American Express from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Truist Financial cut their price objective on shares of American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 23rd. BTIG Research reissued a "sell" rating and issued a $285.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research report on Friday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $357.47.

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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