American Express Company $AXP Position Boosted by a16z Perennial Management L.P.

Key Points

• a16z Perennial Management sharply increased its American Express stake in Q1, buying enough shares to lift its holding by 17,113.6% to 116,708 shares worth about $35.3 million.
• Wall Street sentiment is mixed: several firms raised price targets and kept buy ratings, but others downgraded AXP to hold. Overall, the stock carries a Moderate Buy consensus with an average target of $374.11.
• Investors are watching American Express’s July 24 Q2 2026 earnings report, while the company also highlighted new B2B payment partnership and product expansions that could support long-term transaction growth.

a16z Perennial Management L.P. increased its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 17,113.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 116,708 shares of the payment services company's stock after acquiring an additional 116,030 shares during the quarter. American Express comprises about 2.9% of a16z Perennial Management L.P.'s portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. a16z Perennial Management L.P.'s holdings in American Express were worth $35,302,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Keybank National Association OH raised its stake 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 valued at $132,909,000 after buying an additional 10,495 shares during the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd increased its holdings in American Express by 34.1% in 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 acquiring an additional 35,533 shares in the last quarter. Country Trust Bank increased its stake in shares of American Express by 14.0% during the fourth quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 121,774 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $45,050,000 after purchasing an additional 14,931 shares in the last quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp increased its stake in shares of American Express by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp now owns 65,997 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $24,416,000 after purchasing an additional 3,855 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thames Capital Management LLC raised its stake in American Express by 189.6% in the 4th quarter. Thames Capital Management LLC now owns 80,463 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $29,767,000 after purchasing an additional 52,679 shares during the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on AXP. Bank of America upped their price objective on American Express from $387.00 to $391.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of American Express from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of American Express from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Piper Sandler downgraded American Express from an "overweight" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Freedom Capital raised shares of American Express from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $374.11.

American Express News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express and Bottomline announced an expanded partnership to improve B2B payment connectivity through Buyer Initiated Payments, adding new payment and automated invoice reporting capabilities that could support long-term transaction growth. Bottomline and American Express Partner to Expand B2B Payment Connectivity Through Paymode
• Positive Sentiment: Amex said its new B2B payment feature and reporting tools are designed to make invoice-based payments easier for buyers and suppliers, which could strengthen customer retention and commercial payments usage. American Express Launches Intelligent Capabilities to Help Streamline Buyer and Supplier Payments
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also focused on AXP’s second-quarter 2026 earnings report due July 24, with consensus calling for $4.40 in EPS and $19.62 billion in revenue, making the stock sensitive to any guidance or performance surprise. Can AmEx Beat Q2 Earnings on Higher Network Volumes & Interest Income?
• Neutral Sentiment: KEO Capital also renewed its American Express licensing agreement in Mexico, reinforcing a long-running partnership and suggesting continued international commercial card activity. KEO Capital Renews American Express Licensing Agreement in Mexico
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary continues to compare AXP unfavorably with Visa, noting Visa’s asset-light model and AI/payment initiatives as potential reasons it may be viewed as the stronger long-term pick. Visa vs. American Express: Which Payments Giant Is the Better Pick?

American Express Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of AXP stock opened at $351.01 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $239.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.90, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $330.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $330.74. American Express Company has a twelve month low of $288.34 and a twelve month high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.01 by $0.27. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.The firm had revenue of $14.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.60 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.64 earnings per share. The business's quarterly 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. Research analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 17.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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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