American Express Company $AXP Shares Bought by Aptus Capital Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in American Express by 19.6% in the fourth quarter, holding 47,299 shares valued at about $17.5 million at quarter-end.
• Analysts remain mixed on the stock: while some firms recently trimmed price targets, the overall consensus rating is still Hold with an average target price of $359.05.
• American Express reported Q1 earnings of $4.28 per share, beating estimates, though revenue of $14.22 billion came in below expectations; the company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share.

Aptus Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 19.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 47,299 shares of the payment services company's stock after acquiring an additional 7,737 shares during the quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in American Express were worth $17,498,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. CreativeOne Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of American Express by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 13,624 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $5,040,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. Cordoba Advisory Partners LLC acquired a new stake in American Express during the 4th quarter worth approximately $201,000. Burton Enright Welch acquired a new stake in American Express during the 4th quarter worth approximately $495,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC increased its position in American Express by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 69,128 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $25,574,000 after purchasing an additional 2,838 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in American Express by 96.2% during the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 514 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $190,000 after purchasing an additional 252 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AXP has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price 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. Loop Capital initiated coverage on shares of American Express in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $389.00 target price for the company. Finally, Evercore set a $345.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $359.05.

American Express Stock Down 0.0%

NYSE AXP opened at $325.37 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $222.01 billion, a PE ratio of 20.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.06. American Express Company has a fifty-two week low of $286.15 and a fifty-two week high of $387.49. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $315.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $335.85. 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 released its quarterly earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.60 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.American Express's quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.64 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be paid 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 is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express's dividend payout ratio is 23.71%.

Key Stories Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express and Delta Air Lines rolled out refreshed SkyMiles card benefits, updated card designs, and new welcome offers for card members, which could help support cardholder growth and spending. American Express Company (AXP) and Delta Refresh SkyMiles Card Benefits
• Positive Sentiment: CNBC’s “Final Trades” highlighted American Express as a top pick, which can add investor attention and reinforce confidence in the stock. American Express, Live Nation And A Health Care Stock: CNBC's 'Final Trades'
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recent writeups note that analysts remain cautious on American Express, with consensus ratings around “Hold,” suggesting the market may be waiting for clearer evidence of earnings momentum. American Express Company NYSE: AXP Given Consensus Rating of "Hold" by Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage also pointed to a cautious post-earnings tone, indicating investors are still assessing whether American Express can sustain growth after its recent results. American Express Draws Cautious Market Attention After Results
• Neutral Sentiment: News that American Express will break ground next month on its tower at Two World Trade Center is strategically important, but it is unlikely to be a near-term stock driver. American Express to break ground on tower next month at Two World Trade Center — major milestone for tragic site

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.