American Express Company $AXP Shares Purchased by Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Birch Hill Investment Advisors dramatically increased its American Express stake by 6,378.6% in the third quarter, acquiring 143,519 additional shares and ending with a position worth approximately $44.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 84.33% of AXP.
• Analysts maintain a generally favorable outlook, with American Express receiving a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $365.63, despite several recent target reductions.
• American Express exceeded quarterly EPS expectations, reporting $4.53 versus the $4.41 consensus, while revenue rose 10% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share, representing a 1.2% annualized yield.

Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 6,378.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 145,769 shares of the payment services company's stock after acquiring an additional 143,519 shares during the quarter. American Express comprises approximately 1.9% of Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in American Express were worth $44,328,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AXP. Onyx Bridge Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Onyx Bridge Wealth Group LLC now owns 869 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $263,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Crown Wealth Group LLC grew its position in American Express by 5.2% in the 1st quarter. Crown Wealth Group LLC now owns 669 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $202,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Riverbend Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of American Express by 0.8% during the third quarter. Riverbend Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,534 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $1,379,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. KRS Capital Management LLC raised its position in American Express by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. KRS Capital Management LLC now owns 5,633 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $1,704,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allegheny Financial Group increased its stake in shares of American Express by 0.9% during the first quarter. Allegheny Financial Group now owns 3,956 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $1,197,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on AXP shares. Bank of America raised their price objective on American Express from $387.00 to $391.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. UBS Group lowered their price target on American Express from $384.00 to $345.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on American Express from $415.00 to $400.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of American Express from $364.00 to $342.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their price objective on American Express from $375.00 to $370.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, American Express presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $365.63.

American Express Price Performance

NYSE:AXP opened at $313.47 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $211.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $290.97 and a 52 week high of $387.49. The stock's fifty day moving average is $321.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $325.29.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The payment services company reported $4.53 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.41 by $0.12. American Express had a net margin of 15.07% and a return on equity of 34.12%. The firm had revenue of $14.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.70 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.08 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.65 EPS for the current year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 10th. Investors of record on Friday, October 9th will be issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.06%.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong consumer spending—particularly among affluent customers—continues to support American Express’s payment volumes and earnings outlook. Analysts also point to Wall Street wealth effects as a potential tailwind for discretionary spending. 3 Stocks to Watch as Wall Street Wealth Fuels Consumer Spending
• Positive Sentiment: American Express is expected to benefit from rising interest income, with consensus estimates calling for year-over-year earnings growth in the upcoming quarterly report. The company’s full-year 2026 EPS guidance remains $17.30 to $17.90. Will Rising Expenses Affect American Express’ Q3 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: The Rakuten American Express Card received a limited-edition NARUTO SHIPPUDEN design, helping refresh the card’s marketing appeal while retaining its existing cash-back rewards and benefits. Rakuten Introduces Limited Edition NARUTO SHIPPUDEN Credit Card Design
• Neutral Sentiment: American Express is developing AI-powered payment security for purchases initiated by autonomous shopping agents. The technology could support future transaction growth, but its financial impact is not yet clear. Can American Express Turn AI Commerce Into a New Growth Driver?
• Negative Sentiment: Higher operating expenses are expected to pressure margins and may offset some of the benefit from stronger spending and interest income. Zacks also indicates that AXP lacks the typical combination of factors supporting a likely earnings beat, increasing pre-earnings uncertainty. American Express Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Despite its favorable growth profile, American Express trades at a premium valuation, leaving less room for disappointment if quarterly revenue, expenses, or guidance fall short of expectations. Rising credit-card delinquencies are an additional sector risk.

American Express Company Profile

American Express Company is a global financial services company that provides payment, lending, travel and expense management products and services. Its offerings include consumer and small-business charge and credit cards, corporate payment programs, business financing solutions, deposit products and digital payment services.

The company operates an integrated payments network that connects card members, merchants and financial institutions. American Express also provides merchant acquisition and payment processing services, data and analytics, fraud prevention tools, and customer loyalty programs.

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.