American Express Company $AXP Shares Purchased by Ethic Inc.

Ethic Inc. increased its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 4.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 83,141 shares of the payment services company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,378 shares during the period. American Express makes up about 0.5% of Ethic Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in American Express were worth $30,758,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AXP. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 153.3% in the third quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of American Express during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Express during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in American Express in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in American Express in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Warren Buffett publicly praised Greg Abel, reinforcing the market’s view that Berkshire’s leadership remains constructive on high-quality financial names like American Express. Warren Buffett: “I'd rather have Greg handling my money than any of the top investment advisors or any of the top CEOs of the United States.”
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple articles highlighted American Express as a Berkshire favorite and one of Buffett’s best value ideas for 2026, which can support sentiment around AXP as a durable, cash-generating franchise. American Express (AXP) – Among the 10 Best Value Stocks to Buy in 2026 According to Warren Buffett
• Positive Sentiment: American Express’ move to sell its remaining stake in American Express Global Business Travel for about $1.5 billion was described as helping the company refocus on its core card business, which investors often view favorably. American Express Exit From GBT Refocuses Capital On Core Card Engine
• Positive Sentiment: American Express also launched an AI upskilling initiative for small businesses, a potentially positive long-term move that could deepen customer relationships and strengthen its small-business ecosystem. American Express Uses AI Upskilling To Deepen Small Business Relationships
• Neutral Sentiment: Shareholders reaffirmed the board, executive pay, and auditor at the annual meeting, removing a potential governance overhang but likely not a major near-term stock catalyst. American Express Shareholders Reaffirm Board, Pay and Auditor
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles comparing AXP with other value stocks or peers are generally informational and do not appear to be driving the move on their own. INTR vs. AXP: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Insider Transactions at American Express

In related news, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total value of $5,348,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 8,945 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. This represents a 62.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were 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. The trade was a 46.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on AXP. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $395.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of American Express from $323.00 to $322.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Evercore set a $345.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price target on American Express in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, American Express currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $357.47.

American Express Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE AXP opened at $315.79 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $215.47 billion, a PE ratio of 19.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.57. The company's fifty day moving average price is $311.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $344.05. American Express Company has a 1 year low of $281.46 and a 1 year high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.60 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.13% and a return on equity of 33.95%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.64 earnings per share. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.59 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

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

American Express 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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