American Express Company $AXP Shares Purchased by Generali Asset Management SPA SGR

Key Points

• Generali Asset Management increased its stake in American Express by 10.2% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 63,184 shares valued at about $23.4 million.
• American Express reported quarterly earnings of $4.28 per share, topping estimates, while revenue rose 11.4% year over year to $14.22 billion. The company also set FY 2026 EPS guidance of 17.30 to 17.90.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 per share from $0.82, and analysts currently have a consensus rating of Hold with an average price target of $357.47.

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR boosted its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 10.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 63,184 shares of the payment services company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,869 shares during the period. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR's holdings in American Express were worth $23,375,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. increased its holdings in American Express by 153.3% in the 3rd 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 last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in American Express in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in American Express in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in American Express in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in American Express in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the company's stock.

American Express News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Launched global AI upskilling and scholarship programs aimed at small businesses — aims to deepen SME relationships, increase Amex-branded product usefulness, and boost card usage/retention among small-business customers. American Express Uses AI Upskilling To Deepen Small Business Relationships
• Positive Sentiment: Official press release and program rollout detail: AI Upskilling for Small Business and scholarship initiative (courses in English/Spanish) broaden Amex’s SME product ecosystem and provide a tangible customer-acquisition/retention tool. American Express Launches New AI Training and Scholarship Programs for Small Businesses
• Positive Sentiment: Exit from Global Business Travel (GBT) to redeploy capital toward core card and payments capabilities — a strategic refocus that could improve return on capital and simplify operations. American Express Exit From GBT Refocuses Capital On Core Card Engine
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst comparison piece weighing Inter & Co. (INTR) vs. AXP from a value-investing lens — useful for relative-valuation context but not a company-specific catalyst. INTR vs. AXP: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Visa reported a strong quarter and triggered estimate upgrades, which can tighten competitive dynamics and investor appetite for payments names viewed as richly valued — a near-term headwind for AXP multiple expansion. Visa's Q2 Beat Sparks Estimate Upgrades: Should Investors Jump In Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Sector credit-risk debate (Capital One coverage) and broader fintech/credit worries could spill over to card issuers’ sentiment, pressuring multiples despite company-specific positives. Capital One’s Big Bet Faces Rising Credit Risk (AXP)

Insider Buying and Selling at American Express

In other news, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of American Express stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total transaction of $5,348,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. The trade was a 62.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of American Express stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $346.73, for a total transaction of $2,820,301.82. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 9,433 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,270,704.09. This trade represents a 46.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

American Express Price Performance

American Express stock opened at $318.67 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $217.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $311.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of $344.05. American Express Company has a 12-month low of $278.73 and a 12-month high of $387.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.01 by $0.27. The business 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 company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.64 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. This is an increase from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. American Express's dividend payout ratio is presently 23.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on AXP. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $395.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target 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. Weiss Ratings cut shares of American Express from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on shares of American Express from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, American Express currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $357.47.

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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