American Express Company $AXP Shares Purchased by M&T Bank Corp

Key Points

• M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in American Express by 34.6% in Q4, adding 54,324 shares to hold 211,428 shares worth about $78.22 million.
• American Express raised its quarterly dividend from $0.82 to $0.95 (annualized $3.80), with an ex-dividend date of April 2 and a May 8 payment, implying a ~1.2% yield.
• Amex is accelerating AI initiatives—including the acquisition of Hypercard and new AI payment tools—which investors view as strategically important for expanding commercial services and improving long-term margins.

M&T Bank Corp grew its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 34.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 211,428 shares of the payment services company's stock after acquiring an additional 54,324 shares during the quarter. M&T Bank Corp's holdings in American Express were worth $78,218,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Trajan Wealth LLC raised its position in American Express by 30.9% in the third quarter. Trajan Wealth LLC now owns 24,901 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $8,271,000 after acquiring an additional 5,881 shares in the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in American Express by 218.7% during the 3rd quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,540 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $2,837,000 after buying an additional 5,860 shares during the period. ZEGA Investments LLC acquired a new stake in American Express during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,080,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in American Express by 11.7% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. now owns 82,863 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $27,524,000 after buying an additional 8,651 shares during the period. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its holdings in American Express by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,598,743 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $531,038,000 after buying an additional 4,080 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

American Express Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE AXP opened at $329.71 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $315.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $344.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $226.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.42, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.13. American Express Company has a one year low of $246.37 and a one year high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.54 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.91 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.04 earnings per share. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.53 EPS for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd will be paid a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This is a positive change from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. American Express's dividend payout ratio is currently 24.69%.

American Express News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Amex raised its dividend ~16% and rolled out AI payment tools (ACE Developer Kit, Amex Agent Purchase Protection), reinforcing cash return to shareholders and potential revenue/engagement upside from new products. American Express (AXP) Valuation Check As Earnings, Dividend Rise And New AI Payment Tools Draw Attention
• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition of Hypercard and related AI investments are positioned to accelerate AI-driven expense automation and commercial services, which could expand Amex’s corporate offerings and long-term margins. How Will AmEx's Hyper Acquisition Expand Its AI Capabilities?
• Positive Sentiment: Industry commentary frames Amex’s AI-focused moves as strategically significant for fintech corporate finance, signaling a deeper competitive moat if executed well. American Express’s AI focused Acquisition Signals a Deeper Shift in Fintech’s Corporate Finance Race
• Positive Sentiment: Positive investor sentiment is amplified by Berkshire Hathaway/Buffett coverage and commentary highlighting Amex’s durable cash generation and pricing power. That narrative often supports valuation multiples and steady shareholder demand. Warren Buffett’s American Express rides platinum card change wave
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on tomorrow’s Q1 print; previews analyze key metrics beyond EPS (spend, discount revenue, net interest margin) that will drive the reaction. Earnings uncertainty can cause short-term volatility. American Express (AXP) Reports Earnings Tomorrow: What To Expect
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimate roundups and metric-level expectations (Zacks, Yahoo) are being tracked to set expectations on spend trends and commercial card adoption; these previews help set the benchmark for the print. Exploring Analyst Estimates for American Express (AXP) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Negative Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains a “Hold,” signaling limited near-term upside from some institutional analysts despite the headline positives — this can cap momentum if earnings fail to materially beat expectations. American Express Company NYSE: AXP Given Consensus Rating of "Hold" by Brokerages

Insider Transactions at American Express

In related news, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 8,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. This represents a 62.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total value of $8,346,340.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 7,754 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,767,480.14. The trade was a 75.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays dropped their target price on American Express from $367.00 to $323.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 6th. BTIG Research lowered their price target on American Express from $328.00 to $285.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $420.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $395.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $354.16.

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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