American Express Company $AXP Shares Purchased by Thames Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Thames Capital Management significantly increased its stake in American Express, boosting holdings by 189.6% in the fourth quarter to 80,463 shares valued at about $29.8 million. American Express now represents roughly 4.3% of the fund’s portfolio.
• American Express reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, with EPS of $4.28 versus the $4.01 consensus estimate and revenue up 11.4% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 per share from $0.82.
• Analysts remain mixed on the stock: recent price target changes included both upgrades and cuts, and MarketBeat’s summary shows an overall Hold rating with an average price target of $359.05. Shares were trading below their 200-day moving average and well under the 52-week high.

Thames Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 189.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 80,463 shares of the payment services company's stock after buying an additional 52,679 shares during the quarter. American Express accounts for about 4.3% of Thames Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Thames Capital Management LLC's holdings in American Express were worth $29,767,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. MUFG Securities EMEA plc lifted its position in shares of American Express by 112.0% during the fourth quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc now owns 22,027 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $8,149,000 after purchasing an additional 11,638 shares in the last quarter. Bearing Point Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of American Express by 9.1% during the fourth quarter. Bearing Point Capital LLC now owns 30,441 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $11,262,000 after purchasing an additional 2,547 shares in the last quarter. Texas Yale Capital Corp. lifted its position in shares of American Express by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Texas Yale Capital Corp. now owns 3,648 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $1,350,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Sfmg LLC lifted its position in shares of American Express by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Sfmg LLC now owns 1,316 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $487,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fortis Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of American Express during the fourth quarter valued at about $218,000. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express launched a new business card aimed at niche small and midsize businesses, including interior designers, which suggests continued product expansion and a push to deepen relationships with higher-value commercial customers. American Express Targets Niche SMEs With New Interior Designer Business Card
• Positive Sentiment: American Express cardmembers can now tap and ride on more transit systems across Canada, a small but constructive sign that the company is expanding everyday payment usage and improving card utility. American Express Cardmembers Can Now Tap and Ride on More Transit Systems Across Canada
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and conference coverage highlighted American Express at Bernstein’s strategic decisions conference and followed up on its strong first-quarter results, reinforcing the view that fundamentals remain solid even as consumers face pressure. American Express Keeps Buy Rating After Stellar Q1, Despite Clouds Over Consumer Confidence
• Neutral Sentiment: Options-market activity has drawn attention, which can signal expectations for a meaningful move, but the article does not provide a clear fundamental catalyst by itself. Do Options Traders Know Something About American Express Stock We Don't?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several items were mostly background or general-interest pieces about the company’s history, workforce, or Buffett ownership rather than immediate stock drivers. History of American Express: Company timeline & facts
• Negative Sentiment: There was no major negative company-specific news in the latest set, but broader commentary noted ongoing concerns about consumer confidence, which could temper enthusiasm if spending slows. American Express Keeps Buy Rating After Stellar Q1, Despite Clouds Over Consumer Confidence

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of American Express from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of American Express from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of American Express from $395.00 to $385.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $359.05.

American Express Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $316.55 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $312.81 and a 200 day moving average of $338.90. The stock has a market cap of $215.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.08. American Express Company has a 12 month low of $286.15 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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%. American Express'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. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast 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 was paid on Friday, May 8th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This is an increase from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 2nd. American Express's dividend payout ratio is presently 23.71%.

About American Express

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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