American Express Company $AXP Shares Sold by HighTower Advisors LLC

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors LLC cut its American Express stake by 6.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 31,787 shares and ending with 432,185 shares valued at about $159.9 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with several firms raising price targets or upgrading the stock, while the overall consensus stays at Hold with an average target price of $357.47.
• American Express reported better-than-expected EPS of $4.28 for the latest quarter and increased its quarterly dividend to $0.95 from $0.82, though revenue came in below estimates.

HighTower Advisors LLC lowered its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 6.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 432,185 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 31,787 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC owned about 0.06% of American Express worth $159,887,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in American Express by 27.0% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 3,970,416 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $1,310,515,000 after purchasing an additional 845,283 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its stake in American Express by 23.9% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 2,787,580 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $925,449,000 after buying an additional 537,205 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in American Express in the third quarter valued at $153,292,000. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab bought a new stake in shares of American Express during the fourth quarter valued at about $166,848,000. Finally, Capital Wealth Planning LLC raised its stake in shares of American Express by 18.5% during the third quarter. Capital Wealth Planning LLC now owns 2,169,242 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $720,535,000 after purchasing an additional 337,991 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company's stock.

American Express News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Freedom Broker raised its view on American Express to Buy from Hold and lifted its price target to $370 from $325, signaling confidence in the company’s earnings power and valuation. American Express (AXP) Gets Price Target Hike from Freedom Broker despite Unchanged Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: American Express Canada launched a new Chef in Residence program to expand Platinum dining experiences, reinforcing the company’s premium-card positioning and member engagement strategy. American Express Canada Expands Platinum Dining Experiences with New American Express Chef in Residence Program
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays initiated or maintained a Hold-type stance on American Express, suggesting analysts see limited near-term upside after the latest results rather than a strong catalyst. American Express (AXP) Gets a Hold from Barclays
• Neutral Sentiment: A consumer-loan satisfaction report showed non-bank lenders closing the gap with banks, which is relevant to American Express because it highlights rising competition in consumer finance, but it does not directly change AXP’s outlook on its own. Non-Bank Lenders Close Satisfaction Gap with Banks as Consumer Loan Satisfaction Remains Flat, JD Power Finds
• Negative Sentiment: Investor reaction to American Express’s first-quarter earnings was described as lukewarm, and a portfolio update from Artisan Select Equity Fund listed AXP among its worst contributors, suggesting sentiment around the stock has cooled despite solid fundamentals. Is American Express Stock Still Worth Buying After Earnings? Artisan Select Equity Fund Q1 2026 Portfolio Update

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial cut their price objective on shares of American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Bank of America lifted their price target on American Express from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Freedom Capital raised American Express from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. BTIG Research reiterated a "sell" rating and issued a $285.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight 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.com, American Express has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $357.47.

American Express Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of AXP opened at $309.42 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73. American Express Company has a 12-month low of $281.46 and a 12-month high of $387.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $211.13 billion, a PE ratio of 19.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.08. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $311.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $341.59.

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

American Express Increases Dividend

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