American Express Company $AXP Shares Sold by Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA

Key Points

• Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA trimmed its stake in American Express (AXP) by 10.6% in Q4, selling 686,853 shares and leaving it with 5,807,459 shares valued at about $2.15 billion (≈0.84% of AXP and its 29th largest holding).
• Insider selling has been notable recently: Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares ($5.35M) and Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares ($9.6M), with insiders selling 73,944 shares worth ~$26.1M in the past three months (insiders now own 0.20%).
• Analyst sentiment is mixed—MarketBeat consensus is a Hold with an average target of $351.20 while JPMorgan cut its target sharply to $325—meanwhile AXP raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 (annual $3.80, yield 1.2%).

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lessened its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 10.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,807,459 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 686,853 shares during the period. American Express makes up 0.7% of Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA's portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned approximately 0.84% of American Express worth $2,148,469,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of AXP. Trajan Wealth LLC increased its stake in American Express by 30.9% during the 3rd quarter. Trajan Wealth LLC now owns 24,901 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $8,271,000 after buying an additional 5,881 shares during the period. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. increased its stake 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 valued at $2,837,000 after buying an additional 5,860 shares during the period. ZEGA Investments LLC acquired a new position in American Express during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,080,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. increased its stake 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 valued at $27,524,000 after buying an additional 8,651 shares during the period. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its stake 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 valued at $531,038,000 after buying an additional 4,080 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other American Express news, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were 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 $3,189,608.10. This trade represents a 62.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total transaction of $9,599,024.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 20,394 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,138,103.94. The trade was a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights AXP for earnings growth and price strength, naming it a stock to watch — a momentum/earnings-based endorsement that can attract investors. Earnings Growth & Price Strength Make American Express (AXP) a Stock to Watch
• Positive Sentiment: Seasonality study (Benzinga) points to a historical April–June lift for AXP, with a recurring mid‑April buy signal — this creates a short-term technical tailwind for traders. American Express Has A Spring Pattern: History Says April 14 Is The Buy Signal
• Neutral Sentiment: Kalkine reports AXP tracking valuation metrics within the S&P 500 — useful context on relative valuation but not an immediate catalyst. American Express NYSE: AXP Tracks Valuation Metrics Within S&P 500 Chart
• Neutral Sentiment: Visa’s push on AI-driven commerce (Intelligent Commerce Connect) is industry‑level news — potential longer‑term competitive pressure, but not an immediate earnings shock to AXP. How Can Visa's Intelligent Commerce Connect Power AI Agents?
• Neutral Sentiment: MarketBeat / newsletter pieces discuss sector picks and analyst commentary that may shift investor interest into/away from financials; informative but not a direct catalyst. 3 Sectors to Buy While They're Down and 1 to Walk Away From
• Neutral Sentiment: Globe and Mail roundup and Delta’s strong Q1 revenue both add macro/sector color — Delta’s travel strength supports consumer spend trends that benefit card issuers like Amex. Analysts Offer Insights on Financial Companies: MSCI (MSCI) and American Express (AXP)
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered its AXP price target from $425 to $415 while keeping an Overweight rating — a modest negative signal that trims upside expectations. Wells Fargo Lowers AXP Target, Says Consumer Trends Remain Resilient
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its price target sharply (reported from $375 to $325) and moved to a Neutral rating — this is the largest near-term negative catalyst and likely the main driver of selling pressure. American Express price target cut coverage

Analyst Ratings Changes

AXP has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $395.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of American Express in a research note on Friday, March 27th. TD Cowen reissued a "hold" rating on shares of American Express in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research note on Friday. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $351.20.

American Express Stock Performance

NYSE:AXP opened at $313.83 on Friday. American Express Company has a twelve month low of $239.27 and a twelve month high of $387.49. 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 company has a 50-day moving average of $318.93 and a 200-day moving average of $344.94. The firm has a market cap of $215.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.13.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.54 by ($0.01). American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The business had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.04 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm 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 a positive change from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. American Express's payout ratio is 24.69%.

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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