American Express Company $AXP Shares Sold by Meitav Investment House Ltd.

Key Points

• Meitav Investment House Ltd. cut its stake in American Express by 44.7% in the first quarter, selling 15,933 shares and leaving it with 19,696 shares worth about $5.95 million.
• American Express reported Q1 EPS of $4.28, topping estimates, though revenue of $14.21 billion came in below the consensus forecast. The company also raised its FY 2026 EPS guidance to $17.30-$17.90.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share, payable August 10, which works out to an annualized $3.80 yield of about 1.1%.

Meitav Investment House Ltd. trimmed its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 44.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 19,696 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 15,933 shares during the quarter. Meitav Investment House Ltd.'s holdings in American Express were worth $5,947,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capital Asset Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of American Express by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital Asset Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,214 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $465,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Lantz Financial LLC grew its stake in American Express by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Lantz Financial LLC now owns 808 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $299,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Financial Management Network Inc. grew its stake in American Express by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Financial Management Network Inc. now owns 3,740 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $1,394,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. increased its holdings in American Express by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. now owns 2,620 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $969,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY raised its stake in American Express by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY now owns 1,400 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $518,000 after buying an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Express Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AXP traded down $4.81 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $351.22. 748,315 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,394,933. The stock has a market capitalization of $239.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.95, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.04. The business's fifty day moving average is $322.50 and its 200-day moving average is $332.93. American Express Company has a one year low of $288.34 and a one year high of $387.49. 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 (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.The business had revenue of $14.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.60 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.64 EPS. The business's revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.71%.

American Express News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on American Express to $386 from $340 while keeping a neutral rating, signaling more upside than it previously expected. UBS raises American Express price target
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays also lifted its price target to $364 from $322 and maintained an equal weight rating, adding to the broader bullish tone from Wall Street. Barclays issues positive forecast for American Express
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains favorable, with American Express continuing to carry a “Moderate Buy” recommendation overall. Consensus recommendation for American Express
• Positive Sentiment: Investor commentary has highlighted recent shareholder-friendly actions such as a higher dividend, a steady capital buffer, and Apple Pay redemption expansion, which support the long-term bull case for AXP. Amex capital return and Apple Pay push
• Neutral Sentiment: American Express also launched a Restaurant Academy with Resy and the NRAEF, a brand-building initiative that may help deepen merchant relationships but is not a near-term earnings driver. American Express launches Restaurant Academy
• Negative Sentiment: Not all commentary is upbeat: one fund letter cited American Express as a performance detractor due to AI disruption concerns, which could temper enthusiasm around the stock. Bretton Fund investor letter

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on AXP shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded American Express from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Evercore set a $380.00 price target on American Express in a research report on Monday. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on American Express in a research note on Monday, June 29th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $396.00 price objective on the stock. Loop Capital assumed coverage on shares of American Express in a report on Thursday, May 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $389.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research note on Friday, April 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, American Express presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $368.50.

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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