American Express Company $AXP Stake Boosted by Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC

Key Points

• Franklin Street Advisors increased its American Express stake by 11.9% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 76,817 shares valued at approximately $26.0 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 84.33% of AXP.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive: American Express has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $372.84, with recent upgrades from DZ Bank and JPMorgan.
• American Express reported quarterly EPS of $4.53, exceeding estimates of $4.41, while revenue rose 10% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share, equivalent to a 1.1% annualized yield.

Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC raised its holdings in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 11.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 76,817 shares of the payment services company's stock after purchasing an additional 8,167 shares during the period. American Express comprises about 1.5% of Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC's portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC's holdings in American Express were worth $25,983,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AXP. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of American Express in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,464,215,000. Capital World Investors raised its stake in American Express by 46.7% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,515,675 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $2,780,424,000 after acquiring an additional 2,393,340 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its holdings in American Express by 350.0% in the first quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 1,236,438 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $373,998,000 after acquiring an additional 961,698 shares during the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its stake in American Express by 73.8% in the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 1,451,606 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $438,975,000 after acquiring an additional 616,498 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in shares of American Express by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,850,298 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $2,904,218,000 after purchasing an additional 558,533 shares during the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on AXP. DZ Bank upgraded American Express from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $375.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Benchmark assumed coverage on American Express in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Truist Financial upped their price objective on American Express from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised American Express from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $328.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on American Express from $322.00 to $364.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $372.84.

American Express Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $340.96 on Monday. The firm's 50 day moving average is $338.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $328.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $230.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.69, a PEG ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $290.97 and a 52 week high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The payment services company reported $4.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.41 by $0.12. American Express had a return on equity of 34.12% and a net margin of 15.07%.The business had revenue of $14.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.70 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.08 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 17.67 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. 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 payout ratio is 23.06%.

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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