American Express Company $AXP Stock Purchased by AIA Group Ltd

Key Points

• AIA Group increased its American Express stake by 20% in the third quarter, adding 3,913 shares to reach 23,443 shares valued at about $7.13 million.
• American Express reported quarterly EPS of $4.68, beating the $4.50 consensus, while revenue of $20.06 billion came in slightly below estimates; revenue rose 8.9% year over year.
• Analysts’ consensus rating is “Moderate Buy”, with an average price target of $365.22. Two insiders also sold a combined 114,770 shares on November 2.

AIA Group Ltd lifted its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 20.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,443 shares of the payment services company's stock after purchasing an additional 3,913 shares during the period. AIA Group Ltd's holdings in American Express were worth $7,129,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Archer Investment Corp bought a new stake in shares of American Express in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in American Express by 78.8% during the 3rd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 93 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. John Boyer Inc. bought a new position in shares of American Express during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in American Express by 66.7% in the 1st quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its position in American Express by 2,550.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company's stock.

More American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on AXP, offering a modest vote of confidence. Article: American Express Stock Gets Price Target Boost from UBS Group
• Positive Sentiment: American Express’s partnership with Airbnb brings more than one million listings, including Airbnb Luxe, to Amex Travel for eligible U.S. cardmembers. The added travel inventory and rewards offers could support card engagement and spending. Article: Airbnb Stock In Focus After Amex Deal And Q3 Results Preview
• Positive Sentiment: Amex expanded its NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball partnerships internationally, adding cardmember experiences and offers that may help strengthen customer loyalty. Article: American Express Brings Global Basketball Perks To Card Holders Worldwide
• Neutral Sentiment: Amex is presenting an exclusive Equinox wellness event for eligible cardmembers, another premium-card benefit, though the announcement gives no expected financial impact. Article: Equinox Announces House of Equinox
• Negative Sentiment: Bill Ackman said American Express should be concerned about Ramp, a fast-growing fintech competitor. The article also cites analysts’ expectations for continued double-digit EPS growth, but competition is a risk to monitor. Article: American Express Draws Bill Ackman's Warning
• Negative Sentiment: Two insiders made substantial share sales on November 2. Anna Marrs sold 44,910 shares, reducing her holdings by 68.65%, while Laureen Seeger sold 69,860 shares, cutting hers by 88.59%. Sales do not necessarily indicate a negative outlook, but may weigh on sentiment. Anna Marrs SEC filing Laureen Seeger SEC filing

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded American Express from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Monday, October 26th. HSBC raised their target price on shares of American Express from $312.00 to $329.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Loop Capital dropped their target price on shares of American Express from $389.00 to $386.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 27th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of American Express from $345.00 to $346.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, President Capital upped their price target on shares of American Express from $359.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $365.22.

American Express Trading Up 2.2%

Shares of AXP opened at $332.78 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $223.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. American Express Company has a 12-month low of $290.97 and a 12-month high of $387.49. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $316.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $326.01.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.50 by $0.18. American Express had a return on equity of 34.19% and a net margin of 15.80%. The firm had revenue of $20.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.14 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.600-17.900 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.88 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. American Express's dividend payout ratio is presently 21.40%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Anna Marrs sold 44,910 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $327.20, for a total transaction of $14,694,552.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 20,509 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,710,544.80. This represents a 68.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Laureen Seeger sold 69,860 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $328.17, for a total transaction of $22,925,956.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 9,002 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,954,186.34. This represents a 88.59% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About American Express

American Express Company is a global financial services company that provides payment, lending, travel and expense management products and services. Its offerings include consumer and small-business charge and credit cards, corporate payment programs, business financing solutions, deposit products and digital payment services.

The company operates an integrated payments network that connects card members, merchants and financial institutions. American Express also provides merchant acquisition and payment processing services, data and analytics, fraud prevention tools, and customer loyalty programs.

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