Artisan Partners Limited Partnership Sells 71,590 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Artisan Partners trimmed its American Express stake by 1.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 71,590 shares. Even after the sale, it still held 4.52 million shares worth about $1.67 billion, making AXP its sixth-largest position.
• American Express posted solid quarterly results, beating EPS expectations with $4.28 per share versus $4.01 expected. Revenue came in at $14.22 billion, up 11.4% year over year, and the company reaffirmed FY2026 EPS guidance of 17.3 to 17.9.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share, payable August 10 to shareholders of record on July 2. That works out to an annualized dividend of $3.80 and a yield of about 1.1%.

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership decreased its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 1.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,517,317 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 71,590 shares during the quarter. American Express makes up approximately 2.5% of Artisan Partners Limited Partnership's portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership owned 0.66% of American Express worth $1,671,181,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AXP. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in American Express by 6,600.0% during the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 67 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in American Express during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Sfam LLC bought a new position in American Express during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in American Express during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new position in American Express during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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: American Express agreed to buy TheFork for $700 million, adding more than 50,000 European restaurants to its dining network and expanding the company’s premium lifestyle offerings. American Express Expands Dining Ecosystem With TheFork Acquisition From Tripadvisor
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary suggest the deal could improve AmEx’s competitive positioning in dining and experiences, which may support customer acquisition and cardholder spending over time. Analysts Offer Insights on Financial Companies: Visa (V) and American Express (AXP)
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed its sell rating on American Express with a $285 price target, signaling lingering valuation concerns despite the recent stock strength.

American Express Stock Performance

AXP stock opened at $341.06 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $317.35 and a 200-day moving average price of $335.49. American Express Company has a 1-year low of $288.34 and a 1-year high of $387.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73. The firm has a market cap of $232.72 billion, a PE ratio of 21.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.06.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.60 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.64 EPS. The business's quarterly 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 research analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.59 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America raised their target price on American Express from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on American Express from $375.00 to $325.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Barclays lowered their target price on American Express from $323.00 to $322.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Evercore set a $345.00 target price on American Express in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $359.05.

American Express Company 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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