Banque Cantonale Vaudoise Has $6.81 Million Stake in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Banque Cantonale Vaudoise cut its American Express stake by 16.4% in the fourth quarter, but it still held 18,414 shares valued at about $6.81 million.
• American Express received mixed analyst attention: Freedom Broker upgraded the stock to Buy with a higher $370 target, while Barclays and others maintained more cautious Hold-type views. Overall, Wall Street’s consensus remains Hold with a target around $357.47.
• The company posted solid quarterly results, beating EPS expectations at $4.28 per share, and it raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 per share from $0.82, signaling continued cash return to shareholders.

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise decreased its holdings in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 16.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 18,414 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 3,616 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise's holdings in American Express were worth $6,811,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in AXP. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in American Express in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. grew its stake in shares of American Express by 153.3% in the 3rd quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in American Express in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new stake in American Express in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in American Express during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

American Express News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Freedom Broker raised its view on American Express to Buy from Hold and lifted its price target to $370 from $325, signaling confidence in the company’s earnings power and valuation. American Express (AXP) Gets Price Target Hike from Freedom Broker despite Unchanged Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: American Express Canada launched a new Chef in Residence program to expand Platinum dining experiences, reinforcing the company’s premium-card positioning and member engagement strategy. American Express Canada Expands Platinum Dining Experiences with New American Express Chef in Residence Program
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays initiated or maintained a Hold-type stance on American Express, suggesting analysts see limited near-term upside after the latest results rather than a strong catalyst. American Express (AXP) Gets a Hold from Barclays
• Neutral Sentiment: A consumer-loan satisfaction report showed non-bank lenders closing the gap with banks, which is relevant to American Express because it highlights rising competition in consumer finance, but it does not directly change AXP’s outlook on its own. Non-Bank Lenders Close Satisfaction Gap with Banks as Consumer Loan Satisfaction Remains Flat, JD Power Finds
• Negative Sentiment: Investor reaction to American Express’s first-quarter earnings was described as lukewarm, and a portfolio update from Artisan Select Equity Fund listed AXP among its worst contributors, suggesting sentiment around the stock has cooled despite solid fundamentals. Is American Express Stock Still Worth Buying After Earnings? Artisan Select Equity Fund Q1 2026 Portfolio Update

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on AXP shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on American Express from $375.00 to $325.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 target price on American Express in a report on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $395.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of American Express from $323.00 to $322.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $357.47.

American Express Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $309.42 on Wednesday. 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 stock has a market cap of $211.13 billion, a PE ratio of 19.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.08. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $311.01 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $341.59. American Express Company has a 1-year low of $281.46 and a 1-year high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $14.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.60 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.The company's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.64 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 17.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. This is an increase from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.71%.

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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