Capital World Investors Purchases 2,393,340 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Capital World Investors increased its American Express stake by 46.7% in the fourth quarter, buying 2.39 million additional shares and lifting its holdings to 7.52 million shares worth about $2.78 billion.
• Institutional ownership in American Express remains very high, with several major funds also adding to positions; overall, 84.33% of the stock is held by institutional investors.
• American Express recently reported strong quarterly earnings and announced a $0.95 per share dividend, but the stock has been under pressure, trading below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and down recently.

Capital World Investors grew its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 46.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 7,515,675 shares of the payment services company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,393,340 shares during the period. Capital World Investors owned 1.09% of American Express worth $2,780,424,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,023,482 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $3,338,238,000 after acquiring an additional 141,936 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of American Express in the 4th quarter valued at $2,464,215,000. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 4,467,637 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $1,652,810,000 after acquiring an additional 14,977 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,971,263 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $1,469,169,000 after acquiring an additional 27,039 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 27.0% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 3,970,416 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $1,310,515,000 after acquiring an additional 845,283 shares during the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express announced a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share, reinforcing its shareholder-return profile. The dividend is payable on August 10 to holders of record on July 2. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: A broader market rally boosted financial stocks, which can help sentiment around American Express as part of the sector. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: One article highlighted Navan’s AI-powered travel and expense platform as a challenger to entrenched providers including American Express, but this is more of a competitive backdrop than a direct near-term catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage also noted that American Express card spending is growing at its fastest pace in three years, which supports the long-term consumer-spending story, though investors remain focused on whether affluent demand can hold up. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Several market recaps emphasized that AXP has been trending lower recently, with shares down year to date and trading below key moving averages, suggesting ongoing valuation and momentum pressure. Article Title

American Express Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $310.48 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $211.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.06. 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 Company has a 12-month low of $286.15 and a 12-month high of $387.49. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $313.91 and a 200 day simple moving average of $336.92.

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 (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 $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.60 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.64 EPS. American Express's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Analysts predict 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 1.2%. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings cut American Express from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. 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. Freedom Capital raised American Express from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. 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. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target 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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