Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS Sells 5,363 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS reduced its American Express stake by 4.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 5,363 shares. The fund still held 124,980 shares valued at about $46.2 million.
• Analyst sentiment on AXP remains mixed: recent moves included target-price trims and rating changes, and MarketBeat says the stock’s overall consensus is “Hold” with an average target of $359.05.
• American Express reported Q1 EPS of $4.28, beating estimates, and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 per share from $0.82. The company also guided FY2026 EPS to $17.30-$17.90.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS lessened its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 4.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 124,980 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 5,363 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS's holdings in American Express were worth $46,236,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of AXP. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in American Express by 24.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,481 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $1,924,000 after acquiring an additional 1,273 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in American Express by 13.0% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,738 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $554,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. bought a new stake in American Express during the second quarter worth $428,000. Howland Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in American Express by 4.2% during the second quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $707,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its holdings in American Express by 19.9% during the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,898 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $924,000 after acquiring an additional 481 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 84.33% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Barclays dropped their price target on American Express from $323.00 to $322.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 24th. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $395.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Freedom Capital upgraded American Express from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. BTIG Research reissued a "sell" rating and issued a $285.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded American Express from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, American Express currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $359.05.

American Express Stock Performance

NYSE:AXP opened at $316.55 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $312.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $338.90. American Express Company has a 1 year low of $286.15 and a 1 year high of $387.49. The company has a market capitalization of $215.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.08.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $18.60 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.64 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. On average, analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.59 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

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

Key Stories Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express launched a new business card aimed at niche small and midsize businesses, including interior designers, which suggests continued product expansion and a push to deepen relationships with higher-value commercial customers. American Express Targets Niche SMEs With New Interior Designer Business Card
• Positive Sentiment: American Express cardmembers can now tap and ride on more transit systems across Canada, a small but constructive sign that the company is expanding everyday payment usage and improving card utility. American Express Cardmembers Can Now Tap and Ride on More Transit Systems Across Canada
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and conference coverage highlighted American Express at Bernstein’s strategic decisions conference and followed up on its strong first-quarter results, reinforcing the view that fundamentals remain solid even as consumers face pressure. American Express Keeps Buy Rating After Stellar Q1, Despite Clouds Over Consumer Confidence
• Neutral Sentiment: Options-market activity has drawn attention, which can signal expectations for a meaningful move, but the article does not provide a clear fundamental catalyst by itself. Do Options Traders Know Something About American Express Stock We Don't?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several items were mostly background or general-interest pieces about the company’s history, workforce, or Buffett ownership rather than immediate stock drivers. History of American Express: Company timeline & facts
• Negative Sentiment: There was no major negative company-specific news in the latest set, but broader commentary noted ongoing concerns about consumer confidence, which could temper enthusiasm if spending slows. American Express Keeps Buy Rating After Stellar Q1, Despite Clouds Over Consumer Confidence

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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