Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. Buys New Shares in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Eurizon Capital SGR disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in American Express, buying 197,296 shares valued at about $73.0 million.
• American Express reported strong first-quarter earnings, with EPS of $4.28 beating estimates, and revenue rising 11.4% year over year, while it also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 per share.
• Analysts remain mixed overall: several firms lifted price targets, but MarketBeat’s compiled consensus still shows a “Hold” rating with an average price target of $359.05.

Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 197,296 shares of the payment services company's stock, valued at approximately $73,044,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AXP. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in American Express by 24.4% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,481 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $1,924,000 after acquiring an additional 1,273 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in American Express by 13.0% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,738 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $554,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. bought a new position in American Express in the second quarter valued at $428,000. Howland Capital Management LLC increased its stake in American Express by 4.2% in the second quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $707,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in American Express by 19.9% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,898 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $924,000 after acquiring an additional 481 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.33% of the company's stock.

American Express Stock Performance

American Express stock opened at $316.55 on Friday. 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 50-day moving average of $312.81 and a 200-day moving average of $338.90. The firm has a market cap of $215.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.08. American Express Company has a 1-year low of $286.15 and a 1-year high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last posted 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 company had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.60 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.13% and a return on equity of 33.95%. American Express's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.64 earnings per share. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.59 EPS for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. 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 dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.71%.

American Express News Roundup

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 price objective on American Express in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Weiss Ratings cut American Express from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Barclays reduced their price objective on American Express from $323.00 to $322.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on American Express from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. 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 issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $359.05.

About American Express

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.