Gabelli Funds LLC Cuts Position in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Gabelli Funds LLC reduced its stake in American Express by 7.0% in Q1, selling 33,365 shares and leaving it with 440,542 shares worth about $133.3 million.
• American Express reported better-than-expected Q2 earnings with EPS of $4.53, while revenue rose 10% year over year to $14.99 billion, though that was below some analyst estimates.
• The company raised its FY 2026 guidance to $17.30-$17.90 in EPS and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share, reflecting continued confidence in cardmember spending strength.

Gabelli Funds LLC trimmed its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 7.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 440,542 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 33,365 shares during the period. American Express makes up about 0.9% of Gabelli Funds LLC's holdings, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Gabelli Funds LLC owned about 0.06% of American Express worth $133,255,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in American Express by 24.4% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in American Express by 13.0% in the 2nd 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 in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. acquired a new position in American Express in the 2nd quarter valued at about $428,000. Howland Capital Management LLC increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 481 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Express Stock Down 4.4%

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $325.86 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $222.34 billion, a PE ratio of 20.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73. American Express Company has a twelve month low of $288.34 and a twelve month high of $387.49. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $332.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $330.33.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The payment services company reported $4.53 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.41 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $14.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.70 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.13% and a return on equity of 33.95%. The company's revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.08 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express's dividend payout ratio is currently 23.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler cut shares of American Express from an "overweight" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. BTIG Research increased their target price on shares of American Express from $285.00 to $324.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of American Express from $387.00 to $391.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Freedom Capital raised American Express from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Benchmark assumed coverage on American Express in a research note on Monday, July 13th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $374.11.

Key Stories Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express beat Q2 EPS estimates with $4.53 per share and reported 10% year-over-year revenue growth, showing resilient demand from cardmembers. AmEx raises 2026 revenue growth forecast as affluent cardholders keep spending
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 revenue growth forecast and guided full-year EPS to $17.30-$17.90, signaling confidence that premium card spending on travel and dining remains strong. American Express Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management said cardmember spending stayed healthy, with strong travel and entertainment demand and continued strength among affluent customers, which supports revenue momentum. American Express Sales, Profit Rise on Higher Card Member Spending
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary suggest the stock reaction is being driven by an earnings-quality debate: investors liked the beat, but the market is questioning whether growth can continue while expenses rise. Why American Express Stock Fell 6.5% Friday Morning
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue came in below some Wall Street expectations, and reports highlighted softer net interest income and rising operating costs, which helped trigger selling despite the profit beat. American Express shares slip despite earnings beat as revenue falls short of forecasts

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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