Heard Capital LLC Sells 85,605 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Heard Capital LLC cut its American Express stake by 19.8% in the fourth quarter, selling 85,605 shares and leaving it with 346,135 shares valued at about $128.1 million.
• Several other large institutional investors also adjusted their positions, and 84.33% of American Express stock is now held by institutions and hedge funds.
• American Express recently reported Q1 earnings of $4.28 per share, beating estimates, while analysts remain mixed: the stock has an average Hold rating and an average target price of $359.05.

Heard Capital LLC trimmed its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 19.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 346,135 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 85,605 shares during the period. American Express comprises about 6.0% of Heard Capital LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Heard Capital LLC owned about 0.05% of American Express worth $128,053,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AXP. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of American Express during the fourth quarter worth $2,464,215,000. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 46.7% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,515,675 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $2,780,424,000 after acquiring an additional 2,393,340 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 27.0% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 3,970,416 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $1,310,515,000 after acquiring an additional 845,283 shares during the period. Amundi raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 23.9% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 2,787,580 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $925,449,000 after acquiring an additional 537,205 shares during the period. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of American Express during the third quarter worth $153,292,000. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express agreed to buy TheFork for $700 million, adding more than 50,000 European restaurants to its dining network and expanding the company’s premium lifestyle offerings. American Express Expands Dining Ecosystem With TheFork Acquisition From Tripadvisor
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary suggest the deal could improve AmEx’s competitive positioning in dining and experiences, which may support customer acquisition and cardholder spending over time. Analysts Offer Insights on Financial Companies: Visa (V) and American Express (AXP)
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed its sell rating on American Express with a $285 price target, signaling lingering valuation concerns despite the recent stock strength.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on AXP shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of American Express from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. BTIG Research restated a "sell" rating and set a $285.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of 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, Loop Capital started coverage on shares of American Express in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $389.00 target price for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $359.05.

American Express Stock Up 1.7%

American Express stock opened at $341.06 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $232.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.06. American Express Company has a 1-year low of $288.34 and a 1-year high of $387.49. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $317.35 and a 200 day simple moving average of $335.49. 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 (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.60 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.13% and a return on equity of 33.95%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.64 earnings per share. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 17.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The company 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. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.71%.

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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