Heritage Investors Management Corp Lowers Holdings in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Heritage Investors Management Corp reduced its American Express stake by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, selling 3,753 shares and ending with 155,217 shares valued at about $57.4 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with 84.33% of American Express shares held by hedge funds and other institutional investors, and several firms recently increased their positions.
• American Express recently beat quarterly EPS estimates and raised its dividend to $0.95 per share, while analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold with an average target price of $359.05.

Heritage Investors Management Corp trimmed its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 2.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 155,217 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 3,753 shares during the period. American Express makes up about 1.7% of Heritage Investors Management Corp's holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Heritage Investors Management Corp's holdings in American Express were worth $57,423,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Trajan Wealth LLC grew its stake in American Express by 30.9% in the 3rd quarter. Trajan Wealth LLC now owns 24,901 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $8,271,000 after acquiring an additional 5,881 shares during the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in American Express by 218.7% in the 3rd quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,540 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $2,837,000 after acquiring an additional 5,860 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in American Express by 11.7% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. now owns 82,863 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $27,524,000 after acquiring an additional 8,651 shares during the last quarter. Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC grew its stake in American Express by 1,243.9% in the 3rd quarter. Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 13,775 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $4,576,000 after acquiring an additional 12,750 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hudson Bay Capital Management LP grew its stake in American Express by 159.5% in the 3rd quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP now owns 31,611 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $10,500,000 after acquiring an additional 19,429 shares during the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Express News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express announced a strategic partnership with Fanatics that includes a co-branded Fanatics American Express card, exclusive fan experiences, and broader payment acceptance across select Fanatics channels, which could help drive new card acquisitions and spending volume. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: AmEx expanded its sports-commerce strategy with Fanatics through a rewards integration and new card offering, reinforcing its premium brand and loyalty ecosystem. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple commentary pieces pointed to American Express as one of Warren Buffett’s favorite long-term holdings, which can support investor confidence in AXP’s durable business model and valuation. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: American Express and Main Street America awarded more than $10 million in grants to over 500 small businesses, underscoring the company’s ongoing support for Main Street merchants and small-business relationships. Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on AXP shares. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of American Express from $395.00 to $385.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Loop Capital started coverage on shares of American Express in a research note on Thursday. They issued a "buy" rating and a $389.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Freedom Capital raised shares of American Express from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "sell" rating and set a $285.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $359.05.

American Express Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $309.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.57. American Express Company has a 1 year low of $281.46 and a 1 year high of $387.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $211.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.33, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.08. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $311.23 and a 200-day simple moving average of $340.89.

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

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm 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 represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 2nd. This is a positive change from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. American Express's dividend payout ratio is currently 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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