Horizon Investments LLC Grows Holdings in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Horizon Investments increased its stake in American Express by 93.7% in Q4, owning 45,087 shares valued at approximately $16,643,000 after adding 21,815 shares.
• American Express beat quarterly EPS estimates ($4.28 vs. $4.01), set FY2026 guidance of 17.30–17.90 EPS, and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 (annualized $3.80).
• Insiders sold 73,944 shares (~$26.11M) in the last 90 days (insider ownership ~0.14%), while analyst sentiment is mixed with a consensus "Hold" rating and a $357.47 target price.

Horizon Investments LLC increased its holdings in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 93.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 45,087 shares of the payment services company's stock after acquiring an additional 21,815 shares during the quarter. Horizon Investments LLC's holdings in American Express were worth $16,643,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in shares of American Express during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. boosted its position in shares of American Express by 153.3% in the 3rd quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new position in American Express during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Guerra Advisors Inc purchased a new position in American Express during the third quarter valued at $28,000. 84.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on AXP shares. Barclays dropped their target price 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. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "sell" rating and issued a $285.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Evercore set a $345.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of American Express from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, American Express presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $357.47.

Insider Activity at American Express

In related news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total transaction of $8,346,340.35. Following the transaction, the insider owned 7,754 shares in the company, valued at $2,767,480.14. This represents a 75.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total transaction of $9,599,024.25. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 20,394 shares in the company, valued at $7,138,103.94. This represents a 57.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366. 0.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

American Express Stock Down 1.0%

American Express stock opened at $319.74 on Friday. American Express Company has a 12 month low of $273.10 and a 12 month high of $387.49. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $311.71 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $344.13. 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 market cap of $218.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.95, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.08.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $14.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.60 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.64 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

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

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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