Kerusso Capital Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Kerusso Capital raised its stake in American Express by 31.4% to 19,730 shares (worth $7.299M), making AXP the fund's largest holding at 3.4% of its portfolio.
• American Express beat Q1 EPS with $4.28 vs. $4.01 consensus, reported revenue up 11.4% year‑over‑year, and set FY2026 EPS guidance of $17.30–$17.90 (analyst consensus ~17.53).
• The company increased its quarterly dividend to $0.95 (from $0.82) for a 1.2% yield, while insiders sold 73,944 shares (~$26.1M) over the past 90 days.

Kerusso Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 31.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 19,730 shares of the payment services company's stock after acquiring an additional 4,713 shares during the quarter. American Express makes up 3.4% of Kerusso Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its largest holding. Kerusso Capital Management LLC's holdings in American Express were worth $7,299,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. raised its holdings in 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 during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in American Express during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in American Express in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in American Express in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of American Express by 210.7% in the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Express Stock Performance

NYSE AXP opened at $318.51 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. American Express Company has a twelve month low of $257.21 and a twelve month high of $387.49. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $314.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $344.38. The firm has a market cap of $218.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.13.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $4.01 by $0.27. American Express had a return on equity of 33.49% and a net margin of 15.00%.The company had revenue of $14.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.60 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.64 EPS. The firm'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. As a group, equities research analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This is an increase from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.69%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on AXP. Truist Financial cut their price objective on American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Weiss Ratings cut shares of American Express from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, January 12th. BTIG Research dropped their price target on shares of American Express from $328.00 to $285.00 and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of American Express from $367.00 to $323.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $359.67.

Insider Activity at American Express

In related news, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total transaction of $9,599,024.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 20,394 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,138,103.94. This represents a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total transaction of $5,348,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,189,608.10. The trade was a 62.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366 over the last ninety days. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

American Express News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on EPS and spending — AXP reported $4.28 EPS and robust card‑member spending (best quarterly growth in ~3 years), driving revenue strength and showing continued premium‑customer demand. AXP Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates on Strong US Consumer Services Unit
• Positive Sentiment: New partnerships and premium focus — The NFL global payments deal and continued premium card momentum are cited as drivers of revenue growth and customer engagement. Amex New NFL Deal, Premium Customer Base Power Revenue Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Product/AI initiatives and younger cohorts — Management highlights AI tools and stronger engagement from millennials as sources of durable spending acceleration. Amex Leans on Millennials and AI as Card Spending Accelerates
• Neutral Sentiment: Long‑term investor interest — Commentary on AXP as a long‑held Buffett position underscores its franchise value, but is not a near‑term catalyst. American Express (AXP), The Longest-Held Position of Warren Buffett; See Why
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious guidance and rising spend plans — Management set FY26 EPS guidance slightly below consensus and flagged increased investment/expense plans, which investors interpreted as a near‑term profit tradeoff. Why American Express Fell Today
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/geopolitics weigh on sentiment — Reescalation of tensions in the Middle East and broader risk‑off moves in futures dampened risk appetite, compounding investor focus on any cautious language from management. Geopolitics Weigh on Sentiment
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst pressure — Recent price‑target cuts (e.g., JPMorgan) reflect concerns about the macro outlook and valuation, creating additional near‑term headwinds. American Express Company (AXP) PT Slashed by JPMorgan on Uncertain Macro Outlook

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.

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