Maple Capital Management Inc. Has $37.24 Million Stock Position in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Maple Capital Management reduced its stake in American Express by 9.9% in Q4 to 100,672 shares valued at approximately $37.24 million, making AXP its 14th-largest holding (2.3% of assets).
• American Express beat quarterly EPS estimates with $4.28 (vs. $4.01 expected), reported revenue up 11.4% YoY to $14.22 billion, and set FY2026 guidance of 17.30–17.90 EPS.
• Equity analysts hold a consensus "Hold" rating with an average target of $357.47 after multiple firms trimmed targets, and the company also disclosed notable insider sales while insiders now own just 0.14% of the stock.

Maple Capital Management Inc. decreased its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 9.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 100,672 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 11,017 shares during the quarter. American Express comprises 2.3% of Maple Capital Management Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Maple Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in American Express were worth $37,244,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of American Express by 0.8% in the third quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,712 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $1,233,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp lifted its stake in American Express by 10.0% during the 3rd quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 308 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $105,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Capital Asset Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of American Express by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital Asset Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,214 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $465,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Lantz Financial LLC lifted its position in shares of American Express by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Lantz Financial LLC now owns 808 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $299,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in American Express by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,378 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $458,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on AXP shares. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on American Express from $395.00 to $385.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Evercore set a $345.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $395.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of American Express from $375.00 to $325.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Express currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $357.47.

Insider Activity at American Express

In other news, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $346.73, for a total value of $2,820,301.82. Following the transaction, the insider owned 9,433 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,270,704.09. This represents a 46.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total value of $5,348,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. This represents a 62.64% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

American Express Price Performance

AXP opened at $322.01 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $311.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $344.25. American Express Company has a twelve month low of $273.89 and a twelve month high of $387.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73. The company has a market capitalization of $219.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.09, a PEG ratio of 1.28 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 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27. American Express had a net margin of 15.13% and a return on equity of 33.95%. The company had revenue of $14.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.60 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.64 EPS. American Express's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.59 EPS for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm 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 $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis 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 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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