Morningstar Investment Management LLC Cuts Holdings in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Morningstar Investment Management cut its American Express stake by 26.2% in the first quarter, selling 7,334 shares and leaving it with 20,656 shares valued at about $6.25 million.
• American Express reported strong Q2 results, beating EPS estimates with $4.53 per share and posting 10% year-over-year revenue growth, driven by healthy cardmember spending.
• The company raised its 2026 revenue outlook and kept its dividend at $0.95 per share quarterly, though the stock fell as investors weighed the earnings beat against revenue that missed some expectations and higher costs.

Morningstar Investment Management LLC trimmed its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 26.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 20,656 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 7,334 shares during the period. Morningstar Investment Management LLC's holdings in American Express were worth $6,248,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lantz Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of American Express by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Lantz Financial LLC now owns 808 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $299,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Members Trust Co increased its position in shares of American Express by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Members Trust Co now owns 2,139 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $791,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of American Express by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC now owns 633 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $234,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in American Express by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Advisory LLC now owns 1,017 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $376,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the period. Finally, Total Clarity Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in American Express by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Total Clarity Wealth Management Inc. now owns 874 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $323,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company's stock.

American Express News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express beat Q2 EPS estimates with $4.53 per share and reported 10% year-over-year revenue growth, showing resilient demand from cardmembers. AmEx raises 2026 revenue growth forecast as affluent cardholders keep spending
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 revenue growth forecast and guided full-year EPS to $17.30-$17.90, signaling confidence that premium card spending on travel and dining remains strong. American Express Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management said cardmember spending stayed healthy, with strong travel and entertainment demand and continued strength among affluent customers, which supports revenue momentum. American Express Sales, Profit Rise on Higher Card Member Spending
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary suggest the stock reaction is being driven by an earnings-quality debate: investors liked the beat, but the market is questioning whether growth can continue while expenses rise. Why American Express Stock Fell 6.5% Friday Morning
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue came in below some Wall Street expectations, and reports highlighted softer net interest income and rising operating costs, which helped trigger selling despite the profit beat. American Express shares slip despite earnings beat as revenue falls short of forecasts

American Express Trading Down 4.4%

Shares of AXP opened at $325.86 on Friday. American Express Company has a fifty-two week low of $288.34 and a fifty-two week high of $387.49. The business has a 50-day moving average of $332.50 and a 200 day moving average of $330.33. The firm has a market cap of $222.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.04. 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 (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The payment services company reported $4.53 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.41 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $14.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.70 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.13% and a return on equity of 33.95%. The company's revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.08 earnings per share. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 17.67 EPS for the current year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express's dividend payout ratio is presently 23.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on AXP. DZ Bank upgraded American Express from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $375.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Benchmark began coverage on American Express in a research note on Monday, July 13th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded shares of American Express from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of American Express from $340.00 to $386.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of American Express from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, American Express presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $374.11.

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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