North Reef Capital Management LP Buys Shares of 50,000 American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• North Reef Capital Management opened a new position in American Express, buying 50,000 shares worth about $15.1 million in the first quarter.
• American Express reported Q2 EPS of $4.53, topping estimates, and said revenue rose 10% year over year, reflecting solid cardmember spending.
• Despite the earnings beat, the stock was down as investors focused on revenue coming in below expectations and concerns about rising costs; analysts still maintain a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $374.11.

North Reef Capital Management LP bought a new position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 50,000 shares of the payment services company's stock, valued at approximately $15,124,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Van Diest Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of American Express by 98.3% in the first quarter. Van Diest Capital LLC now owns 1,662 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $503,000 after acquiring an additional 824 shares during the period. Unio Capital LLC lifted its position in American Express by 71.7% during the first quarter. Unio Capital LLC now owns 83,643 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $25,300,000 after purchasing an additional 34,918 shares during the period. Waverly Advisors LLC lifted its position in American Express by 5.4% during the first quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 91,809 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $27,770,000 after purchasing an additional 4,683 shares during the period. Wealth Alliance LLC boosted its holdings in American Express by 1.3% in the first quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 4,951 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $1,497,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dempze Nancy E boosted its holdings in American Express by 22.2% in the first quarter. Dempze Nancy E now owns 9,789 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $2,961,000 after purchasing an additional 1,778 shares during the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on AXP. HSBC boosted their target price on shares of American Express from $312.00 to $329.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Loop Capital assumed coverage on American Express in a report on Thursday, May 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $389.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. DZ Bank raised American Express from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $375.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on American Express from $322.00 to $364.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $374.11.

American Express Trading Down 4.4%

Shares of American Express stock opened at $325.86 on Friday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $332.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $330.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $222.34 billion, a PE ratio of 19.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.04. American Express Company has a 1-year low of $288.34 and a 1-year high of $387.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.56.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The payment services company reported $4.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.41 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $14.99 billion during 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 for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.08 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 17.68 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express's 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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