Northern Financial Advisors Inc Sells 3,713 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Northern Financial Advisors Inc cut its stake in American Express by 42.2% in Q4, selling 3,713 shares and leaving 5,084 shares valued at about $1.88 million (≈2.2% of its portfolio, its 12th-largest holding).
• Analyst and institutional sentiment is mixed: institutional investors own about 84.3% of AXP, the consensus rating is Hold (7 Buy / 14 Hold / 1 Sell) with an average price target of $354.16, and several firms recently trimmed targets or ratings.
• Company insiders have sold heavily—totaling 73,944 shares worth $26.1M in the past 90 days (notable sales by Howard Grosfield and Anna Marrs)—even as AmEx raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 (annualized $3.80, ~1.2% yield).

Northern Financial Advisors Inc reduced its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 42.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 5,084 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 3,713 shares during the period. American Express comprises approximately 2.2% of Northern Financial Advisors Inc's portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest position. Northern Financial Advisors Inc's holdings in American Express were worth $1,881,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. increased its holdings in American Express by 153.3% during 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 bought a new stake in American Express during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new stake in American Express during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in American Express during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC increased its holdings in American Express by 210.7% during the 3rd quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on AXP shares. Weiss Ratings lowered American Express from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on American Express from $375.00 to $325.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Evercore set a $393.00 target price on American Express in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on American Express from $367.00 to $323.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $354.16.

American Express News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: AmEx acquired Hypercard to accelerate AI-driven expense automation and commercial services, strengthening its product moat for corporate clients and improving cross‑sell/merchant data advantages. How Will AmEx's Hyper Acquisition Expand Its AI Capabilities?
• Positive Sentiment: AmEx unveiled an AI “agentic commerce” platform intended to automate customer workflows and deepen premium cardholder engagement — a move that could widen its structural competitive advantage if adoption lifts spend and fees. Does Amex’s New AI Agentic Commerce Platform Redefine the Premium Moat Around AXP?
• Positive Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece explains why an investor established a new long position in AXP, reflecting conviction from some buy‑and‑hold investors in AmEx’s cash flow, brand premium and capital allocation. American Express: Why We Established A New Position
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews and estimate rundowns are focused on key Q1 metrics (spending trends, net interest margin, losses) — useful for gauging whether results meet guidance but not signaling a clear directional surprise. Exploring Analyst Estimates for American Express (AXP) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre‑earnings commentary (TipRanks, Blockonomi) calls AXP fundamentally solid but lacking an immediate upside catalyst, suggesting many investors are waiting for Q1 clarity before adding exposure. American Express (AXP) Looks Solid Ahead of Q1 Earnings. Why Is It Still a Hold?
• Negative Sentiment: Media commentators (e.g., Jim Cramer) advise waiting for a likely post‑earnings dip before buying, reinforcing short‑term selling pressure around the report. Jim Cramer Suggests Waiting for Post Earnings Dip Before Buying American Express

Insider Transactions at American Express

In other American Express news, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $346.73, for a total transaction of $2,820,301.82. Following the sale, the insider owned 9,433 shares in the company, valued at $3,270,704.09. This represents a 46.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total value of $9,599,024.25. Following the sale, the insider owned 20,394 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,138,103.94. This represents a 57.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

American Express Price Performance

American Express stock opened at $329.92 on Tuesday. American Express Company has a 12 month low of $239.27 and a 12 month high of $387.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $315.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $344.64. The company has a market cap of $226.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.44, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.13.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.54 by ($0.01). American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The firm had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.91 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.04 EPS. American Express's revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 17.53 EPS for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

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

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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