NWK Group Inc. Acquires Shares of 17,746 American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• NWK Group Inc. disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in American Express, buying 17,746 shares valued at about $6.57 million. The position represents 2.3% of NWK’s portfolio and is its 20th-largest holding.
• Institutional ownership in American Express remains high, with 84.33% of shares held by institutions. Several other funds also increased their positions during the quarter.
• American Express reported Q1 earnings of $4.28 per share, beating estimates, and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 per share from $0.82. However, analysts remain cautious overall, with a consensus rating of Hold and a target price of $359.05.

NWK Group Inc. purchased a new stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 17,746 shares of the payment services company's stock, valued at approximately $6,565,000. American Express comprises 2.3% of NWK Group Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 20th biggest holding.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 22.5% in the fourth quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,342 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $2,346,000 after buying an additional 1,163 shares during the last quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC now owns 48,629 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $17,990,000 after buying an additional 1,406 shares during the last quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 611,742 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $226,314,000 after buying an additional 3,976 shares during the last quarter. GHE LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. GHE LLC now owns 18,002 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $6,660,000 after buying an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TrustBank bought a new position in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter valued at about $488,000. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings cut American Express from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Barclays cut their price target on American Express from $323.00 to $322.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on American Express from $375.00 to $325.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Truist Financial cut their price target 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, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "sell" rating and issued a $285.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Friday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $359.05.

American Express Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $312.67 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $213.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.08. American Express Company has a 1-year low of $286.15 and a 1-year high of $387.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $312.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $339.44.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.01 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.60 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.64 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.59 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend 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 (DPR) is presently 23.71%.

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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