Pacer Advisors Inc. Sells 4,442 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Pacer Advisors Inc. reduced its American Express stake by 9.4% in the fourth quarter, selling 4,442 shares and leaving it with 42,809 shares valued at about $15.8 million.
• Wall Street sentiment is mixed: several firms raised targets or upgraded the stock, but the overall consensus remains “Hold” with an average price target of $360.80.
• American Express reported earnings of $4.28 per share, beating estimates, and also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share, implying a 1.1% yield.

Pacer Advisors Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 9.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 42,809 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 4,442 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc.'s holdings in American Express were worth $15,837,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of American Express by 6,600.0% in the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 67 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in American Express in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Sfam LLC acquired a new position in American Express in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in American Express in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new position in American Express during the third quarter worth about $28,000. 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. Bank of America boosted their target price on American Express from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of American Express from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of American Express from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of American Express from $395.00 to $385.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, American Express has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $360.80.

American Express News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express signed a multiyear payments deal with the NFL, a move that could strengthen customer loyalty and support its premium card value proposition. American Express Just Signed a Multiyear Payments Deal With the NFL. Here's the Bigger Play.
• Positive Sentiment: DZ Bank upgraded American Express from hold to buy and set a $375 price target, signaling confidence in further upside. American Express upgrade by DZ Bank AG
• Positive Sentiment: Technical commentary says AXP is breaking out above resistance, which may be attracting momentum-oriented investors. American Express Stock Is Powering the Financial Sector to a Fresh Breakout
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional articles highlighted investor interest in American Express and asked whether the stock still has upside after a strong multiyear run, but did not provide a clear new catalyst. American Express (AXP) Stock After 5-Year 118% Gain Is There Still Upside Potential
• Neutral Sentiment: Some analysts remain conflicted on AXP, and a comparison piece suggested Mastercard may have more upside, tempering the bullish case somewhat. Mastercard vs. American Express: Which Stock Has More Upside Now?

American Express Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE:AXP opened at $338.86 on Friday. American Express Company has a fifty-two week low of $288.34 and a fifty-two week high of $387.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $231.22 billion, a PE ratio of 21.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.06. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $319.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $335.16.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $14.21 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%.American Express's revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.64 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express's dividend payout ratio is 23.71%.

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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