&PARTNERS Purchases 22,069 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• &PARTNERS boosted its American Express stake by 35.8% in the fourth quarter, buying 22,069 more shares and bringing its total holding to 83,647 shares worth about $30.9 million.
• American Express is expanding its dining ecosystem by agreeing to acquire TheFork for $700 million, adding more than 50,000 European restaurants and potentially strengthening its premium lifestyle offering.
• The company reported solid earnings and maintained a dividend, with Q1 EPS of $4.28 topping estimates and a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share, while analysts remain mixed with a consensus rating of “Hold.”

&PARTNERS increased its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 35.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 83,647 shares of the payment services company's stock after buying an additional 22,069 shares during the quarter. &PARTNERS's holdings in American Express were worth $30,933,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP raised its stake in American Express by 10.6% during the fourth quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP now owns 19,796 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $7,324,000 after acquiring an additional 1,890 shares in the last quarter. Kidder Stephen W grew its holdings in shares of American Express by 68.0% during the fourth quarter. Kidder Stephen W now owns 11,118 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $4,113,000 after purchasing an additional 4,502 shares during the last quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. increased its stake in shares of American Express by 97.6% in the fourth quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. now owns 3,191 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $1,181,000 after buying an additional 1,576 shares during the period. Elefante Mark B grew its stake in shares of American Express by 47.3% in the fourth quarter. Elefante Mark B now owns 6,642 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $2,457,000 after purchasing an additional 2,134 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Delaney Dennis R increased its position in American Express by 43.9% during the 4th quarter. Delaney Dennis R now owns 7,416 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $2,744,000 after purchasing an additional 2,263 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express agreed to buy TheFork for $700 million, adding more than 50,000 European restaurants to its dining network and expanding the company’s premium lifestyle offerings. American Express Expands Dining Ecosystem With TheFork Acquisition From Tripadvisor
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary suggest the deal could improve AmEx’s competitive positioning in dining and experiences, which may support customer acquisition and cardholder spending over time. Analysts Offer Insights on Financial Companies: Visa (V) and American Express (AXP)
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed its sell rating on American Express with a $285 price target, signaling lingering valuation concerns despite the recent stock strength.

American Express Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE AXP opened at $341.06 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $232.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.28, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.06. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $317.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $335.49. American Express Company has a one year low of $288.34 and a one 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.01 by $0.27. American Express had a net margin of 15.13% and a return on equity of 33.95%. The business had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.60 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.64 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.59 EPS for the current fiscal 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 $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on AXP. BTIG Research reissued a "sell" rating and issued a $285.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research note on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Friday, April 10th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of American Express from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective 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. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $359.05.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.