Provident Trust Co. Lowers Stake in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Provident Trust Co. trimmed its stake in American Express by 4.3% in Q4 to 1,077,834 shares (about 0.16% of AXP), valued at roughly $398.7 million and representing ~6.7% of Provident's portfolio (its 8th largest holding).
• Quarterly results: American Express reported $4.28 EPS versus $4.01 expected (an EPS beat) but revenue of $14.22 billion fell short of the $18.60 billion estimate, and the company set FY2026 EPS guidance at $17.30–$17.90 (consensus ~17.59).
• Capital return and insider activity: AMEX raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 ($3.80 annualized, ~1.2% yield), while insiders have sold about 73,944 shares (~$26.1 million) over the past 90 days.

Provident Trust Co. lessened its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 4.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,077,834 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 48,473 shares during the quarter. American Express makes up approximately 6.7% of Provident Trust Co.'s portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Provident Trust Co. owned 0.16% of American Express worth $398,745,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AXP. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 153.3% in 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 during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of American Express in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Express in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new stake in shares of American Express in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in American Express during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Institutional investors own 84.33% of the company's stock.

American Express Stock Down 1.0%

AXP opened at $319.74 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $311.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $344.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $218.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.08. 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 Company has a one year low of $273.10 and a one year high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.60 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.64 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd will be given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. This is a boost from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.71%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on AXP. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of American Express from $323.00 to $322.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley lowered 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. Weiss Ratings cut shares of American Express from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $395.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, American Express has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $357.47.

Insider Activity at American Express

In related news, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $346.73, for a total value of $2,820,301.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,433 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,270,704.09. The trade was a 46.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total transaction of $9,599,024.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 20,394 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,138,103.94. This trade represents a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366 over the last ninety days. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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