Prudential PLC Trims Stake in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Prudential PLC cut its stake in American Express by 5.0% in the fourth quarter, selling 3,989 shares and ending with 75,715 shares valued at about $28.0 million.
• American Express reported Q1 EPS of $4.28, beating analyst estimates, and revenue rose 11.4% year over year to $14.22 billion. The company also raised/issued FY 2026 EPS guidance of 17.30 to 17.90.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share, payable August 10, which works out to an annualized yield of about 1.2%.

Prudential PLC reduced its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 5.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 75,715 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 3,989 shares during the period. Prudential PLC's holdings in American Express were worth $28,011,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings 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 valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of American Express in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express in the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. 84.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Express Stock Performance

NYSE AXP opened at $312.98 on Friday. 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's 50 day moving average is $313.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $337.11. American Express Company has a 12-month low of $286.15 and a 12-month high of $387.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $213.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.52, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.06.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last released 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 return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.The company had revenue of $14.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.60 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.64 EPS. The firm's quarterly 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. Research analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.59 EPS for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. American Express's payout ratio is presently 23.71%.

American Express News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express says card spending is growing at its fastest pace in three years, suggesting resilient demand from affluent consumers and reinforcing the company’s core growth engine. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: American Express introduced a new Fanatics Rewards card aimed at sports fans, a sign it is still using product launches to deepen engagement and attract new spending. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: A broader market rally lifted financial stocks, which may have provided some support to American Express, but the stock was still reacting more to company-specific sentiment than to the sector move. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several commentary pieces revisited whether AXP is attractive after its year-to-date decline, highlighting valuation concerns rather than any new fundamental problem. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Recent market coverage noted that American Express had declined more than the broader market, reflecting ongoing investor caution and recent share-price weakness. Article Title

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on AXP. Barclays reduced their price objective on American Express from $323.00 to $322.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on American Express from $395.00 to $385.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on American Express from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, American Express presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $359.05.

American Express Company 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AXP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report).

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.