QRG Capital Management Inc. Acquires 15,763 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• QRG Capital Management increased its American Express stake by 21.0% in the first quarter, buying 15,763 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 90,675 shares valued at about $27.4 million.
• American Express continues to attract heavy institutional investor interest, with 84.33% of shares owned by institutions and several large funds recently adding to positions.
• The company reported strong quarterly earnings with EPS of $4.28, beating estimates, and it also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share, payable August 10.

QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 21.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 90,675 shares of the payment services company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,763 shares during the quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in American Express were worth $27,427,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp increased its holdings in American Express by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 29,464,868 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $10,900,528,000 after buying an additional 369,967 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in American Express by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,023,482 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $3,338,238,000 after acquiring an additional 141,936 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of American Express by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,850,298 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $2,904,218,000 after acquiring an additional 558,533 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in shares of American Express by 46.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,515,675 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $2,780,424,000 after acquiring an additional 2,393,340 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter worth approximately $2,464,215,000. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express was highlighted in multiple articles as an attractive value and momentum stock, with Zacks and other outlets pointing to strong earnings/price momentum and undervaluation versus peers. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: News that American Express is expanding its premium-card ecosystem beyond airports and into festivals and sporting events reinforces its appeal to affluent customers who generate high spending and fee revenue. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Tripadvisor said it will sell TheFork to American Express for $700 million in cash, a deal that suggests AmEx is still actively investing to broaden its travel and membership offerings. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles focused on valuation comparisons and sector commentary rather than a direct company-specific catalyst, including comparisons of AXP versus Intercorp Financial Services and Mastercard. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: American Express is approaching its next earnings report, with Wall Street expecting mid-single-digit EPS growth; this keeps attention on fundamentals but does not yet provide a new earnings result. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: One analysis argued Mastercard may be the safer choice because it has more fee-based, risk-light economics, implicitly reminding investors that American Express carries more credit exposure and sensitivity to consumer health. Article Title

American Express Stock Performance

AXP opened at $351.66 on Friday. The company's 50 day moving average is $322.50 and its 200 day moving average is $333.27. 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 company has a market cap of $239.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.94, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.04. American Express Company has a 12-month low of $288.34 and a 12-month 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 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 $14.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.60 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.64 earnings per share. The firm'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. On average, equities research analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.65 EPS for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be paid 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%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AXP has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Loop Capital assumed coverage on shares of American Express in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $389.00 target price for the company. Freedom Capital raised shares of American Express from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Evercore set a $345.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler assumed coverage on American Express in a report on Monday. They set an "overweight" rating and a $396.00 price target on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, American Express presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $366.95.

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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