Russell Investments Group Ltd. Acquires 49,445 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its American Express stake by 9.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 49,445 more shares and bringing its total holdings to 585,270 shares worth about $216.9 million.
• American Express is seeing a strategic expansion in dining and lifestyle services after agreeing to buy TheFork for $700 million, a move that adds more than 50,000 European restaurants to its network.
• The company recently reported better-than-expected EPS of $4.28 and raised its FY2026 guidance, though analysts remain mixed overall with a consensus rating of Hold and a $359.05 price target.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 9.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 585,270 shares of the payment services company's stock after acquiring an additional 49,445 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned about 0.09% of American Express worth $216,935,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AXP. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 24.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,481 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $1,924,000 after purchasing an additional 1,273 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of American Express by 13.0% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,738 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $554,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. acquired a new stake in American Express during the second quarter worth approximately $428,000. Howland Capital Management LLC grew its position in American Express by 4.2% during the second quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $707,000 after buying an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in American Express by 19.9% during the 2nd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,898 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $924,000 after acquiring an additional 481 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 84.33% of the company's stock.

American Express News Roundup

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 AXP opened at $341.06 on Wednesday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $317.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $335.49. American Express Company has a 12 month low of $288.34 and a 12 month high of $387.49. The company has a market capitalization of $232.72 billion, a PE ratio of 21.28, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.60 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.64 earnings per share. The business'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. On average, analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 17.59 EPS for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The company 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. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express's dividend payout ratio is currently 23.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Loop Capital initiated coverage on American Express in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $389.00 target price for the company. Truist Financial cut their price objective on shares of American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. BTIG Research reissued a "sell" rating and issued a $285.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Tuesday. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of American Express from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of American Express from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned 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.

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