Swiss National Bank Increases Position in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Swiss National Bank increased its American Express stake by 6.0% in Q1, buying 91,760 more shares and bringing its holding to 1,617,299 shares worth about $489.2 million.
• Several analysts remain cautious on AXP: Jefferies and Barclays both reiterated Hold ratings, while the broader consensus stays at Moderate Buy with a target price of $374.15.
• American Express recently beat quarterly EPS expectations, reporting $4.28 per share versus $4.01 expected, and it also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share payable on August 10.

Swiss National Bank raised its holdings in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 6.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,617,299 shares of the payment services company's stock after acquiring an additional 91,760 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank owned approximately 0.24% of American Express worth $489,201,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Keybank National Association OH boosted its holdings in American Express by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 359,261 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $132,909,000 after purchasing an additional 10,495 shares during the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 34.1% during the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 139,887 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $51,751,000 after buying an additional 35,533 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,474,363 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $920,710,000 after buying an additional 144,512 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of American Express by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 326,407 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $125,279,000 after buying an additional 5,518 shares during the period. Finally, Country Trust Bank raised its position in shares of American Express by 14.0% during the 4th quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 121,774 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $45,050,000 after buying an additional 14,931 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting American Express

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies reiterated its Hold rating on American Express, signaling a wait-and-see stance rather than a more bullish upgrade. Jefferies Sticks to Their Hold Rating for American Express (AXP)
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays also kept a Hold rating on AXP, reinforcing the view that analysts are not seeing an immediate upside catalyst. Barclays Keeps Their Hold Rating on American Express (AXP)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks-related coverage noted that American Express has been attracting trading attention, but the article does not point to a fresh operational update or earnings surprise. Here is What to Know Beyond Why American Express Company (AXP) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Another Zacks piece similarly frames AXP as a trending stock without adding a new fundamental driver. Here is What to Know Beyond Why American Express Company (AXP) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage ahead of earnings highlighted that American Express was expected to report results soon, but the item itself did not provide a new beat/miss or guidance update. American Express (AXP) Projected to Release Earnings on Friday

American Express Price Performance

American Express stock opened at $355.44 on Friday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $329.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $331.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.57. American Express Company has a 1 year low of $288.34 and a 1 year high of $387.49. The company has a market capitalization of $242.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.04.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $14.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.60 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company 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. As a group, equities research analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.67 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. 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 (DPR) is currently 23.71%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on AXP shares. TD Cowen increased their price objective on American Express from $330.00 to $338.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Piper Sandler cut American Express from an "overweight" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Morgan Stanley upgraded American Express from a "positive" rating to an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Evercore initiated coverage on American Express in a report on Monday, July 13th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $374.15.

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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