Trajan Wealth LLC Has $10.54 Million Holdings in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Trajan Wealth LLC increased its stake in American Express by 14.5% in the fourth quarter, holding 28,502 shares worth about $10.54 million at the end of the period.
• American Express reported Q1 earnings of $4.28 per share, beating analyst estimates, and also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 per share from $0.82.
• Despite the earnings beat, analyst sentiment remains mixed: the stock’s consensus rating is Hold, with a consensus price target of $357.47, while shares were trading around $309.92.

Trajan Wealth LLC lifted its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 14.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 28,502 shares of the payment services company's stock after buying an additional 3,601 shares during the period. Trajan Wealth LLC's holdings in American Express were worth $10,544,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in American Express by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 8,881,546 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $2,950,095,000 after purchasing an additional 146,586 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its holdings in American Express by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 5,122,335 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $1,701,435,000 after purchasing an additional 24,297 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors increased its holdings in American Express by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 4,452,660 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $1,479,019,000 after purchasing an additional 29,331 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in American Express by 27.0% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 3,970,416 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $1,310,515,000 after purchasing an additional 845,283 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc increased its holdings in American Express by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 3,483,876 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $1,157,204,000 after purchasing an additional 83,189 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on AXP shares. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on American Express from $395.00 to $385.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 price target on American Express in a report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays dropped their price target on American Express from $323.00 to $322.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a "sell" rating and set a $285.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Friday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $357.47.

American Express Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of AXP opened at $309.92 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $211.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.33, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.57. The business's fifty day moving average price is $311.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $341.25. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $281.46 and a 52 week high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $14.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.60 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.64 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. On average, analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.59 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 3rd were given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. This is a positive change from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. American Express's dividend payout ratio is 23.71%.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express announced a strategic partnership with Fanatics, including a new Fanatics American Express card, exclusive fan experiences, and expanded sports-focused rewards. Investors may view this as a way to deepen cardmember engagement and support future spending volume. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: American Express and Main Street America awarded more than $10 million in grants to over 500 small businesses through the Shop Small program, reinforcing the company’s small-business brand and merchant relationships. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple articles highlighted American Express as one of Warren Buffett’s favorite long-term holdings, which can support investor confidence by emphasizing the company’s durable moat, strong balance sheet, and steady earnings power. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and commentary pieces noted that American Express remains attractive after its recent pullback, but also suggested some upside may already be priced in. This keeps the stock in valuation-watch territory rather than clearly signaling a new catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays reportedly kept a Hold rating on American Express, which does not materially change the outlook but may temper enthusiasm after the recent earnings-related debate. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage following the latest earnings said the market reaction was lukewarm, and recent articles noted the stock had been sliding over the prior week and month. That suggests investors are still weighing strong fundamentals against slower near-term momentum. Article Title

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.

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.