Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Cuts Stock Position in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH trimmed its stake in American Express by 12.9% in Q4, selling 93,611 shares and now holding 632,596 shares worth about $233,058,000 (roughly 0.09% of the company).
• American Express raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 (from $0.82), an annualized $3.80 payout with a yield of ~1.2%; the ex-dividend date is April 2 and the payment date is May 8.
• Analysts are broadly cautious with a consensus "Hold" rating and a $354.16 price target after several recent cuts; results are mixed — Q4 EPS was $3.53 (missed by $0.01) while management set FY2026 EPS guidance of 17.30–17.90 (street estimate ~17.53).

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lessened its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 12.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 632,596 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 93,611 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.09% of American Express worth $233,058,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. lifted its position in shares of American Express by 153.3% during the 3rd quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc purchased a new position in shares of American Express during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of American Express by 210.7% during the 3rd quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on AXP shares. BTIG Research dropped their price target on American Express from $328.00 to $285.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price target on American Express in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $395.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on American Express from $375.00 to $325.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $354.16.

American Express Stock Performance

NYSE:AXP opened at $329.71 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.59. American Express Company has a 52-week low of $246.37 and a 52-week high of $387.49. The firm has a market cap of $226.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.42, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.13. The business's fifty day moving average is $315.01 and its 200 day moving average is $344.64.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.54 by ($0.01). American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The company had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.04 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Research analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.53 EPS for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be paid a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. This is an increase from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. American Express's dividend payout ratio is currently 24.69%.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Amex raised its dividend ~16% and rolled out AI payment tools (ACE Developer Kit, Amex Agent Purchase Protection), reinforcing cash return to shareholders and potential revenue/engagement upside from new products. American Express (AXP) Valuation Check As Earnings, Dividend Rise And New AI Payment Tools Draw Attention
• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition of Hypercard and related AI investments are positioned to accelerate AI-driven expense automation and commercial services, which could expand Amex’s corporate offerings and long-term margins. How Will AmEx's Hyper Acquisition Expand Its AI Capabilities?
• Positive Sentiment: Industry commentary frames Amex’s AI-focused moves as strategically significant for fintech corporate finance, signaling a deeper competitive moat if executed well. American Express’s AI focused Acquisition Signals a Deeper Shift in Fintech’s Corporate Finance Race
• Positive Sentiment: Positive investor sentiment is amplified by Berkshire Hathaway/Buffett coverage and commentary highlighting Amex’s durable cash generation and pricing power. That narrative often supports valuation multiples and steady shareholder demand. Warren Buffett’s American Express rides platinum card change wave
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on tomorrow’s Q1 print; previews analyze key metrics beyond EPS (spend, discount revenue, net interest margin) that will drive the reaction. Earnings uncertainty can cause short-term volatility. American Express (AXP) Reports Earnings Tomorrow: What To Expect
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimate roundups and metric-level expectations (Zacks, Yahoo) are being tracked to set expectations on spend trends and commercial card adoption; these previews help set the benchmark for the print. Exploring Analyst Estimates for American Express (AXP) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Negative Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains a “Hold,” signaling limited near-term upside from some institutional analysts despite the headline positives — this can cap momentum if earnings fail to materially beat expectations. American Express Company NYSE: AXP Given Consensus Rating of "Hold" by Brokerages

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Express news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total value of $8,346,340.35. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,754 shares in the company, valued at $2,767,480.14. This represents a 75.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total value of $5,348,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 8,945 shares in the company, valued at $3,189,608.10. This represents a 62.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366 over the last 90 days. 0.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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