631,210 Shares in American Express (NYSE:AXP) Purchased by Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new position in shares of American Express (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 631,210 shares of the payment services company's stock, valued at approximately $187,337,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.09% of American Express at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital & Planning LLC acquired a new position in American Express during the fourth quarter worth $213,000. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of American Express by 24.4% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of American Express by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 6,202 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $1,841,000 after purchasing an additional 313 shares during the period. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,383 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $707,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Insight Inv LLC lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Insight Inv LLC now owns 12,017 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $3,567,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on AXP shares. Baird R W upgraded shares of American Express from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th. Redburn Atlantic upgraded American Express from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $270.00 to $255.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on American Express from $367.00 to $330.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. Finally, Monness Crespi & Hardt lifted their price target on American Express from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, American Express presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $296.05.

American Express Trading Down 0.5%

NYSE AXP traded down $1.34 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $294.04. 5,251,731 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,854,255. The business's 50 day moving average is $270.61 and its 200-day moving average is $288.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.58. American Express has a 12-month low of $220.43 and a 12-month high of $326.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $206.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.23.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 17th. The payment services company reported $3.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.47 by $0.17. American Express had a return on equity of 32.65% and a net margin of 15.36%. The business had revenue of $16.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.04 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.33 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that American Express will post 15.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 9th. Investors of record on Friday, April 4th were given a dividend of $0.82 per share. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.12%. This is a boost from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 4th. American Express's dividend payout ratio is 22.91%.

Insider Activity at American Express

In other American Express news, insider Glenda G. Mcneal sold 3,019 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.66, for a total value of $799,008.54. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 10,919 shares in the company, valued at $2,889,822.54. The trade was a 21.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Michael J. Angelakis purchased 3,700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $269.89 per share, for a total transaction of $998,593.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 3,700 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $998,593. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About American Express

American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as integrated payments company in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, and Internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Consumer Services, Commercial Services, International Card Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services.