Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB Decreases Position in American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB cut its stake in American Express by 50.8% in the third quarter, selling 13,936 shares and leaving the firm with 13,474 shares valued at about $4.48 million.
• Company insiders sold a large block of stock recently — a total of 73,944 shares worth roughly $26.1 million over the last quarter — leaving insiders with just 0.20% ownership.
• American Express raised its quarterly dividend to $0.95 (annualized $3.80) and issued FY2026 EPS guidance of $17.30–$17.90, while analysts hold an average "Hold" rating with a $354.86 target and the stock trading around $294.00.

Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB trimmed its holdings in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 50.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,474 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 13,936 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB's holdings in American Express were worth $4,476,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in American Express by 24.4% in 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 during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its position 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 acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. bought a new position in shares of American Express during the second quarter valued at about $428,000. Intrust Bank NA grew its stake in shares of American Express by 8.1% in the second quarter. Intrust Bank NA now owns 943 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $301,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of American Express by 22.5% in the second quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 14,878 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $4,746,000 after purchasing an additional 2,737 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Amid recent weakness some investors view AXP as a buy-the-dip with intact growth and shareholder returns—the company recently raised its dividend ~16% and bulls point to continued top- and bottom-line momentum. 1 Top Dividend Stock to Buy With Double-Digit Dividend and Earnings Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators call AXP an attractive dip-buy, citing continued growth, strong ROE and the company’s guidance for 2026—this support may cap downside. American Express Is An Attractive Dip Buy As Growth Continues
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative analysis highlights Visa’s network model, cross-border strength and ecosystem investments as competitive advantages vs. AXP, underscoring sector dynamics investors should watch but not an immediate company-specific headwind. Visa vs. American Express: Which Stock Has the Better Charge?
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America trimmed AXP’s price target by a small amount but kept a Buy rating after February operating results; this is a minor revision rather than a negative rerating. Bank of America Sees Stable Credit Trends in American Express (AXP) Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes and analyst commentary are mixed—some sources present conflicted views on AXP’s near-term trajectory, contributing to investor uncertainty rather than a clear directional trigger. Analysts Offer Insights on Financial Companies: American Express (AXP) and Cboe Global Markets (CBOE)
• Negative Sentiment: High-volume put option purchases point to increased short-term bearish positioning and hedging activity, which can amplify downward pressure on the stock. Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of American Express Put Options NYSE: AXP
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG issued a pessimistic forecast for AXP’s share price, adding fresh negative analyst sentiment that likely weighed on investor confidence. BTIG Research Issues Pessimistic Forecast for American Express NYSE: AXP Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary flagged why AXP fell more than the broader market today, summarizing the mix of negative notes and option activity as drivers of the larger decline. Here's Why American Express (AXP) Fell More Than Broader Market

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Express news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of American Express stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total value of $8,346,340.35. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,754 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,767,480.14. The trade was a 75.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $346.73, for a total value of $2,820,301.82. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 9,433 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,270,704.09. This trade represents a 46.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on AXP shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on American Express from $385.00 to $375.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings raised American Express from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $395.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. TD Cowen reissued a "hold" rating on shares of American Express in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Evercore set a $393.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $354.86.

American Express Price Performance

Shares of AXP stock opened at $293.99 on Thursday. The business's fifty day moving average is $339.01 and its 200 day moving average is $348.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The stock has a market cap of $201.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.10, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.14. American Express Company has a twelve month low of $220.43 and a twelve month high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.54 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.04 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Research analysts expect that American Express Company will post 15.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. American Express's payout ratio is 21.31%.

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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