Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd Sells 11,545 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Key Points

• Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd sharply reduced its American Express stake by 85.1% in the first quarter, selling 11,545 shares and leaving it with 2,023 shares valued at about $612,000.
• American Express reported better-than-expected earnings of $4.28 per share for the latest quarter, though revenue came in below expectations at $14.21 billion despite being up 11.4% year over year.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share and continues to draw mostly positive analyst attention, with multiple firms raising price targets and the stock carrying a consensus Moderate Buy rating.

Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd lessened its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 85.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,023 shares of the payment services company's stock after selling 11,545 shares during the quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd's holdings in American Express were worth $612,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of American Express by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 29,464,868 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $10,900,528,000 after acquiring an additional 369,967 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in American Express by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,023,482 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $3,338,238,000 after purchasing an additional 141,936 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in American Express by 7.7% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,850,298 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $2,904,218,000 after purchasing an additional 558,533 shares during the period. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in American Express by 46.7% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,515,675 shares of the payment services company's stock valued at $2,780,424,000 after purchasing an additional 2,393,340 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of American Express during the 4th quarter valued at $2,464,215,000. 84.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Express Stock Performance

NYSE AXP opened at $354.26 on Tuesday. American Express Company has a 52-week low of $288.34 and a 52-week high of $387.49. 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 company has a market capitalization of $241.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a fifty day moving average of $326.23 and a 200-day moving average of $331.67.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.The business had revenue of $14.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.60 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.64 earnings per share. The firm's 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 predict that American Express Company will post 17.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.71%.

Key Stories Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded American Express to overweight and raised its price target to $400, signaling confidence in further upside. Benzinga report
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan said American Express should better withstand Middle East conflict-related fallout than rivals because its cardholders skew more affluent and defensive. Yahoo Finance article
• Positive Sentiment: Evercore ISI also raised its price target on AXP to $380 from $345, reinforcing expectations for solid near-term trends. Yahoo Finance article
• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital reaffirmed its buy rating on American Express, adding to the broader positive analyst sentiment. The Globe and Mail article
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlighted AXP as a stock to watch and discussed whether its momentum can continue, but did not introduce a new fundamental catalyst. Seeking Alpha article
• Neutral Sentiment: American Express also drew attention from a note saying it remains a buy despite its valuation, which supports sentiment but underscores the stock is not cheap. CNBC article

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Freedom Capital raised shares of American Express from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut American Express from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Monday. Loop Capital assumed coverage on American Express in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $389.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Evercore started coverage on American Express in a research report on Monday. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target 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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