Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC Takes $1.45 Million Position in American Express (NYSE:AXP)

Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 4,878 shares of the payment services company's stock, valued at approximately $1,448,000. American Express comprises approximately 1.3% of Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in American Express during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new stake in American Express during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Curio Wealth LLC bought a new stake in American Express during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in American Express during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in American Express in the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

American Express Stock Down 0.0%

AXP stock traded down $0.07 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $299.48. 2,958,967 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,839,659. The firm's 50-day moving average is $265.31 and its 200-day moving average is $287.82. The company has a market cap of $209.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.38, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.57. American Express has a 12 month low of $220.43 and a 12 month high of $326.28.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 17th. The payment services company reported $3.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.47 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $16.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.04 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 32.65% and a net margin of 15.36%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.33 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that American Express will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 4th were issued a $0.82 dividend. This is a boost from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 4th. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.10%. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.91%.

Insider Activity

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on AXP. Redburn Atlantic upgraded American Express from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $270.00 to $255.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on American Express from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on American Express from $244.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, April 21st. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on American Express from $355.00 to $370.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $295.05.

American Express Company Profile

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.