Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Raises Stake in American Express Company $AXP

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC lifted its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 123,586 shares of the payment services company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,594 shares during the period. American Express accounts for approximately 1.4% of Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $41,050,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. grew its stake in shares of American Express by 153.3% in 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 period. Access Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in American Express in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in American Express in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in American Express during the third quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC raised its position in American Express by 210.7% in the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $395.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of American Express from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Evercore set a $393.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on American Express in a research report on Monday, December 8th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, American Express presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $352.73.

American Express Price Performance

AXP stock opened at $327.16 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $360.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $349.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $224.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.14. American Express Company has a 1 year low of $220.43 and a 1 year high of $387.49.

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

American Express Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. American Express’s payout ratio is presently 21.31%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Express news, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the firm’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 sale, the insider directly owned 9,433 shares in the company, valued at $3,270,704.09. This trade represents a 46.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of American Express 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 sale, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,189,608.10. This trade represents a 62.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366. 0.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express announced plans to build a new state-of-the-art global headquarters at 2 World Trade Center; the company will be sole owner and occupant and plans completion by 2031 — a signalling move of long-term commitment to New York, which can support brand, recruiting and collaboration benefits. American Express to Build New State-of-the-Art Global Headquarters at 2 World Trade Center
• Positive Sentiment: AXP deepened its NBA/WNBA partnerships to reach younger, high‑spending audiences and expand member perks and digital integrations — a revenue/engagement play that supports card spend and loyalty. American Express Deepens NBA Ties To Court Younger High Spending Fans
• Positive Sentiment: Analyses note AXP has outperformed the digital payments peer group over the past year and analysts remain cautiously optimistic — supportive context for relative strength in the sector. How Is American Express’ Stock Performance Compared to Other Digital Payments Stocks?
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary highlights the stock has declined about 12% in 2026 despite strong 2025 results and upbeat 2026 guidance (high single‑digit revenue growth; mid‑teens EPS growth), framing AXP as a possible value/buying opportunity for long‑term investors. American Express Stock Has Fallen 12% in 2026. Time to Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces on long‑term returns and historical performance provide perspective but are unlikely to change near‑term price action. $1000 Invested In American Express 10 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much Today
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest in AXP rose ~20% in February to ~8.62M shares (about 1.3% of float) — an uptick that can add selling pressure or increase volatility if negative sentiment grows. Source: short interest report

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.