American Express (NYSE:AXP) had its target price cut by Wells Fargo & Company from $425.00 to $415.00 in a report published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the payment services company’s stock.
A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on AXP. Evercore set a $393.00 price target on American Express in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $420.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of American Express in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Barclays reduced their price objective on American Express from $367.00 to $323.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Finally, BTIG Research reduced their price objective on American Express from $328.00 to $285.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $348.00.
Read Our Latest Report on American Express
American Express Price Performance
American Express (NYSE:AXP – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.54 by ($0.01). American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The firm had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.91 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.04 EPS. American Express’s 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. As a group, research analysts predict that American Express will post 15.33 EPS for the current year.
American Express Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This is an increase from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. American Express’s payout ratio is currently 24.69%.
Insider Transactions at American Express
In other American Express news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total transaction of $8,346,340.35. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,754 shares in the company, valued at $2,767,480.14. This represents a 75.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $346.73, for a total value of $2,820,301.82. Following the sale, the insider owned 9,433 shares in the company, valued at $3,270,704.09. The trade was a 46.30% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366. 0.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Trading of American Express
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in American Express by 0.8% during the third quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,712 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $1,233,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp raised its stake in American Express by 10.0% during the third quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 308 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $105,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Capital Asset Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of American Express by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Capital Asset Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,214 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $465,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Lantz Financial LLC raised its position in shares of American Express by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Lantz Financial LLC now owns 808 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $299,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Finally, McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of American Express by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,910 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $967,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the company’s stock.
More American Express News
Here are the key news stories impacting American Express this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered its price target slightly (from $425 to $415) but kept an Overweight rating, reinforcing a bullish thesis and upside potential from current levels. Wells Fargo PT note
- Positive Sentiment: Delta Air Lines reported strong Q1 revenue — a positive for AmEx because robust airline/travel results usually boost branded card spend, travel-related transactions and co-brand partner volumes. Delta Q1 highlights
- Positive Sentiment: Seasonality analysis shows historically strong performance for AXP from mid‑April to early June (a recurring “buy” window), which can attract tactical buyers. Seasonality study
- Neutral Sentiment: Kalkine notes AXP’s valuation metrics relative to the S&P 500 — useful context for allocation decisions but not an immediate catalyst. Valuation chart
- Neutral Sentiment: MarketBeat and other newsletters are discussing sector rotations and stock picks that include financials; these thematic pieces can influence flows but are not company-specific catalysts. Sector note
- Neutral Sentiment: Coverage roundups (Globe and Mail) summarize analyst views on AXP — helpful for sentiment tracking but not a single-driver item. Analyst roundup
- Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its AXP price target from $375 to $325 and moved to a Neutral rating — a clear headwind for sentiment and a likely reason for intraday selling pressure in some desks. JPMorgan PT cut
- Negative Sentiment: Barclays and other outlets report lowered expectations for AXP — additional analyst downgrades or target cuts reduce near‑term upside consensus. Barclays note
- Negative Sentiment: Visa’s push into AI-driven commerce (and commentary on its lower P/E and fintech threats) is a competitive signal: platform innovations or pricing pressure at Visa could translate into longer-term margin and market-share risks for AXP. Visa Intelligent Commerce
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.
See Also
Receive News & Ratings for American Express Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Express and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
