Whittier Trust Co. Cuts Stock Position in American Express Company $AXP

Whittier Trust Co. lessened its holdings in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 2.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 65,924 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 1,963 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co.’s holdings in American Express were worth $25,286,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in American Express by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 5,620 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $2,079,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in American Express by 13.0% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 125,288 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $46,350,000 after buying an additional 14,448 shares in the last quarter. Thomasville National Bank increased its stake in American Express by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Thomasville National Bank now owns 47,810 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $17,687,000 after buying an additional 542 shares in the last quarter. Prosperity Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in American Express in the 4th quarter worth $299,000. Finally, Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV increased its stake in American Express by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 6,875 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $2,544,000 after buying an additional 284 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

American Express Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $325.94 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. American Express Company has a 12 month low of $239.27 and a 12 month high of $387.49. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $316.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $344.53. The company has a market cap of $223.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.18, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.13.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last announced its quarterly 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). American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The business had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.04 EPS. The firm’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, equities research analysts predict that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd will be issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. This is a positive change from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. American Express’s payout ratio is 24.69%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AXP has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings lowered American Express from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday. BTIG Research cut their price target on American Express from $328.00 to $285.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Truist Financial cut their price target on American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Barclays cut their price objective on American Express from $367.00 to $323.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $420.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $350.70.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Express

In related news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the insider owned 7,754 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,767,480.14. This trade represents a 75.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total transaction of $9,599,024.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 20,394 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,138,103.94. The trade was a 57.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366 in the last 90 days. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: AmEx announced it will acquire Hyper (agentic AI expense-management startup), aiming to add AI agents that automate expense categorization, compliance checks and approvals — this strengthens AmEx’s commercial services and technology moat. AmEx to buy Altman-backed Hyper in push for AI-powered expense tools
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction: multiple outlets report the stock gained on the Hyper/Hypercard acquisition headlines, reflecting investor enthusiasm for AmEx’s AI-driven product expansion in commercial cards and expense management. American Express stock gains after Hypercard acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: AmEx is rolling out complementary AI tools (ACE Developer Kit, Agent Purchase Protection and new agentic commerce solutions) to embed security and automation for AI-driven purchases — this supports cross-sell into commercial clients and may raise wallet share. Can American Express Build Trust in the Age of AI Commerce?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/strategy commentary highlights AmEx’s durable competitive moat, arguing its network and services are resilient as it layers AI-enabled offerings — supportive for long-term valuation. American Express’ Moat Is More Resistant Than What You Think
• Neutral Sentiment: AmEx reported stable credit quality with only moderate write-offs in recent filings — credit stability reduces downside risk but is not a catalyst by itself. American Express Reports Stable Credit Quality, Moderate Write-Offs
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect earnings growth into the next report, setting the stage for an earnings-driven move; this is a watch item for near-term volatility around the print. American Express (AXP) Earnings Expected to Grow
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional tweak: Baxter Bros trimmed its AXP stake modestly (about 3.3%) in the latest 13F — a small portfolio adjustment rather than a broad sell signal. American Express Company $AXP is Baxter Bros Inc.’s 8th Largest Position
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the positive AI/deal headlines, the stock experienced a pullback later in the session and closed lower in some reports — short-term noise and profit-taking can offset headline-driven gains ahead of earnings. American Express (AXP) Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts

American Express 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.