Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Has $4.78 Million Stake in American Express Company $AXP

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 63.4% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 12,922 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 22,408 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in American Express were worth $4,780,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in AXP. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. grew its position in American Express by 153.3% in the third quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of American Express during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new stake in shares of American Express during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Express during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Express during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

American Express Stock Up 0.1%

American Express stock opened at $311.98 on Tuesday. American Express Company has a 1-year low of $281.46 and a 1-year high of $387.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $212.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.08. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $311.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $340.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $14.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.60 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.13% and a return on equity of 33.95%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.64 earnings per share. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd were issued a $0.95 dividend. This is an increase from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is currently 23.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Loop Capital assumed coverage on shares of American Express in a research note on Thursday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $389.00 price objective for the company. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of American Express from $395.00 to $385.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Freedom Capital raised shares of American Express from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $359.05.

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.