California Public Employees Retirement System Acquires 298,444 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

California Public Employees Retirement System increased its holdings in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 30.6% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,273,396 shares of the payment services company’s stock after buying an additional 298,444 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System’s holdings in American Express were worth $385,177,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AXP. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of American Express in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,464,215,000. Capital World Investors lifted its position in shares of American Express by 46.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,515,675 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $2,780,424,000 after buying an additional 2,393,340 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its stake in American Express by 73.8% in the 1st quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 1,451,606 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $438,975,000 after buying an additional 616,498 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in American Express by 7.7% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,850,298 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $2,904,218,000 after buying an additional 558,533 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its position in American Express by 23.9% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 2,787,580 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $925,449,000 after acquiring an additional 537,205 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Express Stock Performance

Shares of American Express stock opened at $355.44 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $329.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $331.33. American Express Company has a fifty-two week low of $288.34 and a fifty-two week high of $387.49. The firm has a market cap of $242.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.04.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $14.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.60 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.64 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. American Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AXP has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Bank of America increased their price objective on American Express from $387.00 to $391.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Piper Sandler downgraded shares of American Express from an “overweight” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of American Express in a report on Monday. DZ Bank raised shares of American Express from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $375.00 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of American Express from $330.00 to $338.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, American Express presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $374.15.

American Express News Roundup

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies reiterated its Hold rating on American Express, signaling a wait-and-see stance rather than a more bullish upgrade. Jefferies Sticks to Their Hold Rating for American Express (AXP)
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays also kept a Hold rating on AXP, reinforcing the view that analysts are not seeing an immediate upside catalyst. Barclays Keeps Their Hold Rating on American Express (AXP)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks-related coverage noted that American Express has been attracting trading attention, but the article does not point to a fresh operational update or earnings surprise. Here is What to Know Beyond Why American Express Company (AXP) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Another Zacks piece similarly frames AXP as a trending stock without adding a new fundamental driver. Here is What to Know Beyond Why American Express Company (AXP) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage ahead of earnings highlighted that American Express was expected to report results soon, but the item itself did not provide a new beat/miss or guidance update. American Express (AXP) Projected to Release Earnings on Friday

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.