American Express Company $AXP Position Increased by Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 9.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 66,089 shares of the payment services company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,741 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in American Express were worth $20,098,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Archer Investment Corp acquired a new position in shares of American Express in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American Express by 78.8% during the 3rd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 93 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. John Boyer Inc. bought a new position in shares of American Express during the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American Express by 66.7% during the 1st quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of American Express by 58.3% during the 2nd quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 95 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express and Fanatics launched a co-branded card aimed at sports fans, connecting Membership Rewards points with Fanatics FanCash and offering sports-related experiences and merchandise benefits. The partnership could deepen customer engagement and broaden AXP’s reach; its contribution to revenue and profits is not yet clear. Article: American Express unveils sports rewards card tied to fan loyalty
• Positive Sentiment: American Express Canada and Marriott Bonvoy are adding a no-annual-fee card, scheduled to launch in February 2027, and enhancing existing co-branded cards with complimentary Gold Elite status. The expanded lineup may help attract and retain cardholders, although the new product is a future launch. Article: American Express and Marriott Bonvoy expand Canadian card portfolio
• Neutral Sentiment: American Express rose 28 places to No. 42 on the Roundtable 100. The improved ranking is favorable brand recognition, but the article does not identify a direct near-term financial impact. Article: American Express jumps 28 places on the Roundtable 100
• Negative Sentiment: Analysis notes that growth in premium-card fees could be offset by rising rewards, benefits and marketing expenses. The concern is whether AXP can turn premium-card momentum into stronger profits. Article: Can American Express turn premium card growth into higher profits?

American Express Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $323.67 on Wednesday. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $290.97 and a 52 week high of $387.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.58. The company’s fifty day moving average is $315.90 and its 200-day moving average is $325.25. The company has a market capitalization of $217.04 billion, a PE ratio of 18.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.09.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last posted its earnings results on Friday, October 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.50 by $0.18. American Express had a net margin of 15.80% and a return on equity of 34.19%. The business had revenue of $20.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.14 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.600-17.900 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 9th were paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 9th. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.40%.

Insider Transactions at American Express

In other news, insider Laureen Seeger sold 69,860 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $328.17, for a total transaction of $22,925,956.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 9,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,954,186.34. This trade represents a 88.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Anna Marrs sold 44,910 shares of American Express stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $327.20, for a total transaction of $14,694,552.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 20,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,710,544.80. This trade represents a 68.65% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 414,171 shares of company stock valued at $137,069,544. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AXP has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of American Express from $360.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 26th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of American Express from $340.00 to $335.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 27th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on American Express from $396.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $330.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Finally, Evercore set a $330.00 target price on American Express in a report on Tuesday, October 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $365.22.

American Express Company Profile

American Express Company is a global payments and financial services company that operates a card-issuing business and a payments network. Its products and services include consumer, small-business and corporate cards, payment processing, lending, travel services and expense-management solutions. Founded in 1850 as an express mail business, the company expanded into financial services and became known for its charge cards and travel-related services. Today, it serves cardholders and businesses in the United States and markets around the world, connecting customers, merchants and financial institutions through its network.