American Express (NYSE:AXP) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 17.300-17.900 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 17.430. The company issued revenue guidance of $78.7 billion-$79.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $78.4 billion.

American Express Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of American Express stock opened at $352.14 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a current ratio of 1.61. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $220.43 and a 52 week high of $387.49. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $369.37 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $343.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $242.57 billion, a PE ratio of 23.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.15.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued its 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). The firm had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 33.41% and a net margin of 14.97%.American Express’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.04 earnings per share. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.01%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of American Express in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings raised American Express from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group set a $385.00 price target on American Express in a research report on Monday, January 12th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “sell” rating and set a $328.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded shares of American Express from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $340.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $353.95.

Key Stories Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management set FY2026 EPS guidance of $17.30–$17.90 and revenue guidance roughly $78.7B–$79.5B, which sits at/above Street revenue expectations and implies mid‑high single‑digit growth — a key reason investors are focusing on the outlook rather than the quarterly miss.
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue grew ~10% y/y and card‑member spending remained strong, supporting the company’s growth narrative and the confident 2026 outlook. AXP Stock Falls Despite Revenue Beat After Q4 Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a meaningful dividend increase (reported as ~16%), which is supportive for income‑oriented investors and signals confidence in cash flow. American Express Posts Strong 2025 Results, Raises Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts have mixed/timely coverage — some firms reiterate buy ratings citing attractive risk/reward and valuation upside, which could limit downside if results stay in-line with guidance. American Express: Attractive Risk-Reward, Solid Growth Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS of $3.53 slightly missed consensus (by ~$0.01–$0.04 depending on source), and some headlines emphasize the profit miss as a near‑term catalyst for selling pressure. Scorecard: Grading American Express Q4 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Rising customer‑engagement and operating costs were called out on the call and in analyst notes as the main drag on margin expansion, which clouds near‑term EPS trajectory. AXP Q4 Earnings Lag Estimates on Rising Customer Engagement Costs
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk headlines (discussion of a potential credit‑card rate cap) and a strategic shift to higher‑fee premium cards (more marketing to Platinum vs. no‑fee products) create execution and political/regulatory uncertainty that can pressure sentiment. American Express, credit card provider to the wealthy, wants even more high spenders CEO on rate cap

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Express

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Invenio Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 3.9% during the third quarter. Invenio Wealth Partners LLC now owns 776 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $258,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Graney & King LLC grew its position in shares of American Express by 12.7% in the 2nd quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 292 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $93,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the period. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of American Express by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,184 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $3,383,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Vance Wealth LLC boosted its stake in American Express by 5.7% during the third quarter. Vance Wealth LLC now owns 791 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $263,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Logan Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in American Express by 50.0% in the third quarter. Logan Capital Management Inc. now owns 135 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

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.