Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA trimmed its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 10.6% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 5,807,459 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 686,853 shares during the period. American Express comprises approximately 0.7% of Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA’s holdings, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA’s holdings in American Express were worth $2,148,469,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in AXP. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of American Express by 24.4% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,481 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $1,924,000 after buying an additional 1,273 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of American Express by 13.0% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,738 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $554,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of American Express during the second quarter worth approximately $428,000. Howland Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of American Express by 4.2% during the second quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $707,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, Intact Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of American Express during the second quarter worth approximately $64,000. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several research firms recently commented on AXP. Morgan Stanley set a $395.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of American Express from $375.00 to $325.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of American Express in a report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $351.20.
Key American Express News
Here are the key news stories impacting American Express this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights AXP for earnings growth and price strength, naming it a stock to watch — a momentum/earnings-based endorsement that can attract investors. Earnings Growth & Price Strength Make American Express (AXP) a Stock to Watch
- Positive Sentiment: Seasonality study (Benzinga) points to a historical April–June lift for AXP, with a recurring mid‑April buy signal — this creates a short-term technical tailwind for traders. American Express Has A Spring Pattern: History Says April 14 Is The Buy Signal
- Neutral Sentiment: Kalkine reports AXP tracking valuation metrics within the S&P 500 — useful context on relative valuation but not an immediate catalyst. American Express (NYSE:AXP) Tracks Valuation Metrics Within S&P 500 Chart
- Neutral Sentiment: Visa’s push on AI-driven commerce (Intelligent Commerce Connect) is industry‑level news — potential longer‑term competitive pressure, but not an immediate earnings shock to AXP. How Can Visa’s Intelligent Commerce Connect Power AI Agents?
- Neutral Sentiment: MarketBeat / newsletter pieces discuss sector picks and analyst commentary that may shift investor interest into/away from financials; informative but not a direct catalyst. 3 Sectors to Buy While They’re Down and 1 to Walk Away From
- Neutral Sentiment: Globe and Mail roundup and Delta’s strong Q1 revenue both add macro/sector color — Delta’s travel strength supports consumer spend trends that benefit card issuers like Amex. Analysts Offer Insights on Financial Companies: MSCI (MSCI) and American Express (AXP)
- Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered its AXP price target from $425 to $415 while keeping an Overweight rating — a modest negative signal that trims upside expectations. Wells Fargo Lowers AXP Target, Says Consumer Trends Remain Resilient
- Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its price target sharply (reported from $375 to $325) and moved to a Neutral rating — this is the largest near-term negative catalyst and likely the main driver of selling pressure. American Express price target cut coverage
American Express Price Performance
Shares of AXP opened at $313.83 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $215.22 billion, a PE ratio of 20.39, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.13. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $318.93 and its 200 day moving average price is $344.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.59. American Express Company has a twelve month low of $239.27 and a twelve month high of $387.49.
American Express (NYSE:AXP – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.54 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. American Express’s revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.04 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that American Express Company will post 15.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.
American Express Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. This is a boost from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. American Express’s payout ratio is 24.69%.
Insider Buying and Selling at American Express
In related news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total transaction of $8,346,340.35. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total transaction of $5,348,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. The trade was a 62.64% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.
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.
See Also
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AXP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American Express Company (NYSE:AXP – Free Report).
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