Sterling Capital Management LLC Buys 124,834 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 1,540.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 132,937 shares of the payment services company’s stock after buying an additional 124,834 shares during the quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $40,211,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in American Express by 6,600.0% during the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 67 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in American Express in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Sfam LLC bought a new position in shares of American Express in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of American Express in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Express during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AXP has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Barclays cut their target price on shares of American Express from $323.00 to $322.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Evercore set a $345.00 price target on American Express in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Freedom Capital raised American Express from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $285.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $361.55.

American Express Stock Performance

NYSE AXP opened at $341.11 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $320.91 and a 200-day moving average of $334.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.57. The stock has a market cap of $232.75 billion, a PE ratio of 21.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.06. American Express Company has a 52-week low of $288.34 and a 52-week high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 business had revenue of $14.21 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%. American Express’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.64 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 17.64 EPS for the current year.

American Express Announces Dividend

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

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.