Zhang Financial LLC Invests $5.01 Million in American Express Company $AXP

Zhang Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 16,572 shares of the payment services company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,013,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp boosted its position in American Express by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 29,464,868 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $10,900,528,000 after buying an additional 369,967 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of American Express by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,023,482 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $3,338,238,000 after acquiring an additional 141,936 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of American Express by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,850,298 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $2,904,218,000 after acquiring an additional 558,533 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 46.7% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,515,675 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $2,780,424,000 after acquiring an additional 2,393,340 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter worth about $2,464,215,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AXP has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded American Express from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $328.00 to $400.00 in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered American Express from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Truist Financial increased their target price on American Express from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Loop Capital started coverage on shares of American Express in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $389.00 price target for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $374.15.

More American Express News

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

American Express Stock Down 1.7%

NYSE:AXP opened at $355.44 on Friday. 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 company has a market capitalization of $242.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.04. American Express Company has a one year low of $288.34 and a one year high of $387.49. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $329.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $331.33.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.01 by $0.27. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.The firm had revenue of $14.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.60 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.64 earnings per share. American Express’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 EPS 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 given a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express’s dividend 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.