American Express Company $AXP Shares Sold by Eastern Bank

Eastern Bank lowered its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 8.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 155,684 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 14,648 shares during the quarter. Eastern Bank’s holdings in American Express were worth $51,712,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 1.3% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,425,262 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $14,808,730,000 after acquiring an additional 581,369 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of American Express by 11.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 13,487,316 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $4,282,984,000 after purchasing an additional 1,349,746 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of American Express during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,897,335,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership grew its position in shares of American Express by 3.0% during the second quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 4,620,873 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $1,473,966,000 after buying an additional 133,439 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main increased its stake in shares of American Express by 13.9% in the second quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 4,342,556 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $1,385,188,000 after buying an additional 530,967 shares during the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Express News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators say AXP is resilient and could absorb regulatory changes better than peers — a view that supports the stock amid headline risk. American Express stock well-positioned to weather Trump’s credit card cap
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on AXP to $385 (neutral rating), suggesting upside exists if company fundamentals hold — a counterweight to headline-driven selling. Benzinga analyst price target note
• Neutral Sentiment: Opinion pieces argue a 10% cap “won’t break anything,” noting scenarios where AXP could adapt through fees, product mix or underwriting changes — outcome depends on regulatory specifics. Seeking Alpha analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains mixed: the broker consensus is largely “Hold,” reflecting divided views on policy risk vs. long‑run card franchise strength. Consensus rating report
• Negative Sentiment: President Trump’s public push for a 10% cap is the immediate headline driver; markets are pricing regulatory uncertainty that could compress card yields and rewards economics. CNBC coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Big‑bank executives warn a cap could reduce consumer access to credit and hurt revenue, amplifying investor concern about loan loss, underwriting shifts and lower interchange income for card issuers like AXP. Fox Business report
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: coverage shows premarket and intraday selling in bank and card stocks, plus at least one downgrade and headlines noting AXP shares falling — sentiment is pressured while political risk remains unresolved. Seeking Alpha downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: News outlets and market reports flagged sharp intraday moves and analyst notes calling out the policy risk as the primary reason for AXP’s recent weakness. Zacks coverage

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of American Express in a report on Thursday, January 8th. HSBC set a $295.00 price target on American Express and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 10th. UBS Group set a $385.00 price objective on American Express in a research note on Monday. Barclays lifted their target price on American Express from $355.00 to $367.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered American Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 9th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $352.82.

American Express Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE AXP opened at $357.85 on Wednesday. American Express Company has a 12-month low of $220.43 and a 12-month high of $387.49. The company has a market cap of $246.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a current ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $368.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $340.50.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported ($11.85) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.56 by ($15.41). American Express had a return on equity of 33.41% and a net margin of 14.97%.The company had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.91 billion. Equities research analysts expect that American Express Company will post 15.33 EPS for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Denise Pickett sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.73, for a total value of $1,753,650.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 7,726 shares in the company, valued at $2,709,739.98. This trade represents a 39.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Elizabeth Rutledge sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $360.21, for a total value of $18,010,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 85,577 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $30,825,691.17. This trade represents a 36.88% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 57,515 shares of company stock worth $20,658,509. Insiders own 0.20% 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.