American Express Company $AXP is Artisan Partners Limited Partnership’s 7th Largest Position

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership cut its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,588,907 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 31,966 shares during the quarter. American Express comprises about 2.2% of Artisan Partners Limited Partnership’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest position. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership owned 0.67% of American Express worth $1,524,251,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 153.3% during the 3rd quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new position in shares of American Express during the third quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of American Express by 210.7% in the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

American Express Stock Up 2.5%

Shares of American Express stock opened at $335.37 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $359.78 and its 200-day moving average is $348.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $230.27 billion, a PE ratio of 21.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. American Express Company has a 12-month low of $220.43 and a 12-month high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last released its quarterly 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.91 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The firm’s revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.04 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were paid a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AXP has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BTIG Research reiterated a “sell” rating and issued a $328.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $425.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price objective on American Express in a report on Monday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley set a $395.00 price objective on American Express in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on American Express from $355.00 to $367.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, American Express presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $352.73.

Insider Transactions at American Express

In other American Express news, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of American Express stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total value of $9,599,024.25. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 20,394 shares in the company, valued at $7,138,103.94. The trade was a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction 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 stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total transaction of $5,348,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 8,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. This trade represents a 62.64% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366 in the last three months. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

American Express News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express announced plans to build a new, state‑of‑the‑art global headquarters at 2 World Trade Center and will be the sole owner and occupant — a high‑visibility, long‑term commitment to New York that signals confidence in growth and corporate stability. American Express to Build New State-of-the-Art Global Headquarters at 2 World Trade Center, Deepening Commitment to Lower Manhattan
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage noted AXP outperformed the digital payments group over the past year and analysts remain cautiously optimistic — a factor that can draw relative‑value buying when broader markets wobble. How Is American Express’ Stock Performance Compared to Other Digital Payments Stocks?
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlighted why AXP gained while the broader market dipped — upbeat corporate messaging, solid fundamentals (recent revenue growth and FY‑2026 EPS guidance) and investor interest in buybacks/capital returns support the stock. Why the Market Dipped But American Express (AXP) Gained Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media pieces revisited AXP’s 2025 results and management’s guidance (high single‑digit revenue growth and mid‑teens EPS growth for 2026) — supportive long‑term but already partly priced in; the stock has lagged YTD, which some investors view as a buying opportunity. American Express Stock Has Fallen 12% in 2026. Time to Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Product coverage (e.g., Plum Card review) and design/architectural press on the new HQ add PR visibility but are unlikely to move fundamentals near term. The Plum Card from American Express review: Opt for cash back or float
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest in AXP rose ~20% in February (about 8.6M shares short, ~1.3% of float), which increases downside pressure if sentiment deteriorates and can amplify volatility. (Source: short‑interest release)

American Express Company 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.