American Express Company $AXP Shares Purchased by Aptus Capital Advisors LLC

Aptus Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 300.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 39,562 shares of the payment services company’s stock after purchasing an additional 29,681 shares during the quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $13,141,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AXP. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. boosted its position in shares of American Express by 153.3% in the third quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in American Express during the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new position in American Express during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC raised its stake in American Express by 210.7% during the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Finally, Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a 16% quarterly dividend increase to $0.95 and emphasized shareholder returns, a supportive sign for income-focused investors. American Express Announces 16% Increase in Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: New long-term stadium and NFL team partnerships aim to drive card engagement and incremental transactions in key metro markets — a revenue/TPV growth lever for premium cardholders. American Express announces stadium, NFL team partnerships
• Positive Sentiment: Company is expanding tech initiatives (AI partner Traversal) and planning a new World Trade Center HQ, signaling investment in operations and long-term productivity improvements. American Express Taps AI And Sports Deals As Stock Trades Below Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation write-ups note the dividend hike and partnerships but also point out the recent pullback — useful context for investors reassessing entry points. Taking A Fresh Look At American Express (AXP) Valuation After Dividend Hike And New Sports Partnerships
• Neutral Sentiment: Company updated its Q1 earnings date and will webcast the annual meeting — housekeeping items that provide upcoming catalysts/communication opportunities. American Express Updates First-Quarter 2026 Earnings Date and Plans to Host Live Audio Webcast of Annual Meeting of Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary says the current slide looks more sentiment-driven than business-driven — highlighting panic selling and momentum losses as drivers of the near-term weakness. American Express Stock’s Slide Worsens as Shares Hit $300. Time to Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest has risen materially, indicating growing bearish positioning that can amplify downward moves. American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest
• Negative Sentiment: New premium cards from competitors (Robinhood’s $695 Platinum) are being positioned against Amex’s lucrative premium card franchise — potential pressure on market share and fee income over time. Robinhood’s new $695 Platinum card vs $895 Amex Platinum: Which one has better perks?
• Negative Sentiment: Analysis pointing to a ~12% slip in March cites concerns about disruption (AI, competition) and investor rotation away from expensive financial names. Why American Express Stock Slipped 12% In March

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $395.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of American Express from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of American Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of American Express from $385.00 to $375.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Evercore set a $393.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $352.73.

American Express Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of AXP stock opened at $300.83 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $350.90 and a 200 day simple moving average of $349.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $206.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.14. American Express Company has a fifty-two week low of $220.43 and a fifty-two week high of $387.49. 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 (NYSE:AXP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.54 by ($0.01). American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The company had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.91 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.04 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. This is an increase from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is 21.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,754 shares in the company, valued at $2,767,480.14. This represents a 75.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of American Express stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $346.73, for a total value of $2,820,301.82. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 9,433 shares in the company, valued at $3,270,704.09. The trade was a 46.30% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366 over the last ninety days. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.