Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC Acquires 2,472 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 25.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,212 shares of the payment services company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,472 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $4,518,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AXP. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. grew its position in shares of American Express by 153.3% during the third quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc purchased a new position in shares of American Express during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly/earnings commentary reinforces the bull case — Seeking Alpha highlights steady growth and a “maintain buy” view after recent results and management’s FY2026 EPS guide, supporting investor confidence in AXP’s profit outlook. American Express: Earnings Show Steady Growth, Maintain Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/strategy pieces argue AXP is a long-term value — Zacks profiles American Express as a top value stock based on style scores and fundamentals, which can attract value-oriented buyers. Why American Express (AXP) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Industry pricing precedent may boost fee revenue — Coverage in TheStreet/Yahoo notes that fee increases by market leaders (AmEx, Chase) set a precedent that could support higher revenues and margins across card issuers if widely adopted. That dynamic supports upside to AXP’s revenue mix. American Express, Chase set a new precedent for credit card fees
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparisons to peers — The Fool compares AXP vs. Bank of America as buy candidates (both Buffett-favorites). Such comparative pieces can drive interest but don’t change AXP’s fundamentals directly. Better Buy Right Now: American Express vs. Bank of America
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitor strength noted — A published roundup praising Mastercard’s low-risk/high-growth profile highlights differences in business models (MA doesn’t extend credit). This reminds investors of competitive dynamics that could influence strategy and multiple expansion. Mastercard (MA): One of the Best Low Risk and High Growth Stocks to Invest In Now
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution and short-term sector weakness — Evercore ISI issued a “Hold” on AXP, and a weekly financials wrap listed AmEx among laggards, which can cap near-term upside and contribute to profit-taking. American Express (AXP) Receives a Hold from Evercore ISI Financials wrap: AXP in losers

American Express Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $318.89 on Tuesday. American Express Company has a 1 year low of $257.21 and a 1 year high of $387.49. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $313.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $344.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $217.59 billion, a PE ratio of 19.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.56.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last announced its earnings results 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 business had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.60 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.64 earnings per share. The company’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. On average, equities analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.6 EPS for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This is a boost from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. American Express’s payout ratio is presently 23.71%.

Insider Activity at American Express

In other news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of American Express stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider owned 7,754 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,767,480.14. The trade was a 75.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of American Express stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total transaction of $5,348,700.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,189,608.10. This represents a 62.64% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366. Insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price objective on American Express in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Evercore set a $393.00 price objective on American Express in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Truist Financial dropped their price target on American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $420.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $361.05.

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.