American Express Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:AXP)

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) saw unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Stock investors purchased 21,709 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 31% compared to the average daily volume of 16,620 put options.

American Express Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE AXP opened at $307.93 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The company has a market capitalization of $211.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.14. American Express has a 12 month low of $220.43 and a 12 month high of $387.49. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $358.41 and a 200-day moving average of $349.00.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last posted 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 business had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.04 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that American Express will post 15.33 EPS for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.31%.

Key Headlines Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Large corporate real-estate move could be seen as a long-term vote of confidence in the business and NYC hub status; American Express will relocate its global HQ to 2 World Trade Center, a project that supports the firm’s long-term footprint and corporate visibility. American Express to move into new headquarters in final World Trade Center building
• Neutral Sentiment: Earlier session headlines and analyst coverage noted a rebound in AXP tied to macro / AI commentary (Nvidia CEO remarks) and mentions in listicles, but these items appear to have had only temporary upside ahead of today’s sell-off. Why the Market Dipped But American Express (AXP) Gained Today
• Negative Sentiment: Headline focus on AI-driven workforce cuts prompted fresh investor concern and selling pressure, cited in market commentary as a near-term catalyst for the drop. Is It Time to Sell American Express Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity: buyers bought ~21,709 put contracts (≈31% above average), indicating elevated short-term bearish bets and hedging demand that can amplify downside. (No direct article link provided.)
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose ~20% in February to ~8.6M shares, increasing the proportion of shares sold short and adding downward pressure risk if sentiment worsens. (Data summary provided in market feeds.)
• Negative Sentiment: Opinion / analysis pieces are flagging AXP’s YTD pullback (roughly mid-February-to-date slump and discussion of whether the fall is a buying opportunity or structural warning), which can drive momentum-based selling. American Express Has Slumped: Is It a Bargain or a Red Flag?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on AXP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on American Express from $385.00 to $375.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of American Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, November 9th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of American Express in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, December 8th. They set a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of American Express from $355.00 to $367.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $352.73.

Insider Activity at American Express

In related news, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the insider directly owned 20,394 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,138,103.94. The trade was a 57.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the insider owned 9,433 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,270,704.09. This trade represents a 46.30% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Express

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in American Express during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,464,215,000. Capital World Investors increased its position in American Express by 46.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,515,675 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $2,780,424,000 after buying an additional 2,393,340 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American Express by 31,595.9% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,742,009 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $555,666,000 after buying an additional 1,736,513 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of American Express by 11.1% in the second 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 acquiring an additional 1,349,746 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of American Express by 27.0% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 3,970,416 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $1,310,515,000 after acquiring an additional 845,283 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.