Bell Asset Management Ltd Reduces Stock Position in American Express Company $AXP

Bell Asset Management Ltd cut its holdings in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 23.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,050 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 2,793 shares during the quarter. Bell Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in American Express were worth $3,006,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 24.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,481 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $1,924,000 after acquiring an additional 1,273 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in American Express by 13.0% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,738 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $554,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. bought a new stake in American Express in the second quarter valued at $428,000. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. increased its position in American Express by 897.6% during the 2nd quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 12,251 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $3,908,000 after purchasing an additional 11,023 shares during the period. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC increased its position in American Express by 11.2% during the 2nd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 14,255 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $4,547,000 after purchasing an additional 1,435 shares during the period. 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: 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

American Express Stock Down 2.1%

AXP stock opened at $300.83 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $206.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.59. The business’s 50-day moving average is $350.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $349.62. American Express Company has a fifty-two week low of $220.43 and a fifty-two week 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). American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The firm had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.04 earnings per share. 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. As a group, analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm 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 is an increase from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is currently 24.69%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Express

In other American Express news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total value of $8,346,340.35. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,754 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,767,480.14. This trade represents a 75.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was 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 owned 20,394 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,138,103.94. This trade represents a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays increased their price target 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. BTIG Research reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $328.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $425.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, January 12th. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of American Express in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Wolfe Research assumed coverage on American Express in a research report on Monday, December 8th. They set a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $352.73.

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.