Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC Sells 55,629 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC lowered its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 18.2% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 249,449 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 55,629 shares during the period. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $82,857,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of AXP. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. grew its holdings in shares of American Express by 153.3% in 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 bought a new position in American Express during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Access Investment Management LLC bought a new position in American Express during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new position in American Express in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC increased its holdings 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 worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on AXP shares. Morgan Stanley set a $395.00 price objective on American Express in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of American Express from $385.00 to $375.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, January 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $420.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $395.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $352.73.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Express

In related news, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. This represents a 62.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $346.73, for a total value of $2,820,301.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 9,433 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,270,704.09. This represents a 46.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo upgraded AXP to a Buy, providing fresh broker support that likely boosted investor confidence and buying interest. American Express (AXP) Receives a Buy from Wells Fargo
• Positive Sentiment: Analyses highlighting healthier January credit metrics and a valuation check have reduced near-term credit risk concerns and supported the stock’s earnings outlook. American Express (AXP) Valuation Check After Healthier January Credit Metrics
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary from independent outlets (Seeking Alpha, The Motley Fool) continues to frame AXP as a durable, long-term growth and dividend name, reinforcing bullish investor sentiment. American Express Outlook Remains Positive Despite Recent Volatility
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader analyst insight pieces discuss the financial sector generally and include AXP in comparative coverage—useful context but not an immediate catalyst by itself. Analysts Offer Insights on Financial Companies
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro market coverage (Dow weakness amid geopolitical tensions) is weighing on risk appetite broadly; this could limit upside for payment stocks even as company-specific news is positive. Stock Market Today: Dow Drops Amid U.S.-Iran Tensions; Warren Buffett Berkshire Holding Soars (Live Coverage)
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that American Express dropped specific board diversity criteria alongside other large firms have attracted negative ESG and reputational attention; this could draw activist scrutiny and pressure some institutional investors. American Express, Deere Drop Board Diversity Criteria as 78% Disclosure Rate Falls

American Express Trading Up 1.0%

NYSE:AXP opened at $345.99 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $237.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.14. American Express Company has a twelve month low of $220.43 and a twelve month high of $387.49. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $364.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $348.45. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.54 by ($0.01). American Express had a return on equity of 33.49% and a net margin of 15.00%.The business had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.04 EPS. The business’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 expect that American Express Company will post 15.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.31%.

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.