Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Purchases 25,065 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 244.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,330 shares of the payment services company’s stock after buying an additional 25,065 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in American Express were worth $11,735,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of AXP. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of American Express by 153.3% during the 3rd 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 period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in American Express in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new position in American Express during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC raised its position 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 valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in American Express during the third quarter worth $34,000. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $425.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, January 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $420.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wall Street Zen lowered American Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $395.00 target price on American Express in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 target price on American Express in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $352.73.

American Express News Summary

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%

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $300.83 on Monday. American Express Company has a 52-week low of $220.43 and a 52-week high of $387.49. The company has a market capitalization of $206.55 billion, a PE ratio of 19.55, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 company has a fifty day moving average of $350.90 and a 200-day moving average of $349.62.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.54 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.91 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The company’s revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.04 EPS. 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 15.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at American Express

In other news, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total transaction of $9,599,024.25. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 20,394 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,138,103.94. The trade was a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the transaction, the insider owned 8,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. This trade represents a 62.64% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.