L & S Advisors Inc Raises Stock Holdings in American Express Company $AXP

L & S Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 80.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,313 shares of the payment services company’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,141 shares during the quarter. L & S Advisors Inc’s holdings in American Express were worth $6,775,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of American Express during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. increased 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 acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Guerra Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in shares of American Express during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 84.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Express Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AXP opened at $313.69 on Friday. American Express Company has a 1-year low of $281.46 and a 1-year high of $387.49. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $310.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $342.41. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73. The firm has a market cap of $214.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.08.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.The firm had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.60 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.64 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 17.59 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd were issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 2nd. 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 dividend yield of 1.2%. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is 23.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on AXP shares. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 price objective on American Express in a report on Friday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Barclays reduced their price objective on American Express from $323.00 to $322.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 24th. Evercore set a $345.00 price objective on American Express in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on American Express from $395.00 to $385.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $357.47.

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.