Private Advisor Group LLC Sells 2,979 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Private Advisor Group LLC lowered its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 48,406 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 2,979 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $16,078,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of AXP. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in American Express during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,897,335,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in American Express by 31,595.9% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,742,009 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $555,666,000 after purchasing an additional 1,736,513 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in 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 worth $4,282,984,000 after buying an additional 1,349,746 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 26.1% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 3,125,133 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $988,676,000 after buying an additional 646,039 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 1.3% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,425,262 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $14,808,730,000 after buying an additional 581,369 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other American Express news, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 20,394 shares in the company, valued at $7,138,103.94. This represents a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total transaction of $8,346,340.35. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 7,754 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,767,480.14. This trade represents a 75.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

American Express Price Performance

Shares of American Express stock opened at $303.13 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $208.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 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 stock’s fifty day moving average is $348.10 and its 200 day moving average is $349.48. American Express Company has a one year low of $220.43 and a one year 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 the consensus estimate of $3.54 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.04 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Investors of record on Friday, April 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This is a boost from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.31%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on AXP. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, December 8th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Barclays upped their price objective on American Express from $355.00 to $367.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Evercore set a $393.00 target price on American Express in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Weiss Ratings raised American Express from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price target on American Express from $420.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 2nd. 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 stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $352.73.

Key Headlines Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America Securities upgraded AXP to a Buy, providing immediate analyst support that can attract buyers and slow declines. American Express (AXP) Receives a Buy from Bank of America Securities
• Positive Sentiment: American Express announced a ~16% dividend increase, boosting income appeal for dividend investors and signaling confidence in cash flow. American Express Is Raising Its Payout by 16%
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. News & World Report credit-card awards included American Express among winners, reinforcing product competitiveness and consumer visibility. U.S. News & World Report Debuts 2026 Credit Card Awards
• Positive Sentiment: Company growth story tied to experiential offerings (sports) and a new World Trade Center HQ highlights strategic revenue channels and brand-building initiatives. American Express Growth Story Links Sports Experiences And New World Trade Center HQ
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry valuation pieces (e.g., Mastercard at ~25.9x P/E) provide peer context—investors are debating whether payments stocks are fairly priced, which can mute conviction on AXP moves. Mastercard at 25.9X P/E: Pricey, But Not Overpriced
• Neutral Sentiment: Several retrospective pieces on long-term returns and Berkshire Hathaway’s stake (Buffett’s exposure to AXP) keep attention on AXP as a long-term holding rather than a near-term trade. Investing $1K in Warren Buffett’s Favorite Bank Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose ~14.3% in February to 9.85M shares (≈1.4% of float), increasing potential selling pressure and downside risk if momentum turns negative. (February short interest data reproduced in the news feed.)
• Negative Sentiment: Reserve Bank of India data show AmEx’s active card base in India fell by ~118k year-over-year, signaling regional market share headwinds in a fast-growing market. Foreign banks’ credit card base shrinks as local rivals step up
• Negative Sentiment: Technicals and recent fundamentals are a drag: AXP trades well below its 50- and 200-day moving averages (~$349), and the Jan quarter showed a tiny EPS miss—factors that can amplify selling by momentum/quant strategies.

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.