Wealthquest Corp Invests $653,000 in American Express Company $AXP

Wealthquest Corp purchased a new stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 1,766 shares of the payment services company’s stock, valued at approximately $653,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new position in American Express in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $181,000. Pathfinder Wealth Consulting Inc. acquired a new position in American Express in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $315,000. MQS Management LLC acquired a new position in American Express in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $913,000. Planning Alternatives Ltd. ADV boosted its holdings in American Express by 9.1% in the fourth quarter. Planning Alternatives Ltd. ADV now owns 1,090 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $403,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in American Express by 25.9% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,924 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $2,191,000 after purchasing an additional 1,218 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Express Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AXP opened at $311.98 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73. American Express Company has a twelve month low of $281.46 and a twelve month high of $387.49. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $311.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $340.54. The stock has a market cap of $212.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.08.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.60 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.64 earnings per share. The firm’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. On average, research analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 17.59 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 3rd were paid a $0.95 dividend. 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 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.71%.

Key Headlines Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted American Express’s resilient premium spending, strong earnings growth, and expanding lifestyle ecosystem as reasons it may have more upside than PayPal. American Express vs. PayPal: Which Fintech Stock Has More Upside?
• Positive Sentiment: American Express expanded its sports-commerce strategy through a Fanatics tie-up, adding a co-branded card and rewards integration that could support card usage and customer engagement. AmEx Expands Sports Commerce Strategy With Fanatics Tie-Up
• Positive Sentiment: American Express was also mentioned as one of Warren Buffett’s long-term “forever” holdings, reinforcing investor confidence in the company’s durable business model and cash-generating ability. Warren Buffett’s favorite stocks to buy and hold forever
• Neutral Sentiment: Other articles simply reiterated American Express’s status as a Buffett-backed dividend and quality financial stock, which supports the investment case but does not represent a new catalyst. 2 Warren Buffett Stocks That Pay You a Passive Income
• Neutral Sentiment: A broader market piece said weakness in American Express is drawing attention to S&P 500 value stocks, which is more of a commentary on relative valuation than a direct negative company-specific development. American Express Weakness Puts S&P 500 Value In Focus
• Neutral Sentiment: Promotional news about new Hilton and Marriott card offers may support future card sign-ups, but it appears to be routine marketing rather than a major earnings-moving event. New Hilton and Marriott credit card offers — earn up to 175,000 points

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AXP has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 price target on American Express in a report on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $395.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded American Express from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $359.05.

American Express Company 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.