HighTower Advisors LLC Sells 31,787 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

HighTower Advisors LLC cut its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 6.9% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 432,185 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 31,787 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $159,887,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. grew its stake in American Express by 153.3% in the third quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in American Express during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in American Express during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Express during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Truist Financial cut their target price on American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings cut American Express from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $395.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded American Express from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $357.47.

American Express News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Freedom Broker raised its view on American Express to Buy from Hold and lifted its price target to $370 from $325, signaling confidence in the company’s earnings power and valuation. American Express (AXP) Gets Price Target Hike from Freedom Broker despite Unchanged Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: American Express Canada launched a new Chef in Residence program to expand Platinum dining experiences, reinforcing the company’s premium-card positioning and member engagement strategy. American Express Canada Expands Platinum Dining Experiences with New American Express Chef in Residence Program
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays initiated or maintained a Hold-type stance on American Express, suggesting analysts see limited near-term upside after the latest results rather than a strong catalyst. American Express (AXP) Gets a Hold from Barclays
• Neutral Sentiment: A consumer-loan satisfaction report showed non-bank lenders closing the gap with banks, which is relevant to American Express because it highlights rising competition in consumer finance, but it does not directly change AXP’s outlook on its own. Non-Bank Lenders Close Satisfaction Gap with Banks as Consumer Loan Satisfaction Remains Flat, JD Power Finds
• Negative Sentiment: Investor reaction to American Express’s first-quarter earnings was described as lukewarm, and a portfolio update from Artisan Select Equity Fund listed AXP among its worst contributors, suggesting sentiment around the stock has cooled despite solid fundamentals. Is American Express Stock Still Worth Buying After Earnings? Artisan Select Equity Fund Q1 2026 Portfolio Update

American Express Trading Down 0.9%

NYSE:AXP opened at $309.42 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $211.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.08. American Express Company has a one year low of $281.46 and a one year high of $387.49. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $311.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $341.59.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.60 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.64 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 17.59 EPS 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. 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. American Express’s payout ratio is 23.71%.

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.