Clark Capital Management Group Inc. Increases Stock Holdings in American Express Company $AXP

Clark Capital Management Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 408,348 shares of the payment services company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,020 shares during the quarter. American Express makes up approximately 0.9% of Clark Capital Management Group Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Clark Capital Management Group Inc.’s holdings in American Express were worth $151,068,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in American Express by 6,600.0% during the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 67 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in American Express during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Sfam LLC purchased a new stake in American Express during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in American Express during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in American Express during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AXP has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on American Express from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on American Express from $375.00 to $325.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. BTIG Research reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $285.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Loop Capital started coverage on American Express in a report on Thursday, May 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $389.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $359.05.

American Express Stock Up 1.7%

AXP opened at $341.06 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 stock has a market capitalization of $232.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.06. The business has a 50-day moving average of $317.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $335.49. American Express Company has a 12 month low of $288.34 and a 12 month high of $387.49.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $4.01 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.60 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.The firm’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.64 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.59 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. American Express’s payout ratio is 23.71%.

More American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express agreed to buy TheFork for $700 million, adding more than 50,000 European restaurants to its dining network and expanding the company’s premium lifestyle offerings. American Express Expands Dining Ecosystem With TheFork Acquisition From Tripadvisor
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary suggest the deal could improve AmEx’s competitive positioning in dining and experiences, which may support customer acquisition and cardholder spending over time. Analysts Offer Insights on Financial Companies: Visa (V) and American Express (AXP)
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed its sell rating on American Express with a $285 price target, signaling lingering valuation concerns despite the recent stock strength.

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.