Pecaut & CO. Makes New Investment in American Express Company $AXP

Pecaut & CO. acquired a new stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 5,015 shares of the payment services company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,696,000. American Express comprises about 0.5% of Pecaut & CO.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest holding.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of American Express in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,464,215,000. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in American Express by 46.7% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,515,675 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $2,780,424,000 after purchasing an additional 2,393,340 shares during the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its stake in American Express by 350.0% during the first quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 1,236,438 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $373,998,000 after purchasing an additional 961,698 shares during the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its holdings in American Express by 73.8% in the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 1,451,606 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $438,975,000 after purchasing an additional 616,498 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in American Express by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,850,298 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $2,904,218,000 after purchasing an additional 558,533 shares during the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on AXP. Royal Bank Of Canada cut shares of American Express from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of American Express from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $375.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of American Express from $385.00 to $382.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Guggenheim started coverage on American Express in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, American Express currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $373.32.

More American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Expanded virtual-card capabilities: AXP is making American Express Virtual Cards available through its @ Work platform for U.S. corporate customers. The products offer adjustable spending limits, enhanced fraud protection and easier expense management, potentially increasing commercial-payment volumes and customer retention. American Express expands virtual cards for US commercial customers
• Positive Sentiment: Premium travel ecosystem strengthened: American Express added 350 luxury hotels across 116 countries to the Platinum Card travel program. More curated booking options could improve the value proposition of its premium cards, support spending and help justify annual fees. American Express adds 350 luxury hotels to Platinum Card travel program
• Positive Sentiment: Evidence of loyalty-driven spending: United Airlines’ results highlighted how American Express perks can help capture premium travel spending, even without a United co-branded card. The example supports AXP’s broader strategy of using travel benefits and partnerships to attract affluent customers. Popular legacy airline captures premium spend because of American Express perks
• Positive Sentiment: Constructive analyst outlook: Piper Sandler forecast meaningful appreciation potential for AXP shares, providing a positive signal following the company’s recent earnings beat and continued revenue growth. Piper Sandler Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for American Express Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Capital structure update: AXP issued Series E preferred shares and announced full redemption of Series D preferred shares. The move may improve funding flexibility, but it also adds preferred financing obligations and has limited direct impact on common-share earnings. American Express Issues New Series E Preferred Shares
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst sentiment: Coverage of AXP showed differing views, suggesting valuation and expectations remain areas of debate despite the company’s strong operating trends. Analysts Have Conflicting Sentiments on American Express

American Express Price Performance

AXP stock opened at $342.27 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66. The company has a market capitalization of $231.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.77, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.04. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $341.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $327.58. American Express Company has a twelve month low of $290.97 and a twelve month high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The payment services company reported $4.53 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.41 by $0.12. American Express had a net margin of 15.07% and a return on equity of 34.12%. The business had revenue of $14.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.70 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.08 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 17.67 EPS for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd were paid a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. American Express’s payout ratio is currently 23.06%.

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.