Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Increases Stock Holdings in American Express Company $AXP

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,598,743 shares of the payment services company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,080 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned approximately 0.23% of American Express worth $531,038,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in American Express by 24.4% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,481 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $1,924,000 after acquiring an additional 1,273 shares in the last quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of American Express by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,921 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $1,324,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of American Express by 10.9% during the first quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 175,154 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $47,125,000 after purchasing an additional 17,265 shares during the last quarter. City Center Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Express during the second quarter worth about $206,000. Finally, TrueWealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Express in the second quarter valued at about $242,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at American Express

In related news, insider Douglas Tabish sold 2,515 shares of American Express stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.61, for a total value of $894,359.15. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,515 shares in the company, valued at $894,359.15. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Denise Pickett sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.73, for a total value of $1,753,650.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,709,739.98. The trade was a 39.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 57,515 shares of company stock valued at $20,658,509 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

American Express News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express confirmed management will participate in the UBS Financial Services Conference on Feb. 10 — gives investors direct access to management for questions on margins, lending trends and guidance. American Express to Participate in UBS Financial Services Conference
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target to $375 (maintaining a Hold), a modest vote of confidence that suggests limited near-term downside from their view. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Analysis pieces highlight product momentum and strength with younger premium cardholders, which supports the longer-term card-spend and customer-retention bull case for AXP. Does AXP’s Younger Premium Cardholders and Product Momentum Change The Bull Case For American Express?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and analyst views remain mixed — some outlets list American Express among names with divergent analyst opinions, reflecting varied views on growth vs. credit/lending risks. Analysts’ Opinions Are Mixed on These Financial Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Benzinga and other aggregator pieces compile multiple analyst viewpoints (9 experts) — useful for context but not a single clear catalyst. The Analyst Verdict: American Express In The Eyes Of 9 Experts
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market narratives (e.g., lists of largest stable holdings after Berkshire’s leadership change) may affect investor appetite for big-cap financials, but impacts on AXP are indirect and uncertain. 74% of the $317B Portfolio … 8 Unstoppable Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: President Trump called for a one-year 10% cap on credit-card interest rates starting Jan. 20 — he provided no implementation details, but the proposal elevates regulatory and political risk for card issuers and is cited by the market as a key reason for selling in AXP today. Trump calls for a one-year 10% cap on credit card interest in a Truth Social post Trump calls one year cap on credit card interest rates at 10%

American Express Stock Down 1.9%

AXP stock opened at $375.79 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $369.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $339.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78. The company has a market capitalization of $258.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.15. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $220.43 and a 52 week high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported ($11.85) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.56 by ($15.41). American Express had a return on equity of 33.41% and a net margin of 14.97%.The firm had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.91 billion. On average, analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.01%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on AXP. Truist Financial increased their price objective on American Express from $395.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, December 8th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. TD Cowen upped their price objective on American Express from $350.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of American Express from $343.00 to $355.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on American Express from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $343.95.

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.