Crestwood Advisors Group LLC Raises Position in American Express Company $AXP

Crestwood Advisors Group LLC grew its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 78.0% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 14,267 shares of the payment services company’s stock after buying an additional 6,250 shares during the quarter. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $5,278,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AXP. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of American Express by 13.0% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,738 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $554,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of American Express in the second quarter valued at about $428,000. Howland Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of American Express by 4.2% in the second quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $707,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of American Express by 19.9% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,898 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $924,000 after acquiring an additional 481 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

American Express Stock Down 0.9%

AXP stock opened at $315.79 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $215.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.08. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $281.46 and a 52 week high of $387.49. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $311.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $344.05. 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 (NYSE:AXP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $14.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.60 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.13% and a return on equity of 33.95%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.64 earnings per share. 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 fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on AXP shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of American Express from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of American Express from $395.00 to $385.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 16th. BTIG Research reissued a “sell” rating and set a $285.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Express presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $357.47.

Key Stories Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Warren Buffett publicly praised Greg Abel, reinforcing the market’s view that Berkshire’s leadership remains constructive on high-quality financial names like American Express. Warren Buffett: “I’d rather have Greg handling my money than any of the top investment advisors or any of the top CEOs of the United States.”
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple articles highlighted American Express as a Berkshire favorite and one of Buffett’s best value ideas for 2026, which can support sentiment around AXP as a durable, cash-generating franchise. American Express (AXP) – Among the 10 Best Value Stocks to Buy in 2026 According to Warren Buffett
• Positive Sentiment: American Express’ move to sell its remaining stake in American Express Global Business Travel for about $1.5 billion was described as helping the company refocus on its core card business, which investors often view favorably. American Express Exit From GBT Refocuses Capital On Core Card Engine
• Positive Sentiment: American Express also launched an AI upskilling initiative for small businesses, a potentially positive long-term move that could deepen customer relationships and strengthen its small-business ecosystem. American Express Uses AI Upskilling To Deepen Small Business Relationships
• Neutral Sentiment: Shareholders reaffirmed the board, executive pay, and auditor at the annual meeting, removing a potential governance overhang but likely not a major near-term stock catalyst. American Express Shareholders Reaffirm Board, Pay and Auditor
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles comparing AXP with other value stocks or peers are generally informational and do not appear to be driving the move on their own. INTR vs. AXP: Which Stock Should Value Investors Buy Now?

Insider Transactions at American Express

In other American Express news, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of American Express stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $346.73, for a total transaction of $2,820,301.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 9,433 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,270,704.09. The trade was a 46.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of American Express stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total transaction of $5,348,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 8,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. The trade was a 62.64% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

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.