Pecaut & CO. Makes New $1.70 Million Investment in American Express Company $AXP

Pecaut & CO. bought a new stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm bought 5,015 shares of the payment services company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,696,000. American Express accounts for about 0.5% of Pecaut & CO.’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AXP. Keybank National Association OH boosted its position in shares of American Express by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 359,261 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $132,909,000 after purchasing an additional 10,495 shares in the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 34.1% in the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 139,887 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $51,751,000 after purchasing an additional 35,533 shares in the last quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 6.2% in the fourth quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp now owns 65,997 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $24,416,000 after purchasing an additional 3,855 shares during the period. Thames Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in American Express by 189.6% during the fourth quarter. Thames Capital Management LLC now owns 80,463 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $29,767,000 after buying an additional 52,679 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in American Express during the fourth quarter worth about $2,838,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting American Express

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

AXP has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays increased their target price on shares of American Express from $322.00 to $364.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. 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 research note on Tuesday, April 28th. 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 on the stock. TD Cowen raised their price objective on American Express from $330.00 to $338.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, July 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $373.32.

American Express Stock Performance

Shares of AXP 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 stock has a market cap of $231.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.77, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a 50-day moving average of $341.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $327.58. American Express Company has a 12-month low of $290.97 and a 12-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. The firm had revenue of $14.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.70 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 34.12% and a net margin of 15.07%.American Express’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.08 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd were given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 2nd. American Express’s dividend 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.