Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. Sells 2,241 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. reduced its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 14.5% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 13,184 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 2,241 shares during the period. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc.’s holdings in American Express were worth $4,459,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Total Clarity Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of American Express by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Total Clarity Wealth Management Inc. now owns 874 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $323,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Dover Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of American Express by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Dover Advisors LLC now owns 7,977 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $2,951,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the period. Invenio Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of American Express by 3.9% during the third quarter. Invenio Wealth Partners LLC now owns 776 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $258,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of American Express by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Strait & Sound Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,137 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $421,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. Finally, Onyx Bridge Wealth Group LLC grew its stake in shares of American Express by 3.6% in the first quarter. Onyx Bridge Wealth Group LLC now owns 869 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $263,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on AXP. Freedom Capital upgraded American Express from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Barclays upped their target price on American Express from $322.00 to $364.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Loop Capital began coverage on American Express in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $389.00 price target for the company. Guggenheim initiated coverage on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, DZ Bank raised shares of American Express from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $375.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. One investment 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 given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, American Express has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $373.32.

American Express Stock Performance

Shares of American Express stock opened at $333.64 on Friday. American Express Company has a 1 year low of $290.97 and a 1 year high of $387.49. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $342.85 and its 200 day moving average is $326.18. The stock has a market cap of $225.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.25, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.54.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The payment services company reported $4.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.41 by $0.12. American Express had a net margin of 15.07% and a return on equity of 34.12%. The firm had revenue of $19.64 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.70 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.08 earnings per share. The business’s 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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 17.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd were given a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 23.06%.

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.