American Express (NYSE:AXP) Announces FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

American Express (NYSE:AXP) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided EPS guidance of 17.600-17.900 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 17.640. The company issued revenue guidance of $79.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $79.5 billion.

American Express Price Performance

NYSE AXP opened at $313.10 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. American Express has a 52 week low of $290.97 and a 52 week high of $387.49. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $318.84 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $325.94. The stock has a market cap of $211.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.08.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.50 by $0.18. American Express had a return on equity of 34.12% and a net margin of 15.07%. The company had revenue of $20.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.12 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.14 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.600-17.900 EPS. Analysts forecast that American Express will post 17.65 EPS for the current year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is 21.40%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on AXP. BTIG Research dropped their price target on shares of American Express from $315.00 to $230.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 7th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of American Express from $384.00 to $345.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Guggenheim started coverage on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of American Express from $355.00 to $340.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of American Express in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $380.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Express currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $364.89.

More American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong third-quarter results: American Express reported adjusted EPS of $4.68, above the $4.50 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 8.9% year over year to approximately $20.1 billion. Billed business increased 8% to $454 billion, supported by higher card spending, fees and interest income. American Express Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Strong Card Fees
• Positive Sentiment: Profit outlook increased: Management raised its 2026 adjusted EPS forecast to $17.60–$17.90, while reported coverage cited GAAP EPS guidance of $18.30–$18.60. Lower credit-loss provisions and continued spending by affluent customers supported the improved outlook. American Express raises 2026 profit forecast as affluent customers keep spending
• Positive Sentiment: Customer engagement initiatives: American Express is expanding its travel ecosystem by adding Airbnb listings and rewards to Amex Travel, potentially strengthening premium-card retention and spending. American Express brings Airbnb bookings and rewards to Amex Travel platform
• Neutral Sentiment: Premium-card benefit changes: Updates to the Platinum Card’s hotel and airport perks, including a revised $600 hotel credit beginning in 2027, could improve the value proposition for some members but may also introduce additional restrictions. Amex Platinum benefits updates
• Negative Sentiment: AI-related layoffs overshadowed the earnings beat: American Express plans to eliminate about 5% of its global workforce—roughly 3,500 to 4,000 positions—and will record a $336 million restructuring charge. Investors may view the move as evidence of rising costs and execution risk, even though it could generate longer-term efficiency gains. American Express is cutting 5% of its workforce
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and network-volume performance were only broadly in line with expectations: This limited the positive impact of the earnings and guidance improvements, particularly amid a broader market decline and investor concerns about consumer resilience outside American Express’s affluent customer base. American Express Q3 earnings beat as network volume disappoints

About American Express

American Express Company is a global financial services company that provides payment, lending, travel and expense management products and services. Its offerings include consumer and small-business charge and credit cards, corporate payment programs, business financing solutions, deposit products and digital payment services.

The company operates an integrated payments network that connects card members, merchants and financial institutions. American Express also provides merchant acquisition and payment processing services, data and analytics, fraud prevention tools, and customer loyalty programs.