American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) Receives $343.95 Average PT from Analysts

Shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-seven research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $352.8182.

A number of analysts have weighed in on AXP shares. Evercore ISI set a $400.00 price target on American Express in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, December 8th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. HSBC set a $295.00 target price on shares of American Express and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $370.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th.

Insider Activity at American Express

In other American Express news, insider Denise Pickett sold 5,000 shares of American Express stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the insider owned 7,726 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,709,739.98. The trade was a 39.29% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Elizabeth Rutledge sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $360.21, for a total value of $18,010,500.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 85,577 shares in the company, valued at $30,825,691.17. The trade was a 36.88% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 57,515 shares of company stock valued at $20,658,509 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Express

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AXP. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in shares of American Express by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,267,377 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $721,525,000 after acquiring an additional 49,593 shares in the last quarter. ZEGA Investments LLC bought a new position in American Express in the third quarter valued at about $1,080,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of American Express by 0.3% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,598,743 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $531,038,000 after purchasing an additional 4,080 shares in the last quarter. Dempze Nancy E increased its stake in shares of American Express by 210.2% in the second quarter. Dempze Nancy E now owns 3,459 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $1,103,000 after buying an additional 2,344 shares during the period. Finally, Reliant Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in American Express by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Reliant Investment Management LLC now owns 26,189 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $8,354,000 after buying an additional 480 shares during the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

American Express Stock Performance

NYSE:AXP opened at $365.03 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $251.45 billion, a PE ratio of 24.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.59, a current ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78. American Express has a 12-month low of $220.43 and a 12-month high of $387.49. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $368.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $341.06.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported ($11.85) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.56 by ($15.41). American Express had a net margin of 14.97% and a return on equity of 33.41%. The company had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. Research analysts anticipate that American Express 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. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.82 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is 22.01%.

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.