CTC Alternative Strategies Ltd. Raises Holdings in American Express Company $AXP

CTC Alternative Strategies Ltd. increased its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 195.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,900 shares of the payment services company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,920 shares during the period. American Express comprises 1.2% of CTC Alternative Strategies Ltd.’s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest position. CTC Alternative Strategies Ltd.’s holdings in American Express were worth $963,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. grew its stake in shares of American Express by 153.3% during the 3rd quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new position in shares of American Express in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in American Express during the third quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in American Express by 210.7% during the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Amid recent weakness some investors view AXP as a buy-the-dip with intact growth and shareholder returns—the company recently raised its dividend ~16% and bulls point to continued top- and bottom-line momentum. 1 Top Dividend Stock to Buy With Double-Digit Dividend and Earnings Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators call AXP an attractive dip-buy, citing continued growth, strong ROE and the company’s guidance for 2026—this support may cap downside. American Express Is An Attractive Dip Buy As Growth Continues
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative analysis highlights Visa’s network model, cross-border strength and ecosystem investments as competitive advantages vs. AXP, underscoring sector dynamics investors should watch but not an immediate company-specific headwind. Visa vs. American Express: Which Stock Has the Better Charge?
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America trimmed AXP’s price target by a small amount but kept a Buy rating after February operating results; this is a minor revision rather than a negative rerating. Bank of America Sees Stable Credit Trends in American Express (AXP) Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes and analyst commentary are mixed—some sources present conflicted views on AXP’s near-term trajectory, contributing to investor uncertainty rather than a clear directional trigger. Analysts Offer Insights on Financial Companies: American Express (AXP) and Cboe Global Markets (CBOE)
• Negative Sentiment: High-volume put option purchases point to increased short-term bearish positioning and hedging activity, which can amplify downward pressure on the stock. Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of American Express Put Options (NYSE:AXP)
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG issued a pessimistic forecast for AXP’s share price, adding fresh negative analyst sentiment that likely weighed on investor confidence. BTIG Research Issues Pessimistic Forecast for American Express (NYSE:AXP) Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary flagged why AXP fell more than the broader market today, summarizing the mix of negative notes and option activity as drivers of the larger decline. Here’s Why American Express (AXP) Fell More Than Broader Market

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on AXP shares. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $395.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of American Express from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Wolfe Research started coverage on American Express in a research note on Monday, December 8th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of American Express in a report on Monday. Finally, BTIG Research lowered their price target on American Express from $328.00 to $285.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $354.86.

American Express Stock Performance

AXP opened at $293.99 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $339.01 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $348.31. American Express Company has a 52-week low of $220.43 and a 52-week high of $387.49. The company has a market cap of $201.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.10, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.54 by ($0.01). American Express had a return on equity of 33.49% and a net margin of 15.00%.The company had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.91 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.04 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.95 per share. This is an increase from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. American Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.31%.

Insider Transactions at American Express

In other news, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total value of $5,348,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 8,945 shares in the company, valued at $3,189,608.10. This trade represents a 62.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of American Express stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total value of $9,599,024.25. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 20,394 shares in the company, valued at $7,138,103.94. This represents a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366 over the last three months. 0.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.