Griffith & Werner Inc. Buys 1,738 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Griffith & Werner Inc. lifted its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 19.0% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 10,895 shares of the payment services company’s stock after buying an additional 1,738 shares during the quarter. American Express makes up about 1.1% of Griffith & Werner Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Griffith & Werner Inc.’s holdings in American Express were worth $3,313,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Archer Investment Corp bought a new stake in American Express in the second quarter valued at $25,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in American Express by 78.8% during the third quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 93 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. John Boyer Inc. acquired a new position in American Express during the third quarter worth $29,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American Express by 58.3% during the second quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 95 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of American Express during the second quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Anna Marrs sold 44,910 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $327.20, for a total transaction of $14,694,552.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 20,509 shares in the company, valued at $6,710,544.80. This represents a 68.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Stephen J. Squeri sold 299,401 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.16, for a total transaction of $99,449,036.16. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 60,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,117,934.72. This represents a 83.17% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 414,171 shares of company stock worth $137,069,544. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

American Express Trading Up 0.0%

AXP stock opened at $321.02 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $316.22 and a 200 day moving average price of $325.65. American Express Company has a fifty-two week low of $290.97 and a fifty-two week high of $387.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $215.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.58.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.50 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $20.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.12 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 34.19% and a net margin of 15.80%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.14 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.600-17.900 EPS. Analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Announces Dividend

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

American Express News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express has reduced its share count by 27% since 2016, while diluted earnings per share increased 352% from Q3 2016 to the latest quarter. The article credits its premium brand and network advantages—long-term strengths that have helped shareholders, rather than a new near-term development. Article: American Express Has Cut Its Share Count by 27% Since 2016
• Positive Sentiment: ETFs recorded $41.8 million in net purchases of AXP shares on Nov. 4, providing a modest signal of institutional demand. Article: American Express Sees $41.8 Million in Net ETF Buying
• Negative Sentiment: A report says American Express insider Laureen Seeger sold 69,860 shares. Insider sales can weigh on sentiment, although the provided report does not give context for the transaction. Article: Insider Laureen Seeger Sells 69,860 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: AXP also had a notable decline in the prior session, but the cited coverage does not specify what drove the move. This recent weakness may be weighing on near-term sentiment. Article: American Express Drops 3.5%

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on AXP shares. Evercore set a $330.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research note on Tuesday, October 27th. BTIG Research dropped their target price on shares of American Express from $315.00 to $230.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 7th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of American Express from $342.00 to $340.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 26th. BMO Capital Markets initiated 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. Finally, HSBC boosted their price target on shares of American Express from $312.00 to $329.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $365.22.

American Express Company Profile

American Express Company is a global payments and financial services company that operates a card-issuing business and a payments network. Its products and services include consumer, small-business and corporate cards, payment processing, lending, travel services and expense-management solutions.

Founded in 1850 as an express mail business, the company expanded into financial services and became known for its charge cards and travel-related services. Today, it serves cardholders and businesses in the United States and markets around the world, connecting customers, merchants and financial institutions through its network.

Stephen J.