Rafferty Asset Management LLC Reduces Stake in American Express Company $AXP

Rafferty Asset Management LLC cut its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 1.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 181,688 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 3,500 shares during the quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $60,349,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of AXP. Trajan Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of American Express by 30.9% in the third quarter. Trajan Wealth LLC now owns 24,901 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $8,271,000 after purchasing an additional 5,881 shares in the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in American Express by 218.7% in the 3rd quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,540 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $2,837,000 after buying an additional 5,860 shares during the period. ZEGA Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Express in the third quarter worth $1,080,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its position 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 worth $531,038,000 after acquiring an additional 4,080 shares during the period. Finally, Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC increased its position in shares of American Express by 1,243.9% during the third quarter. Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 13,775 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $4,576,000 after acquiring an additional 12,750 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on AXP shares. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of American Express in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Evercore set a $393.00 price target on American Express in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wall Street Zen downgraded American Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 9th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of American Express from $355.00 to $367.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $395.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $352.73.

Insider Activity at American Express

In other American Express news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total value of $8,346,340.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 7,754 shares in the company, valued at $2,767,480.14. This represents a 75.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of American Express stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $346.73, for a total value of $2,820,301.82. Following the sale, the insider owned 9,433 shares in the company, valued at $3,270,704.09. This trade represents a 46.30% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Large corporate real-estate move could be seen as a long-term vote of confidence in the business and NYC hub status; American Express will relocate its global HQ to 2 World Trade Center, a project that supports the firm’s long-term footprint and corporate visibility. American Express to move into new headquarters in final World Trade Center building
• Neutral Sentiment: Earlier session headlines and analyst coverage noted a rebound in AXP tied to macro / AI commentary (Nvidia CEO remarks) and mentions in listicles, but these items appear to have had only temporary upside ahead of today’s sell-off. Why the Market Dipped But American Express (AXP) Gained Today
• Negative Sentiment: Headline focus on AI-driven workforce cuts prompted fresh investor concern and selling pressure, cited in market commentary as a near-term catalyst for the drop. Is It Time to Sell American Express Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity: buyers bought ~21,709 put contracts (≈31% above average), indicating elevated short-term bearish bets and hedging demand that can amplify downside. (No direct article link provided.)
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose ~20% in February to ~8.6M shares, increasing the proportion of shares sold short and adding downward pressure risk if sentiment worsens. (Data summary provided in market feeds.)
• Negative Sentiment: Opinion / analysis pieces are flagging AXP’s YTD pullback (roughly mid-February-to-date slump and discussion of whether the fall is a buying opportunity or structural warning), which can drive momentum-based selling. American Express Has Slumped: Is It a Bargain or a Red Flag?

American Express Trading Down 8.2%

AXP opened at $307.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.59. American Express Company has a one year low of $220.43 and a one year high of $387.49. The company has a market cap of $211.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.01, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.14. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $358.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $349.00.

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

American Express Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were issued a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.31%.

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.