American Express Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:AXP)

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) saw unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Traders purchased 43,272 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 140% compared to the average volume of 18,047 put options.

American Express Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of American Express stock traded down $1.91 on Monday, hitting $298.05. 3,601,355 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,721,854. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $344.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $349.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $204.64 billion, a PE ratio of 19.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.15. American Express has a one year low of $220.43 and a one year high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.54 by ($0.01). The firm 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 was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.04 earnings per share. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that American Express will post 15.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. This is a boost 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 dividend yield of 1.3%. American Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.31%.

Key American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company expanding cardmember benefits and partnerships in key markets (NY/NJ, Atlanta), supporting engagement and card spend trends which underpin revenue growth. American Express Expands Card Member Benefits
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term demand signals: coverage pieces note younger consumer sign-ups and management’s mid-teens EPS growth target, reinforcing the company’s franchise strength and customer-acquisition pipeline. Is American Express Stock a Millionaire Maker?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate continues — AXP trades above industry multiples but below its own five‑year median; analysts differ on whether the premium is justified by durable spending and earnings growth. Is American Express a Buy Now Despite its Premium Valuation?
• Neutral Sentiment: Deeper valuation analysis: Zacks highlights AXP’s forward P/E well above peers but near its historical median, keeping the narrative mixed for value-focused investors. Zacks Valuation Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Credit metrics update: American Express reported largely stable credit metrics with some modest declines, suggesting asset-quality remains manageable but monitoring is warranted. TipRanks Credit Metrics Update
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually large put activity: traders bought ~43,272 put options today (≈+140% vs. average), signaling heightened bearish hedging/speculation that can amplify near-term downside.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst cut: BTIG lowered its price target to $285 and moved to a “sell” rating, adding downward pressure by creating renewed sell-side skepticism. BTIG Price Target Cut (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive threat: Robinhood’s planned platinum credit card rollout raises competitive concerns around customer acquisition and fee/rewards dynamics, which may worry investors focused on share gains and margin pressure. Robinhood Card Competitive Threat

Insider Transactions at American Express

In other American Express news, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of American Express stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total transaction of $9,599,024.25. Following the sale, the insider owned 20,394 shares in the company, valued at $7,138,103.94. The trade was a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total transaction of $8,346,340.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 7,754 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,767,480.14. This represents a 75.10% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of American Express

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. lifted its position in 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 buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in shares of American Express by 6,600.0% in the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 67 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Sfam LLC bought a new stake in American Express during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in American Express during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on AXP. Evercore set a $393.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of American Express in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, January 12th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of American Express from $355.00 to $367.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, BTIG Research decreased 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 investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $354.86.

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.