Royal Bank of Canada Cuts Stock Position in American Express Company $AXP

Royal Bank of Canada trimmed its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 14.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,740,656 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 298,653 shares during the quarter. Royal Bank of Canada’s holdings in American Express were worth $526,514,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in American Express by 6,600.0% during the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 67 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Sfam LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of American Express during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express during the third quarter worth $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is improving. KBW and Deutsche Bank both assigned Buy ratings to AXP, helping reinforce the view that the recent pullback has created an attractive entry point. American Express Receives a Buy from KBW American Express Gets a Buy from Deutsche Bank
• Positive Sentiment: Card spending and revenue momentum remain healthy. American Express raised its 2026 revenue-growth outlook to 10%, citing continued spending strength. Management plans to reinvest operating gains in customers, technology and strategic capabilities, which analysts view as supportive of longer-term growth. AXP Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Reinvestment Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings exceeded expectations. AXP reported quarterly EPS of $4.53 versus the $4.41 consensus, while revenue increased 10% year over year. Analysts also highlighted resilient spending among premium cardholders and maintained optimistic long-term views. American Express Revenue Momentum Could Drive Higher Reinvestment
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation opinions are mixed. One analysis found meaningful upside using an excess-returns model, supported by product changes and partnerships, but noted that AXP’s strong five-year performance has already priced in much of its business strength. Jefferies continues to rate the shares Hold. American Express Stock Still Looks Below Fair Value Today
• Negative Sentiment: Expenses and guidance quality remain concerns. Although earnings beat estimates, analysts cited weaker-than-expected sales and 2026 sales guidance slightly below consensus. Higher reinvestment and operating costs could limit near-term margin expansion. Analysts Cut Forecasts Following Q2 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious. BTIG downgraded AXP to Sell and lowered its price target to $315, while separate commentary argued investors should wait for a better entry point. BTIG American Express Rating Update

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Piper Sandler downgraded American Express from an “overweight” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on American Express from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of American Express from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, American Express presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $372.95.

American Express Stock Up 0.3%

AXP stock opened at $336.51 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $333.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $329.35. American Express Company has a 12 month low of $288.34 and a 12 month high of $387.49. The company has a market cap of $227.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.62.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The payment services company reported $4.53 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.41 by $0.12. American Express had a return on equity of 34.12% and a net margin of 15.07%.The company had revenue of $14.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.70 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.08 earnings per share. American Express’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that American Express Company will post 17.67 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is currently 23.06%.

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.