Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. Purchases 8,651 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 11.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 82,863 shares of the payment services company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,651 shares during the period. American Express accounts for 0.5% of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in American Express were worth $27,524,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AXP. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 153.3% in 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 during the last quarter. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in American Express during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new position in shares of American Express during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its position in American Express by 210.7% in 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 during the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at American Express

In related news, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 8,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,189,608.10. This represents a 62.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the insider owned 9,433 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,270,704.09. This trade represents a 46.30% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366 over the last three months. 0.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

American Express Trading Up 2.5%

American Express stock opened at $335.37 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. The stock has a market cap of $230.27 billion, a PE ratio of 21.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.14. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $359.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $348.92. American Express Company has a one year low of $220.43 and a one year high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.54 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.04 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 15.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. American Express’s payout ratio is presently 21.31%.

Key Headlines Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express announced plans to build a new, state?of?the?art global headquarters at 2 World Trade Center and will be the sole owner and occupant — a high?visibility, long?term commitment to New York that signals confidence in growth and corporate stability. American Express to Build New State-of-the-Art Global Headquarters at 2 World Trade Center, Deepening Commitment to Lower Manhattan
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage noted AXP outperformed the digital payments group over the past year and analysts remain cautiously optimistic — a factor that can draw relative?value buying when broader markets wobble. How Is American Express’ Stock Performance Compared to Other Digital Payments Stocks?
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlighted why AXP gained while the broader market dipped — upbeat corporate messaging, solid fundamentals (recent revenue growth and FY?2026 EPS guidance) and investor interest in buybacks/capital returns support the stock. Why the Market Dipped But American Express (AXP) Gained Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media pieces revisited AXP’s 2025 results and management’s guidance (high single?digit revenue growth and mid?teens EPS growth for 2026) — supportive long?term but already partly priced in; the stock has lagged YTD, which some investors view as a buying opportunity. American Express Stock Has Fallen 12% in 2026. Time to Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Product coverage (e.g., Plum Card review) and design/architectural press on the new HQ add PR visibility but are unlikely to move fundamentals near term. The Plum Card from American Express review: Opt for cash back or float
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest in AXP rose ~20% in February (about 8.6M shares short, ~1.3% of float), which increases downside pressure if sentiment deteriorates and can amplify volatility. (Source: short?interest release)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on AXP. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 target price on American Express in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen cut American Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 9th. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of American Express from $420.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $395.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on American Express from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $352.73.

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.