American Express (NYSE:AXP) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 17.300-17.900 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 17.430. The company issued revenue guidance of $78.7 billion-$79.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $78.4 billion.

American Express Trading Down 1.8%

American Express stock traded down $6.36 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $352.14. 5,291,419 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,074,865. American Express Company has a fifty-two week low of $220.43 and a fifty-two week high of $387.49. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $369.39 and its 200-day moving average is $343.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a current ratio of 1.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $242.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.63, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.15.

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). American Express had a net margin of 14.97% and a return on equity of 33.41%. The firm had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.91 billion. 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, analysts predict that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.01%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on AXP. Compass Point restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $324.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, October 20th. UBS Group set a $385.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, January 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on American Express from $360.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of American Express from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $395.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, American Express presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $353.95.

American Express News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management set FY2026 EPS guidance of $17.30–$17.90 and revenue guidance roughly $78.7B–$79.5B, which sits at/above Street revenue expectations and implies mid?high single?digit growth — a key reason investors are focusing on the outlook rather than the quarterly miss.
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue grew ~10% y/y and card?member spending remained strong, supporting the company’s growth narrative and the confident 2026 outlook. AXP Stock Falls Despite Revenue Beat After Q4 Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a meaningful dividend increase (reported as ~16%), which is supportive for income?oriented investors and signals confidence in cash flow. American Express Posts Strong 2025 Results, Raises Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts have mixed/timely coverage — some firms reiterate buy ratings citing attractive risk/reward and valuation upside, which could limit downside if results stay in-line with guidance. American Express: Attractive Risk-Reward, Solid Growth Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS of $3.53 slightly missed consensus (by ~$0.01–$0.04 depending on source), and some headlines emphasize the profit miss as a near?term catalyst for selling pressure. Scorecard: Grading American Express Q4 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Rising customer?engagement and operating costs were called out on the call and in analyst notes as the main drag on margin expansion, which clouds near?term EPS trajectory. AXP Q4 Earnings Lag Estimates on Rising Customer Engagement Costs
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk headlines (discussion of a potential credit?card rate cap) and a strategic shift to higher?fee premium cards (more marketing to Platinum vs. no?fee products) create execution and political/regulatory uncertainty that can pressure sentiment. American Express, credit card provider to the wealthy, wants even more high spenders CEO on rate cap

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in American Express during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Logan Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in American Express by 50.0% in the 3rd quarter. Logan Capital Management Inc. now owns 135 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Wiser Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express during the third quarter valued at approximately $88,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new position in shares of American Express during the 2nd quarter valued at $92,000. Finally, Graney & King LLC lifted its holdings in American Express by 12.7% in the second quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 292 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $93,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.