Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Acquires 25,065 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 244.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 35,330 shares of the payment services company’s stock after acquiring an additional 25,065 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in American Express were worth $11,735,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in American Express by 24.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,481 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $1,924,000 after purchasing an additional 1,273 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 13.0% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,738 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $554,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. bought a new position in shares of American Express in the second quarter valued at about $428,000. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. raised its position in shares of American Express by 897.6% in the second quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 12,251 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $3,908,000 after purchasing an additional 11,023 shares during the period. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 11.2% during the 2nd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 14,255 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $4,547,000 after buying an additional 1,435 shares during the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Express Trading Down 2.1%

AXP stock opened at $300.83 on Monday. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $220.43 and a 52 week high of $387.49. The company has a market capitalization of $206.55 billion, a PE ratio of 19.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.14. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $350.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $349.62. 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 (NYSE:AXP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 return on equity of 33.49% and a net margin of 15.00%.American Express’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.04 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be given a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This is a positive change from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. American Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 24.69%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Express

In other American Express news, 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 transaction of $2,820,301.82. Following the transaction, 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. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of American Express stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total value of $5,348,700.00. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AXP has been the subject of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of American Express from $385.00 to $375.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. 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. Evercore set a $393.00 price objective on American Express in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $395.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on American Express from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Nine investment 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, American Express currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $352.73.

American Express News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a 16% quarterly dividend increase to $0.95 and emphasized shareholder returns, a supportive sign for income-focused investors. American Express Announces 16% Increase in Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: New long-term stadium and NFL team partnerships aim to drive card engagement and incremental transactions in key metro markets — a revenue/TPV growth lever for premium cardholders. American Express announces stadium, NFL team partnerships
• Positive Sentiment: Company is expanding tech initiatives (AI partner Traversal) and planning a new World Trade Center HQ, signaling investment in operations and long-term productivity improvements. American Express Taps AI And Sports Deals As Stock Trades Below Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation write-ups note the dividend hike and partnerships but also point out the recent pullback — useful context for investors reassessing entry points. Taking A Fresh Look At American Express (AXP) Valuation After Dividend Hike And New Sports Partnerships
• Neutral Sentiment: Company updated its Q1 earnings date and will webcast the annual meeting — housekeeping items that provide upcoming catalysts/communication opportunities. American Express Updates First-Quarter 2026 Earnings Date and Plans to Host Live Audio Webcast of Annual Meeting of Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary says the current slide looks more sentiment-driven than business-driven — highlighting panic selling and momentum losses as drivers of the near-term weakness. American Express Stock’s Slide Worsens as Shares Hit $300. Time to Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest has risen materially, indicating growing bearish positioning that can amplify downward moves. American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest
• Negative Sentiment: New premium cards from competitors (Robinhood’s $695 Platinum) are being positioned against Amex’s lucrative premium card franchise — potential pressure on market share and fee income over time. Robinhood’s new $695 Platinum card vs $895 Amex Platinum: Which one has better perks?
• Negative Sentiment: Analysis pointing to a ~12% slip in March cites concerns about disruption (AI, competition) and investor rotation away from expensive financial names. Why American Express Stock Slipped 12% In March

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.