Handelsbanken Fonder AB Reduces Stock Position in American Express Company $AXP

Handelsbanken Fonder AB cut its holdings in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 1.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 206,496 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 2,221 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in American Express were worth $68,590,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. grew its position in American Express by 153.3% in the third quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in American Express during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Access Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Express in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new stake in shares of American Express in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of American Express by 210.7% in the 3rd quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Express Trading Up 2.5%

NYSE AXP opened at $335.37 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $230.27 billion, a PE ratio of 21.79, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.14. American Express Company has a 12 month low of $220.43 and a 12 month high of $387.49. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $359.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $348.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.04 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were issued a $0.82 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio is currently 21.31%.

American Express News Summary

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)

Insider Transactions at American Express

In related news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total value of $8,346,340.35. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 7,754 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,767,480.14. This represents a 75.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 approximately $3,270,704.09. The trade was a 46.30% 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 over the last 90 days. 0.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AXP has been the topic of several recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $425.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, January 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of American Express from $385.00 to $375.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of American Express from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $395.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, American Express presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $352.73.

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.