Traders Buy Large Volume of Put Options on American Express (NYSE:AXP)

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) was the target of unusually large options trading on Friday. Investors purchased 21,709 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of 31% compared to the average daily volume of 16,620 put options.

American Express Trading Down 8.2%

American Express stock opened at $307.93 on Friday. American Express has a 52 week low of $220.43 and a 52 week high of $387.49. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $211.43 billion, a PE ratio of 20.01, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.14. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $358.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $349.32.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.54 by ($0.01). American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The business had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.91 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.04 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that American Express will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 10th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd were paid a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.31%.

Key American Express News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Large corporate real-estate move could be seen as a long-term vote of confidence in the business and NYC hub status; American Express will relocate its global HQ to 2 World Trade Center, a project that supports the firm’s long-term footprint and corporate visibility. American Express to move into new headquarters in final World Trade Center building
• Neutral Sentiment: Earlier session headlines and analyst coverage noted a rebound in AXP tied to macro / AI commentary (Nvidia CEO remarks) and mentions in listicles, but these items appear to have had only temporary upside ahead of today’s sell-off. Why the Market Dipped But American Express (AXP) Gained Today
• Negative Sentiment: Headline focus on AI-driven workforce cuts prompted fresh investor concern and selling pressure, cited in market commentary as a near-term catalyst for the drop. Is It Time to Sell American Express Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity: buyers bought ~21,709 put contracts (≈31% above average), indicating elevated short-term bearish bets and hedging demand that can amplify downside. (No direct article link provided.)
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose ~20% in February to ~8.6M shares, increasing the proportion of shares sold short and adding downward pressure risk if sentiment worsens. (Data summary provided in market feeds.)
• Negative Sentiment: Opinion / analysis pieces are flagging AXP’s YTD pullback (roughly mid-February-to-date slump and discussion of whether the fall is a buying opportunity or structural warning), which can drive momentum-based selling. American Express Has Slumped: Is It a Bargain or a Red Flag?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on AXP. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of American Express from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays boosted their price target on American Express from $355.00 to $367.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $420.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Wolfe Research began coverage on American Express in a research note on Monday, December 8th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Finally, Evercore set a $393.00 target price on American Express in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $352.73.

Insider Transactions at American Express

In other news, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the sale, the insider directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. The trade was a 62.64% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Express

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter valued at $2,464,215,000. Capital World Investors increased its holdings in American Express by 46.7% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,515,675 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $2,780,424,000 after buying an additional 2,393,340 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of American Express by 31,595.9% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,742,009 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $555,666,000 after buying an additional 1,736,513 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of American Express by 11.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 13,487,316 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $4,282,984,000 after buying an additional 1,349,746 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of American Express by 27.0% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 3,970,416 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $1,310,515,000 after acquiring an additional 845,283 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

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.