Sunbelt Securities Inc. Buys 4,583 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Sunbelt Securities Inc. raised its stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 183.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,083 shares of the payment services company’s stock after buying an additional 4,583 shares during the quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc.’s holdings in American Express were worth $2,353,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. lifted its stake in American Express by 153.3% during the 3rd quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 76 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new position in American Express during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Guerra Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in American Express in the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC grew its position in 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 owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Amid recent weakness some investors view AXP as a buy-the-dip with intact growth and shareholder returns—the company recently raised its dividend ~16% and bulls point to continued top- and bottom-line momentum. 1 Top Dividend Stock to Buy With Double-Digit Dividend and Earnings Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators call AXP an attractive dip-buy, citing continued growth, strong ROE and the company’s guidance for 2026—this support may cap downside. American Express Is An Attractive Dip Buy As Growth Continues
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative analysis highlights Visa’s network model, cross-border strength and ecosystem investments as competitive advantages vs. AXP, underscoring sector dynamics investors should watch but not an immediate company-specific headwind. Visa vs. American Express: Which Stock Has the Better Charge?
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America trimmed AXP’s price target by a small amount but kept a Buy rating after February operating results; this is a minor revision rather than a negative rerating. Bank of America Sees Stable Credit Trends in American Express (AXP) Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes and analyst commentary are mixed—some sources present conflicted views on AXP’s near-term trajectory, contributing to investor uncertainty rather than a clear directional trigger. Analysts Offer Insights on Financial Companies: American Express (AXP) and Cboe Global Markets (CBOE)
• Negative Sentiment: High-volume put option purchases point to increased short-term bearish positioning and hedging activity, which can amplify downward pressure on the stock. Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of American Express Put Options (NYSE:AXP)
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG issued a pessimistic forecast for AXP’s share price, adding fresh negative analyst sentiment that likely weighed on investor confidence. BTIG Research Issues Pessimistic Forecast for American Express (NYSE:AXP) Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary flagged why AXP fell more than the broader market today, summarizing the mix of negative notes and option activity as drivers of the larger decline. Here’s Why American Express (AXP) Fell More Than Broader Market

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total value of $9,599,024.25. Following the sale, the insider owned 20,394 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,138,103.94. This represents a 57.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of American Express 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 directly owned 9,433 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,270,704.09. This represents a 46.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366. Insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

American Express Stock Performance

AXP opened at $293.99 on Thursday. 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 capitalization of $201.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.10, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a fifty day moving average of $339.01 and a 200 day moving average of $348.31. American Express Company has a fifty-two week low of $220.43 and a fifty-two week high of $387.49.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued 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 firm had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.91 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 33.49% and a net margin of 15.00%.The firm’s revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.04 earnings per share. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. This is a positive change from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.31%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on AXP. Morgan Stanley set a $395.00 target price on American Express in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $395.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $420.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $354.86.

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.