American Express Company $AXP Stock Sold by Calamos Advisors LLC

Calamos Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 30.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 136,659 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 61,196 shares during the period. Calamos Advisors LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $41,558,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in American Express in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $14,208,662,000. State Street Corp grew its holdings in American Express by 40.2% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 40,967,262 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $13,857,176,000 after buying an additional 11,739,541 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP bought a new stake in shares of American Express during the second quarter valued at approximately $253,945,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of American Express during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,263,787,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in shares of American Express in the second quarter worth $1,138,054,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

American Express News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: American Express has reduced its share count by 27% since 2016, while diluted earnings per share increased 352% from Q3 2016 to the latest quarter. The article credits its premium brand and network advantages—long-term strengths that have helped shareholders, rather than a new near-term development. Article: American Express Has Cut Its Share Count by 27% Since 2016
• Positive Sentiment: ETFs recorded $41.8 million in net purchases of AXP shares on Nov. 4, providing a modest signal of institutional demand. Article: American Express Sees $41.8 Million in Net ETF Buying
• Negative Sentiment: A report says American Express insider Laureen Seeger sold 69,860 shares. Insider sales can weigh on sentiment, although the provided report does not give context for the transaction. Article: Insider Laureen Seeger Sells 69,860 Shares
• Negative Sentiment: AXP also had a notable decline in the prior session, but the cited coverage does not specify what drove the move. This recent weakness may be weighing on near-term sentiment. Article: American Express Drops 3.5%

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Stephen Squeri sold 299,401 shares of American Express stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.16, for a total transaction of $99,449,036.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 60,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,117,934.72. The trade was a 83.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Laureen Seeger sold 69,860 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $328.17, for a total transaction of $22,925,956.20. Following the transaction, the insider owned 9,002 shares in the company, valued at $2,954,186.34. The trade was a 88.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 414,171 shares of company stock valued at $137,069,544. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

American Express Trading Down 1.2%

NYSE AXP traded down $3.95 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $321.02. 2,932,179 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,071,100. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $290.97 and a 52 week high of $387.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $316.22 and a 200 day moving average price of $325.65. The stock has a market cap of $215.26 billion, a PE ratio of 18.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.09.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.50 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $20.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.12 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 34.19% and a net margin of 15.80%. American Express’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.14 EPS. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.600-17.900 EPS. Analysts forecast that American Express Company will post 17.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be issued a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. American Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.40%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of American Express from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, October 26th. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of American Express from $375.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of American Express from $396.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. BTIG Research cut their price objective on American Express from $315.00 to $230.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 7th. Finally, William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of American Express in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Express presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $365.22.

American Express Company Profile

American Express Company is a global payments and financial services company that operates a card-issuing business and a payments network. Its products and services include consumer, small-business and corporate cards, payment processing, lending, travel services and expense-management solutions.

Founded in 1850 as an express mail business, the company expanded into financial services and became known for its charge cards and travel-related services. Today, it serves cardholders and businesses in the United States and markets around the world, connecting customers, merchants and financial institutions through its network.

Stephen J.