Merit Financial Group LLC Purchases 5,839 Shares of American Express Company $AXP

Merit Financial Group LLC raised its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 15.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 43,271 shares of the payment services company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,839 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $16,008,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of American Express by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 37,506 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $14,386,000 after purchasing an additional 656 shares in the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in American Express by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 16,228 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $6,004,000 after purchasing an additional 960 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Funds Management LTD bought a new stake in American Express during the 4th quarter valued at $13,458,000. Private Trust Co. NA raised its holdings in American Express by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 5,620 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $2,079,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of American Express by 13.0% in the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 125,288 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $46,350,000 after buying an additional 14,448 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Express news, insider Anna Marrs sold 27,425 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.01, for a total value of $9,599,024.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 20,394 shares in the company, valued at $7,138,103.94. This represents a 57.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. This represents a 62.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366. Insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: AmEx announced it will acquire Hyper (agentic AI expense-management startup), aiming to add AI agents that automate expense categorization, compliance checks and approvals — this strengthens AmEx’s commercial services and technology moat. AmEx to buy Altman-backed Hyper in push for AI-powered expense tools
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction: multiple outlets report the stock gained on the Hyper/Hypercard acquisition headlines, reflecting investor enthusiasm for AmEx’s AI-driven product expansion in commercial cards and expense management. American Express stock gains after Hypercard acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: AmEx is rolling out complementary AI tools (ACE Developer Kit, Agent Purchase Protection and new agentic commerce solutions) to embed security and automation for AI-driven purchases — this supports cross-sell into commercial clients and may raise wallet share. Can American Express Build Trust in the Age of AI Commerce?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/strategy commentary highlights AmEx’s durable competitive moat, arguing its network and services are resilient as it layers AI-enabled offerings — supportive for long-term valuation. American Express’ Moat Is More Resistant Than What You Think
• Neutral Sentiment: AmEx reported stable credit quality with only moderate write-offs in recent filings — credit stability reduces downside risk but is not a catalyst by itself. American Express Reports Stable Credit Quality, Moderate Write-Offs
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect earnings growth into the next report, setting the stage for an earnings-driven move; this is a watch item for near-term volatility around the print. American Express (AXP) Earnings Expected to Grow
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional tweak: Baxter Bros trimmed its AXP stake modestly (about 3.3%) in the latest 13F — a small portfolio adjustment rather than a broad sell signal. American Express Company $AXP is Baxter Bros Inc.’s 8th Largest Position
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the positive AI/deal headlines, the stock experienced a pullback later in the session and closed lower in some reports — short-term noise and profit-taking can offset headline-driven gains ahead of earnings. American Express (AXP) Stock Dips While Market Gains: Key Facts

American Express Stock Down 0.9%

AXP opened at $325.94 on Friday. American Express Company has a fifty-two week low of $239.27 and a fifty-two week high of $387.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $223.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.18, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.13. The company’s 50-day moving average is $316.83 and its 200 day moving average is $344.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.58.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.54 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of ($17,139.00) million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.91 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 33.49% and a net margin of 15.00%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.04 earnings per share. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Research analysts expect 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 paid a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This is a boost from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. American Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 24.69%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $420.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on American Express from $425.00 to $415.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on American Express from $367.00 to $323.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 6th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $350.70.

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.