UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp Takes $13.74 Million Position in American Express Company $AXP

UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp bought a new stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 40,629 shares of the payment services company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,743,000. American Express comprises 0.7% of UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of American Express by 6,600.0% during the 4th quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 67 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new position in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Sfam LLC bought a new position in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of American Express during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Express during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on AXP. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of American Express from $360.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of American Express from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Evercore set a $370.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, July 27th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of American Express from $386.00 to $384.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of American Express from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Express presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $373.32.

American Express News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Expanded corporate payments capabilities: American Express is embedding virtual cards more deeply into its U.S. commercial-payment tools, including the @ Work platform and Conferma for business travel. The strategy could improve security, simplify expense management and increase customer retention, strengthening Amex’s competitive position in premium corporate payments. Is American Express’ Expanded Virtual Cards Strategy Deepening Its Corporate Moat in Premium Payments?
• Positive Sentiment: New St Andrews partnership: American Express became the official payments partner of St Andrews Links, expanding its sports and lifestyle marketing platform. The agreement may support international brand visibility, card-member engagement and premium travel-related spending, though the near-term financial impact is likely limited. American Express and St Andrews Links Trust Announce Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Premium-card momentum and younger customers: A profile of CEO Steve Squeri highlights Amex’s success attracting millennials and Generation Z to high-fee products such as the Platinum card. Continued acceptance of premium annual fees would support spending growth, fee revenue and the company’s long-term brand positioning. The American Express CEO Defied Haters
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming investor presentation: Management will participate in the Barclays Global Financial Services Conference on September 16. Investors may receive updated commentary on spending trends, credit quality and 2026 guidance, but no new information was announced today. American Express to Participate in Barclays Global Financial Services Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Limited indirect items: American Express is included among the holdings of US Financial 15 Split Corp., while Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio is becoming more concentrated in Dow components. These developments offer little direct information about AXP’s fundamentals or valuation.

American Express Price Performance

Shares of AXP traded up $1.38 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $339.90. 2,538,525 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,294,725. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $342.20 and a 200-day moving average of $327.04. American Express Company has a one year low of $290.97 and a one year high of $387.49. The firm has a market cap of $229.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.62, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.54.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The payment services company reported $4.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.41 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $19.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.70 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 34.12% and a net margin of 15.07%.The company’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.08 earnings per share. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 2nd were given a $0.95 dividend. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is 23.06%.

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.