American Express (NYSE:AXP) Stock Crosses Below 200 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) shares passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $325.81 and traded as low as $324.41. American Express shares last traded at $324.9550, with a volume of 4,575,696 shares traded.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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%

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of American Express in a report on Friday, October 23rd. BTIG Research dropped their price objective on American Express from $315.00 to $230.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 7th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on American Express from $396.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on American Express from $415.00 to $400.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $330.00 price target on shares of American Express in a report on Friday, October 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $365.22.

American Express Trading Down 1.2%

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 business’s fifty day moving average is $316.22 and its 200 day moving average is $325.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $215.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.09.

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

American Express Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other American Express news, CEO Stephen J. Squeri sold 299,401 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.16, for a total value of $99,449,036.16. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 60,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,117,934.72. The trade was a 83.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Laureen Seeger sold 69,860 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $328.17, for a total value of $22,925,956.20. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,954,186.34. This trade represents a 88.59% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 414,171 shares of company stock worth $137,069,544. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of American Express

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AXP. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in American Express in the 2nd quarter valued at $14,208,662,000. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of 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 worth $13,857,176,000 after buying an additional 11,739,541 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new position in shares of American Express during the 2nd quarter worth about $253,945,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of American Express during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,263,787,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of American Express in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,138,054,000. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.