American Express (NYSE:AXP) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 17.300-17.900 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 17.560. The company issued revenue guidance of $78.7 billion-$79.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $78.8 billion.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on AXP shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $420.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Barclays dropped their price target on American Express from $367.00 to $323.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 price target on American Express in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Evercore set a $393.00 target price on American Express in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, BTIG Research reduced their price target on American Express from $328.00 to $285.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 16th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $359.67.

American Express Stock Down 3.6%

Shares of AXP stock traded down $12.04 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $320.87. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,600,845 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,501,895. The stock has a market cap of $220.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.90, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.59. American Express Company has a 52-week low of $257.21 and a 52-week high of $387.49. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $314.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $344.56.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $14.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.60 billion. American Express had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 33.49%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.64 earnings per share. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Research analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be given a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This is a positive change from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. American Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 24.69%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of American Express stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total transaction of $8,346,340.35. Following the transaction, the insider owned 7,754 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,767,480.14. The trade was a 75.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total transaction of $5,348,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,189,608.10. This represents a 62.64% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 73,944 shares of company stock valued at $26,114,366. Insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 profit and revenue beat — AXP reported $4.28 EPS (above consensus) with solid fee income and continued strength in premium cardmember spending, supporting the beat. American Express beats Q1 estimates but shares slip on cautious outlook, investment plans
• Positive Sentiment: Cardmember spending momentum — High‑end travel and luxury purchases drove ~9–10% cardmember spending growth (best quarterly rate since 2022), underpinning revenue and fee growth. American Express (AXP) Stock Gains After Q1 Earnings Beat Expectations
• Neutral Sentiment: FY 2026 guidance issued — Amex updated its EPS range to $17.30–$17.90 and revenue guidance roughly in line with consensus; the range gives investors a guidepost but leaves room for macro sensitivity. American Express trumps Q1 estimates, reaffirms full-year outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Ongoing strategic initiatives — Marketing and product pushes (e.g., new membership/NFL Draft experiences, AI payment tools) may support long‑term engagement but are not immediate drivers of Q1 results. American Express Debuts New Membership Experiences at the 2026 NFL Draft
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious tone and higher investment/expense plans — Management signaled increased spending and a cautious macro outlook; investors reacted negatively to the guidance/expense cadence. American Express beats Q1 estimates but shares slip on cautious outlook, investment plans
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst pressure on valuation and macro risk — Some firms have trimmed price targets and reiterated Hold/Neutral stances amid uncertain macro trends, adding downward pressure on the stock. American Express Company (AXP) PT Slashed by JPMorgan on Uncertain Macro Outlook

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Express

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of American Express by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,850,298 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $2,904,218,000 after buying an additional 558,533 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its stake in American Express by 23.9% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 2,787,580 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $925,449,000 after acquiring an additional 537,205 shares during the last quarter. Vestor Capital LLC raised its position in American Express by 38,112.7% during the fourth quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 298,823 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $110,550,000 after purchasing an additional 298,041 shares during the period. Credit Agricole S A bought a new stake in shares of American Express in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $93,571,000. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of American Express by 291.8% in the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 244,036 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $90,941,000 after purchasing an additional 181,743 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

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.