Hilltop Holdings Inc. Grows Position in American Express Company $AXP

Hilltop Holdings Inc. raised its position in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 175.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,133 shares of the payment services company’s stock after buying an additional 7,735 shares during the quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc.’s holdings in American Express were worth $4,030,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of AXP. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in American Express by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,712 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $1,233,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp raised its position in American Express by 10.0% in the third quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp now owns 308 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $105,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in American Express by 1.0% in the third quarter. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,910 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $967,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in American Express by 2.1% in the third quarter. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,378 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $458,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the period. Finally, Invenio Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in American Express by 3.9% in the third quarter. Invenio Wealth Partners LLC now owns 776 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $258,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Express Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE AXP opened at $300.16 on Monday. American Express Company has a 12-month low of $220.43 and a 12-month high of $387.49. The company has a market capitalization of $206.09 billion, a PE ratio of 19.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.58. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $344.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $349.12.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The payment services company reported $3.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.54 by ($0.01). American Express had a return on equity of 33.49% and a net margin of 15.00%.The business had revenue of ($17,139.00) million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.91 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.04 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that American Express Company will post 15.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. American Express’s payout ratio is presently 21.31%.

Insider Activity

In other American Express news, insider Denise Pickett sold 23,385 shares of American Express stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.91, for a total value of $8,346,340.35. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,754 shares in the company, valued at $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 is available through this link. Also, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 8,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,189,608.10. This represents a 62.64% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366. Corporate insiders own 0.20% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on AXP. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $395.00 price target on shares of American Express in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of American Express in a report on Thursday, January 8th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “sell” rating and issued a $328.00 target price on shares of American Express in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of American Express from $355.00 to $367.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on American Express from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Nine 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $356.90.

American Express Company Profile

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.