McLaughlin Asset Management Inc. Invests $1.50 Million in American Express Company $AXP

McLaughlin Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm acquired 4,047 shares of the payment services company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,497,000. American Express makes up about 1.3% of McLaughlin Asset Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in American Express by 24.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,481 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $1,924,000 after acquiring an additional 1,273 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of American Express by 13.0% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,738 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $554,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. bought a new stake in shares of American Express during the second quarter valued at approximately $428,000. Howland Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of American Express by 4.2% in the second quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $707,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of American Express by 19.9% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,898 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $924,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial decreased their price target on shares of American Express from $400.00 to $360.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of American Express from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $415.00 target price on shares of American Express in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Freedom Capital raised shares of American Express from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of American Express from $395.00 to $385.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $360.80.

Key Headlines Impacting American Express

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

• Positive Sentiment: DZ Bank upgraded American Express from hold to buy and set a $375 price target, implying meaningful upside from recent levels. Finviz
• Positive Sentiment: One market note says AXP is breaking out through technical resistance, which can attract momentum traders and support the stock. American Express Stock Is Powering the Financial Sector to a Fresh Breakout
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage also highlights American Express as an attractive long-term investment and suggests the company still has room to benefit from continued demand in digital payments and premium spending. What Makes American Express Company (AXP) an Attractive Bet?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles compare AXP with peers like Mastercard and ask whether the stock still has upside after a strong multi-year run, reflecting ongoing debate over valuation rather than a clear new catalyst. American Express (AXP) Stock After 5-Year 118% Gain Is There Still Upside Potential
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst roundups show mixed sentiment on AXP, which may limit conviction even as the stock trades near recent highs. Analysts Conflicted on These Financial Names: Suncorp Group (OtherSNMYF), Westpac Banking (OtherWEBNF) and American Express (AXP)
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary suggests Mastercard may offer more upside than American Express, which could weigh on AXP by comparison as investors rotate toward faster-growing payments names. Mastercard vs. American Express: Which Stock Has More Upside Now?

American Express Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $338.86 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $318.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $335.13. American Express Company has a fifty-two week low of $288.34 and a fifty-two week high of $387.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $231.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.06.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27. American Express had a return on equity of 33.95% and a net margin of 15.13%.The company had revenue of $14.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.60 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.64 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that American Express Company will post 17.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Express Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. American Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.71%.

American Express 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.