American Express Company $AXP Shares Sold by Calamos Advisors LLC

Calamos Advisors LLC cut its stake in American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) by 30.9% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 136,659 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 61,196 shares during the period. Calamos Advisors LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $41,558,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in American Express in the 2nd quarter valued at about $14,208,662,000. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of American Express by 40.2% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 40,967,262 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $13,857,176,000 after acquiring an additional 11,739,541 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new position in shares of American Express during the second quarter worth approximately $253,945,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of American Express during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,263,787,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of American Express during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,138,054,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Key American Express News

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%

Insider Buying and Selling at American Express

In other American Express news, CEO Stephen Squeri sold 299,401 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.16, for a total value of $99,449,036.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 60,567 shares in the company, valued at $20,117,934.72. This trade represents a 83.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Anna Marrs sold 44,910 shares of American Express stock in a transaction on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $327.20, for a total transaction of $14,694,552.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 20,509 shares in the company, valued at $6,710,544.80. This represents a 68.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 414,171 shares of company stock worth $137,069,544 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on AXP. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on American Express from $338.00 to $335.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on American Express from $360.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 26th. Evercore set a $330.00 price objective on American Express in a report on Tuesday, October 27th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $330.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of American Express in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $380.00 price objective for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued 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.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $365.22.

American Express Stock Down 1.2%

NYSE AXP traded down $3.95 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $321.02. 2,932,179 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,071,100. American Express Company has a 52 week low of $290.97 and a 52 week high of $387.49. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $316.22 and its 200-day simple moving average is $325.65. The company has a market cap of $215.26 billion, a PE ratio of 18.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.58.

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

American Express Dividend Announcement

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

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.