American Express (NYSE:AXP) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.27 EPS

by · The Cerbat Gem

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The payment services company reported $4.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.27, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $14.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.60 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 33.49% and a net margin of 15.00%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.64 earnings per share. American Express updated its FY 2026 guidance to 17.300-17.900 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from American Express’ conference call:

  • American Express reported a strong Q1 — revenue up 11% (10% FX‑adjusted) and EPS of $4.28 (+18%) — and management reaffirmed full‑year guidance of 9%–10% revenue growth and EPS $17.30–$17.90 while increasing marketing and technology investments.
  • Premium‑product momentum is driving growth — the Platinum refresh has accelerated spend with high retention after the fee increase, over 70% of new accounts are fee‑paying, and international billings grew double digits.
  • Credit and margin strength remain intact — delinquency and write‑off rates are below 2019 levels, provisions included a small reserve release, and net interest income grew ~12%, outpacing balance growth.
  • Management is pushing strategic growth initiatives — a one‑year commercial product expansion (eight new/enhanced offerings) and AI initiatives like the ACE developer kit and Agent Purchase Protection aim to open new revenue channels in agentic commerce.
  • Near‑term risks could weigh on upside — recent travel disruptions caused airline refund activity and softness, exits of small‑business co‑brand portfolios will modestly depress SME spend growth, and elevated marketing/tech investments limit immediate EPS upside.

American Express Stock Performance

AXP traded down $8.22 during trading on Thursday, hitting $324.68. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 867,232 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,489,576. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. American Express Company has a one year low of $257.21 and a one year high of $387.49. The firm has a market cap of $222.66 billion, a PE ratio of 21.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.13. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $314.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $344.56.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm 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 boost from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. American Express’s payout ratio is 24.69%.

Trending Headlines about American Express

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on AXP. BTIG Research lowered their price target on American Express from $328.00 to $285.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of American Express from $375.00 to $325.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Credit Suisse Group set a $328.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $395.00 price objective on shares of American Express in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of 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. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Express presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $359.67.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on American Express

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.58, for a total value of $5,348,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 8,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,189,608.10. This trade represents a 62.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 8,134 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $346.73, for a total value of $2,820,301.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,433 shares in the company, valued at $3,270,704.09. This trade represents a 46.30% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 73,944 shares of company stock worth $26,114,366 over the last ninety days. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of American Express

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Invenio Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of American Express by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. Invenio Wealth Partners LLC now owns 776 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $258,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the period. Graney & King LLC raised its position in shares of American Express by 12.7% during the 2nd quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 292 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $93,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the period. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of American Express by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,184 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $3,383,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Vista Investment Management raised its position in shares of American Express by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Vista Investment Management now owns 1,003 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $371,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Tradewinds LLC. raised its position in shares of American Express by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Tradewinds LLC. now owns 1,048 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $388,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

American Express Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

Recommended Stories