American Express (NYSE:AXP) Raised to “Strong-Buy” at BMO Capital Markets

by · The Markets Daily

American Express (NYSE:AXP) was upgraded by stock analysts at BMO Capital Markets to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Thursday, Zacks reports.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of American Express from $375.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of American Express from $384.00 to $345.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. President Capital upped their target price on shares of American Express from $359.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Benchmark began coverage on shares of American Express in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded American Express from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $328.00 to $400.00 in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $364.52.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on American Express

American Express Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of American Express stock opened at $308.18 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a current ratio of 1.55. American Express has a 52 week low of $290.97 and a 52 week high of $387.49. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $324.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $324.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $208.12 billion, a PE ratio of 18.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.08.

American Express (NYSE:AXP – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The payment services company reported $4.53 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.41 by $0.12. American Express had a return on equity of 34.12% and a net margin of 15.07%. The firm had revenue of $14.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.70 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.08 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. American Express has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.300-17.900 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that American Express will post 17.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Archer Investment Corp bought a new stake in American Express in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of American Express by 78.8% during the 3rd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 93 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of American Express by 66.7% in the 1st quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 100 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of American Express by 58.2% in the 1st quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 106 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of American Express by 2,550.0% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key American Express News

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

  • Positive Sentiment: BMO initiated coverage with a $380 price target, while Royal Bank of Canada maintained an Outperform rating and lowered its target from $415 to $400. Analysts cited continued growth in American Express’s premium customer base and the company’s ability to sustain revenue and earnings expansion despite intensifying competition. American Express Has More Room to Run Despite Rising Competition, Analyst Says
  • Positive Sentiment: American Express launched a new corporate platform and continues investing in business and merchant tools, including guidance on how companies can use artificial intelligence. These initiatives could support corporate spending and strengthen longer-term customer relationships. American Express Launches New Corporate Platform
  • Neutral Sentiment: American Express is scheduled to report quarterly results on October 23. Investors will look for evidence that premium-card growth, spending trends and earnings guidance can offset the regulatory setback. The company previously reported earnings above expectations and maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $17.30 to $17.90.
  • Negative Sentiment: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Reserve fined American Express $350 million and issued regulatory orders over significant anti-money-laundering control failures. Regulators said inadequate resources, inexperienced personnel, weak training and internal-control gaps left approximately $13 billion in potentially suspicious activity insufficiently monitored or reported over nearly 11 years. The penalty creates a direct financial cost and raises concerns about compliance spending, reputational damage and potential additional oversight. OCC Assesses $350 Million Civil Money Penalty Against American Express

About American Express

(Get Free Report)

American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) is a global financial services company that provides payment, lending, travel and related products to consumers, small businesses and corporate customers. Its offerings include consumer and business charge and credit cards, payment solutions, commercial financing, deposit products and rewards programs.

American Express also operates a worldwide merchant network and provides businesses with payment acceptance services, transaction-processing capabilities and data-driven marketing solutions.

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