Founders Financial Securities LLC Lowers Holdings in American Express (NYSE:AXP)

Founders Financial Securities LLC decreased its stake in shares of American Express (NYSE:AXP) by 62.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,475 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 2,410 shares during the quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC’s holdings in American Express were worth $336,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AXP. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in American Express during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. BKM Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners purchased a new position in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Pacifica Partners Inc. purchased a new position in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Baldwin Brothers LLC MA raised its stake in shares of American Express by 134.8% in the fourth quarter. Baldwin Brothers LLC MA now owns 155 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Jennifer Skyler sold 14,802 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.73, for a total transaction of $3,578,087.46. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 16,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,957,361.83. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, EVP Quinn Jessica Lieberman sold 3,141 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.36, for a total value of $729,842.76. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $59,948.88. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Jennifer Skyler sold 14,802 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.73, for a total value of $3,578,087.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 16,371 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,957,361.83. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 177,717 shares of company stock valued at $41,680,999. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AXP has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Barclays restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $221.00 price target (up previously from $220.00) on shares of American Express in a research note on Tuesday, April 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on American Express from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 22nd. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on American Express from $221.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 22nd. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of American Express in a report on Friday, April 5th. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on American Express in a report on Monday, June 10th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $250.00 price objective for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $220.30.

American Express Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of AXP stock opened at $231.55 on Monday. American Express has a 1 year low of $140.91 and a 1 year high of $244.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.70, a current ratio of 1.62 and a quick ratio of 1.62. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $234.69 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $216.40. The company has a market cap of $166.55 billion, a PE ratio of 19.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.22.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 19th. The payment services company reported $3.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.36. American Express had a return on equity of 32.46% and a net margin of 14.50%. The business had revenue of $15.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.79 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.40 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that American Express will post 13 earnings per share for the current year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.70 per share. This is a boost from American Express’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 5th. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.21%. American Express’s dividend payout ratio is currently 23.06%.

American Express Profile

American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as integrated payments company in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, and Internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Consumer Services, Commercial Services, International Card Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services.