Family Capital Management Inc. Trims Stock Position in American Express (NYSE:AXP)

Family Capital Management Inc. decreased its holdings in American Express (NYSE:AXP) by 24.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,382 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 454 shares during the quarter. Family Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in American Express were worth $259,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Venture Visionary Partners LLC increased its position in American Express by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC now owns 23,211 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $4,349,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of American Express by 417.3% during the 4th quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 415,696 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $77,876,000 after buying an additional 335,338 shares during the period. Cullen Investment Group LTD. purchased a new stake in shares of American Express during the 4th quarter valued at $2,460,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 1,313.2% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 768,769 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $1,440,210,000 after buying an additional 714,370 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GYL Financial Synergies LLC raised its position in shares of American Express by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. GYL Financial Synergies LLC now owns 23,987 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $3,579,000 after buying an additional 242 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

American Express Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of AXP traded down $0.17 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $217.50. The company had a trading volume of 3,878,352 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,075,421. The company has a quick ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. American Express has a 52 week low of $140.91 and a 52 week high of $231.69. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $219.56 and its 200 day moving average price is $187.58. The stock has a market cap of $157.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.46, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.23.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 26th. The payment services company reported $2.62 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.64 by ($0.02). American Express had a return on equity of 30.99% and a net margin of 13.84%. The firm had revenue of $15.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.07 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that American Express will post 12.83 EPS for the current year.

American Express Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 4th. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.18%. American Express’s payout ratio is 24.98%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Howard Grosfield sold 7,029 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.65, for a total transaction of $1,431,455.85. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 12,388 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,522,816.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, insider Laureen Seeger sold 84,420 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.98, for a total transaction of $17,979,771.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 57,512 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,248,905.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 7,029 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.65, for a total value of $1,431,455.85. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 12,388 shares in the company, valued at $2,522,816.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 172,047 shares of company stock valued at $36,528,388. Company insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on AXP shares. StockNews.com downgraded American Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of American Express from $214.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Monness Crespi & Hardt raised shares of American Express from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $245.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of American Express from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, HSBC upped their price target on shares of American Express from $232.00 to $239.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, American Express presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $201.62.

American Express Company 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.