Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Buys 4,739 Shares of American Express (NYSE:AXP)

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. increased its holdings in American Express (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 11.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 47,862 shares of the payment services company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,739 shares during the quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.'s holdings in American Express were worth $14,205,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in shares of American Express by 332.0% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 108 shares of the payment services company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. Curio Wealth LLC purchased a new position in American Express in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of American Express during the 4th quarter worth $38,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new position in shares of American Express in the third quarter valued at $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.33% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other American Express news, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 9,485 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $319.17, for a total value of $3,027,327.45. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 13,500 shares in the company, valued at $4,308,795. This trade represents a 41.27 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Michael J. Angelakis purchased 3,700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $269.89 per share, with a total value of $998,593.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 3,700 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $998,593. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.12% of the company's stock.

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American Express Stock Performance

AXP traded down $7.17 during trading on Friday, reaching $264.85. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,612,733 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,751,243. The company's fifty day moving average price is $295.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $289.03. American Express has a 52-week low of $214.51 and a 52-week high of $326.28. The company has a market capitalization of $186.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.58.

American Express (NYSE:AXP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 24th. The payment services company reported $3.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.04. American Express had a return on equity of 32.65% and a net margin of 15.36%. On average, equities analysts forecast that American Express will post 15.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Express Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. This is a boost from American Express's previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 4th. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.24%. American Express's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on AXP shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of American Express from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of American Express from $330.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on American Express from $367.00 to $330.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. Compass Point decreased their price target on shares of American Express from $325.00 to $309.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Finally, BTIG Research increased their price objective on American Express from $266.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $302.57.

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.