American Express Company (AXP), headquartered in New York, operates as an integrated payments company. With a market cap of $243.6 billion, the company’s principal products and services are charge and credit payment card products and travel-related services offered to consumers and businesses around the world.
Shares of this credit card and banking giant have underperformed the broader market over the past year. AXP has gained 10.2% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 14%. In 2026, AXP stock is down 4.6%, compared to the SPX’s marginal rise on a YTD basis.
Narrowing the focus, AXP’s outperformance is apparent compared to the Amplify Digital Payments ETF (IPAY). The exchange-traded fund has declined about 22.7% over the past year. Moreover, AXP’s single-digit losses on a YTD basis outshine the ETF’s 10.4% dip over the same time frame.
On Jan. 30, AXP shares closed down by 1.8% after reporting its Q4 results. Its EPS of $3.53 did not meet Wall Street expectations of $3.54. The company’s revenue was $19 billion, surpassing Wall Street forecasts of $18.8 billion. AXP expects full-year EPS to be $17.30 to $17.90.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect AXP’s EPS to grow 14% to $17.53 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat the consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters while missing the forecast on another occasion.
Among the 30 analysts covering AXP stock, the consensus is a “Moderate Buy.” That’s based on nine “Strong Buy” ratings, two “Moderate Buys,” 18 “Holds,” and one “Strong Sell.”
This configuration is more bullish than two months ago, with eight analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy.”
On Feb. 2, David George from Robert W. Baird maintained a “Hold” rating on AXP with a price target of $280.
The mean price target of $376.67 represents a 6.5% premium to AXP’s current price levels. The Street-high price target of $462 suggests an upside potential of 30.6%.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.