Van Strum & Towne Inc. Boosts Stake in American Express by 15.4%

Van Strum & Towne Inc. has recently increased its investment in American Express (NYSE:AXP - Free Report) by 15.4% during the fourth quarter, as noted in their latest Form 13F filing submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This institutional investor now owns a total of 8,240 shares of the payment services company after acquiring an additional 1,100 shares during the quarter. The value of Van Strum & Towne Inc.'s holdings in American Express stands at approximately $2,446,000 according to the most recent filing.

Additionally, other institutional investors have also made adjustments to their positions in American Express. For example, Prospera Private Wealth LLC added a new stake valued around $27,000 in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC increased its holding by an impressive 332.0% in the same quarter, ending up with 108 shares worth $29,000 after acquiring another 83 shares. Financial Life Planners established a new position worth approximately $38,000, while Sierra Ocean LLC purchased shares valued around $40,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. also entered a new position valued at about $38,000 in the third quarter. Notably, institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 84.33% of American Express stock.

Recent Analyst Insights

American Express has been the focus of several recent analyst evaluations. UBS Group raised its price target for the company's shares from $283.00 to $320.00, assigning a "neutral" rating in a research note published on January 13th. Citigroup similarly increased its price target from $305.00 to $320.00, also issuing a "neutral" rating on January 28th. Meanwhile, Compass Point adjusted its price target downward from $325.00 to $309.00 while maintaining a "neutral" rating. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded its price target from $355.00 to $370.00, categorizing the stock as "overweight" on January 31st. The overall consensus from market analysts includes two sell ratings, fifteen hold ratings, and nine buy ratings, leading to a general consensus recommendation of "Hold" with a price target of approximately $299.24 according to MarketBeat.

Stock Performance Overview

As of Friday, NYSE AXP opened at $266.04. American Express boasts a market capitalization of $186.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.99, and a PEG ratio of 1.41, with a beta of 1.21. The company’s twelve-month stock low was $214.51, while the high reached $326.27. The fifty-day simple moving average for the stock is $301.59, and the 200-day simple moving average is $287.97. Financially, American Express holds a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.58, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64.

Dividend Declaration

American Express has also announced an upcoming quarterly dividend, which is set to be paid on May 9th. Shareholders who are on record as of April 4th will receive a dividend of $0.82 per share, with the ex-dividend date also set for April 4th. This dividend signifies an annualized payout of $3.28, reflecting a yield of 1.23%. This increment from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.70 results in a dividend payout ratio of 23.41%.

Insider Trading Activity

In terms of insider trading at American Express, Director Michael J. Angelakis acquired 3,700 shares on March 7th at an average price of $269.89 per share, totaling $998,593. Following this acquisition, Angelakis now directly holds 3,700 shares valued at the same price. Conversely, insider Ravikumar Radhakrishnan sold 9,485 shares on February 5th at an average price of $319.17, leading to total transaction proceeds of approximately $3,027,327.45. Following this sale, Radhakrishnan retains 13,500 shares in the company, valued at $4,308,795. Insiders together own 0.12% of American Express stock.

About American Express

American Express Company operates as a leading integrated payments company globally, with operations in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, and beyond. The company conducts its business across four primary segments: U.S. Consumer Services, Commercial Services, International Card Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services.

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