American Express has been assigned a consensus “Hold” rating by 27 research firms, with one firm on “Sell,” 17 on “Hold” and nine on “Buy.” Over the past three months, several major brokerages have raised their assessments, reflecting growing confidence in card spending growth and the travel recovery. Barclays, Keefe Bruyette & Woods, Truist and Goldman Sachs each revised their outlooks upward in late 2025 and early 2026, citing resilient consumer demand and improved fee income, while Weiss Ratings upgraded its view to “Buy” following stronger‐than‐expected holiday spending trends.

Insider transactions accelerated toward year end, with Chief Marketing Officer Elizabeth Rutledge selling 50,000 shares and reducing her stake by 36.9%, and another senior executive disposing of 5,000 shares for a 39.3% reduction. Over the past three months, insiders have sold a total of 57,515 shares, representing 0.20% of the outstanding common stock. These dispositions come after a period of share‐based compensation vesting and suggest a shift toward portfolio diversification.

Large institutions continued to adjust their positions in American Express during the second and third quarters of 2025. Vanguard Group увеличил holdings by 1.3%, Geode Capital Management added 11.1%, and Fisher Asset Management increased its stake by 1.7%. Norges Bank initiated a new position, while Capital World Investors marginally boosted its exposure by 0.5%. After these moves, institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own over 84% of the company’s shares, underscoring the stock’s appeal to long‐term asset managers.

In its fiscal fourth quarter, American Express reported earnings per share of –11.85 versus an analyst consensus of 3.56, missing expectations by 15.41. Revenue came in below forecasts, driven by a moderate slowdown in international card volumes. The company delivered a net margin of 14.97% and return on equity of 33.41%, reflecting disciplined expense management and a stable loan loss reserve. Analysts note that disciplined underwriting and rewards program adjustments could support margins even if consumer credit costs remain elevated.