American Express (AXP) Buy, Sell or Hold

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American Express (AXP)

326.17

-14.67 (4.30%)

as of Jul 24, 2026, 8:00:00 pm Market Open.

172 watching

Investor Insights

Jul 25, 2026, 12:00 am

This summary was created by AI, based on 9 opinions in the last 12 months.

American Express (AXP) stands out in the payments industry for its unique banking structure and a distinct relationship with both customers and merchants, providing a high-end customer base. Analysts note a promising growth trajectory, with a respectable earnings growth rate of approximately 10% and a double-digit return on equity. Despite some concerns over AI’s impact and increased competition, many experts believe that AXP has excellent data on customer behaviors and trends, positioning the company well to leverage AI benefits. Although the stock trades at a higher price-to-earnings ratio compared to historical values, its growth potential and solid fundamentals prompt some analysts to consider it a buy, particularly during post-earnings dips. Overall, AXP’s stability amidst economic pressures and its ongoing strategic initiatives highlight its potential as an investment opportunity.

Consensus

Buy

Valuation

Fair Value

Similar

BUY ON WEAKNESS

Negative futures this morning pushed the stock down $2, but snapped back sharply on recent upgrades. This is one example of taking advantage of the futures which are otherwise useless.

BUY

To stay on top of this recovery, follow the money, the payments stocks. He suspects the U.S. will see the Roaring 20s, particularly for small businesses.

BUY

Their earnings report disappointed the street and it sank, but the market got it wrong. This is good long term with a bright future. Entertainment and travel will bounce back big and AmEx will benefit.

COMMENT

They report Friday. It's a barometer stock to determine the strength of the U.S. recovery--small business, travel and entertainment spending.

DON'T BUY

AXP vs. V vs. MA Likes the story of both V and MA. They take no credit risk, just a tollbooth. American Express is very different, as they do take on risk. We're going to a cashless society. Great growth businesses, little capital expenditure. V has lots of growth yet in Asia. Once travel starts up again, V numbers should pick up.

BUY

A reopening play that'll benefit from cross-border transactions and smart management.

PAST TOP PICK

(A Top Pick Jan 30/20, Down 4%) It has come back in a huge way. They will be a massive beneficiary of the return on spending in leisure and travel. Expects an all time high for them. Remains a good holding. Their market is still upper bands of credit cards and they make a healthy amount from annual fees even if some retails may not accept them.

DON'T BUY

Difference from Visa and Mastercard is that AXP carries its own debt load. Normally, a very good company. Credit profile of clients is good. Better to go with the other two from a risk containment point of view. The same train drives all 3 companies.

TOP PICK

It has been an incredible grower. Top line is growing 8% and the bottom line even more. They have great dividend growth and trade at a cheap multiple. It is a great place to be. They may be economically sensitive but they make a lot of money from people paying interest on cards. They would be impacted by a slowdown in travel, however. (Analysts’ price target is $140.42)

COMMENT

She owns Visa instead; it has a stronger growth outlook, especially in Europe. AmEx provides the credit when you use their card whereas Visa and Mastercard provide just the transaction as a bank offers that credit, so the business dynamics are different. She prefers the asset-lite model because it offers higher returns.

DON'T BUY

Within the payment card space, AXP-N has a closed loop network -- they can gather their own customer data on spending and credit use. This allows them to do better target marketing. Someone will probably come in to buy that network in the future he thinks. About 20% of their revenue comes from credit card balances making them susceptible to credit downgrades. He would not step into them now.

BUY ON WEAKNESS

Mastercard vs. Visa He owns neither, though they have performed incredibly well. Don't buy them now in this part of the cycle. He likes American Express for its much-lower valuation, and have performed well, too, but buy that only on a big pullback.

COMMENT

AXP vs. V vs. MA. Wouldn't touch Visa or Mastercard, because they're extremely expensive, unless they have a 50% pullback. But AXP is a whole lot cheaper on price to book. It's the only one with visible upside. But it's bang up against technical resistance at 3.5x book. Hasn't been able to get any further. Visa and Mastercard are a lot more profitable than AXP. AXP has more limited downside.

PAST TOP PICK

(A Top Pick Jul 04/18, Up 31%) Continues to like it. Changing how they're looking at the consumer. Millennials don't pay as much attention to the cache of the AmEx brand. Secular growth continues to be strong, but when a recession is on the horizon, he'll probably exit his position. Yield is 1.3%, with 8% growth on that dividend.

BUY

AmEx, Visa or Mastercard? They're all great. Visa and MC are pure-play payment processors vs. AmEx which is also the issuing bank. They play on electronic payments with people buying more and more online, but V and MC reaches a wider breadth of customers/users. AmEx still focuses on richer people. V and MC will always have a higher multiple because they're viewed as tech companies. They're all great holds for 5-10 years.

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American Express (AXP)