American Express (NYSE:AXP) Shares Sold by Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co.

Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. lowered its stake in American Express (NYSE:AXP) by 4.0% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 9,373 shares of the payment services company’s stock after selling 390 shares during the quarter. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in American Express were worth $2,170,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Game Plan Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in American Express by 62.5% in the 1st quarter. Game Plan Financial Advisors LLC now owns 130 shares of the payment services company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Express in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Sachetta LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Express during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new position in American Express during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. raised its holdings in American Express by 42.2% during the second quarter. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. now owns 165 shares of the payment services company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.33% of the company’s stock.

American Express Stock Performance

NYSE:AXP opened at $265.49 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.66. The firm has a market cap of $190.97 billion, a PE ratio of 21.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.21. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $247.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $236.22. American Express has a 1-year low of $140.91 and a 1-year high of $267.22.

American Express (NYSE:AXP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 19th. The payment services company reported $3.49 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.26 by $0.23. American Express had a return on equity of 32.94% and a net margin of 15.53%. The company had revenue of $16.33 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.60 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.89 EPS. American Express’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that American Express will post 13.12 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on American Express from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. Compass Point initiated coverage on American Express in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $260.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup initiated coverage on American Express in a report on Monday, June 10th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of American Express from $263.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of American Express from $221.00 to $223.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $230.78.

American Express 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.