Banking, finance, and taxes
Is American Express Back in Favor After Earnings?

Published:
Last Updated:
American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) reported its first-quarter earnings report after the markets closed on Wednesday. The credit card giant said it had $1.45 in earnings per share (EPS) on $8.09 billion in revenue. The Thomson Reuters consensus estimates had called for $1.35 in EPS on revenue of $7.99 billion. In the same period of last year, Amex posted EPS of $1.48 and $7.95 billion in revenue.
A fair number of analysts were impressed by these results and decided to pour into the stock. We have included an analyst montage detailing how they view this stock after earnings.
During the most recent quarter, investment spending was up significantly, reflecting what management believes to be initiatives to grow the business by expanding its membership base and gaining a greater share of their overall spending and borrowing.
Amex reported the following segment results for the first quarter:
First quarter results were in line with the financial outlook we provided last month at our Investor Day. Despite strong competition throughout the payments industry, we generated a 4% increase in FX-adjusted revenues. Those revenues reflected strong, underlying growth in our lending portfolio, along with higher Card Member spending and fee income. Our 6 percent rise in Card Member spending was partially offset by a lower merchant discount rate and the higher costs associated with cash back rewards.
On the books, the company had $25 billion in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter, compared to $24 billion in the same period last year.
A few analysts weighed in on Amex after the company reported earnings:
Shares of Amex were traded up 1.1% to $65.73 on Thursday, with a consensus analyst price target of $64.75 and a 52-week trading range of $50.27 to $81.92.
Credit card companies are pulling out all the stops, with the issuers are offering insane travel rewards and perks.
We’re talking huge sign-up bonuses, points on every purchase, and benefits like lounge access, travel credits, and free hotel nights. For travelers, these rewards can add up to thousands of dollars in flights, upgrades, and luxury experiences every year.
It’s like getting paid to travel — and it’s available to qualified borrowers who know where to look.
We’ve rounded up some of the best travel credit cards on the market. Click here to see the list. Don’t miss these offers — they won’t be this good forever.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.