Banking, finance, and taxes

American Express Results: No Surprises

American Express Logo
Courtesy of American Express
In line with its preliminary results released last week, American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) today reported adjusted fourth quarter earnings per share (EPS) of $1.09 on revenues of $8.1 billion in revenues. Last week’s pre-announcement included a restructuring of the company that will include the firing of 5,400 employees and a pre-tax charge of $400 million to pay for the restructuring. As expected, net income is down 47% from the fourth quarter of 2011.

The company’s CEO said:

New technologies are changing the way businesses operate, both online and in the physical world. While this evolution is still in the early stages for our industry, it continues to open up opportunities that play to our strengths. The restructuring program we announced last week is designed to help take advantage of them, while also playing an important role in our aim of holding annual operating expense increases to less than 3 percent for the next two years.

For the full year, EPS totaled $1.01 on revenues of $31.6 billion.

For the first quarter of the new fiscal year, the consensus estimates call for EPS of $1.11 on revenue of $8.02 billion. For the 2013 fiscal year, estimates are for EPS of $4.77 on revenue of $33.33 billion.

Shares are down about 0.7% at $60.32 in after-hours trading today. The 52-week range is 48.84 to $61.97. Prior to today’s release Thomson/Reuters had a consensus price target of around $64.30 on the company’s shares.

The #1 Thing to Do Before You Claim Social Security (Sponsor)

Choosing the right (or wrong) time to claim Social Security can dramatically change your retirement. So, before making one of the biggest decisions of your financial life, it’s a smart idea to get an extra set of eyes on your complete financial situation.

A financial advisor can help you decide the right Social Security option for you and your family. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you.

Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you optimize your Social Security outcomes.

 

Have questions about retirement or personal finance? Email us at [email protected]!

By emailing your questions to 24/7 Wall St., you agree to have them published anonymously on a673b.bigscoots-temp.com.

By submitting your story, you understand and agree that we may use your story, or versions of it, in all media and platforms, including via third parties.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.