What does American Express do?

AXP · Plain-English company overview

A stock is a share of ownership in a company. Owning one means you own a small piece of that business.

In the company's own words, from Item 1 (Business) of its latest annual report (Form 10-K) filed with the SEC on 2026-02-06.

American Express is a global payments and premium lifestyle brand powered by technology. Founded in 1850 and headquartered in New York, American Express’ card-issuing, merchant-acquiring and card network businesses offer products and services to a broad range of customers, including consumers, small businesses, mid-sized companies and large corporations around the world.

These products and services are offered through various channels, including mobile and online applications, affiliate marketing, customer referral programs, third-party service providers and business partners, in-house sales teams, direct mail, telephone and direct response advertising.

Read the full 10-K on SEC.gov →

How did American Express's latest earnings compare?

An earnings release is a company's quarterly report of how much money it made. Analysts predict these numbers ahead of time, and the actual results are compared against those predictions.

In the most recent quarter (2026-06-30), American Express reported earnings of $4.53 per share. Analysts expected $4.4483 per share, so the company beat expectations.

SEC Filings

Key filings
Annual report (10-K)
The company's big yearly financial report.
2026-02-06
Quarterly report (10-Q)
A financial update covering the last 3 months.
2026-07-24
Material event (8-K)
A heads-up about something important that just happened.
2026-08-17
Most recent filings
Insider trade (4)
An executive or director bought or sold company shares.
2026-08-19
Proposed share sale (144)
Notice that an insider plans to sell some shares.
2026-08-18
Material event (8-K)
A heads-up about something important that just happened.
2026-08-17
Material event (8-K)
A heads-up about something important that just happened.
2026-08-12
SEC filing (N-PX)
An official filing with the SEC.
2026-08-07
SEC filing (13F-HR)
An official filing with the SEC.
2026-08-07
SEC filing (424B2)
An official filing with the SEC.
2026-08-06
SEC filing (FWP)
An official filing with the SEC.
2026-08-05
Material event (8-K)
A heads-up about something important that just happened.
2026-08-05
SEC filing (424B2)
An official filing with the SEC.
2026-08-05
View all filings on SEC.gov →

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Zelothorn provides plain-English summaries drawn from official SEC filings for educational purposes only. It is not financial advice and does not recommend buying or selling any security.