American Express Company (AXP) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know

American Express (AXP) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.Shares of this credit card issuer and global payments company have returned -11.3% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -4.1% change. The Zacks Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry, to which American Express belongs, has lost 9.4% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term?While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.Earnings Estimate RevisionsRather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.For the current quarter, American Express is expected to post earnings of $3.48 per share, indicating a change of +4.5% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -0.9% over the last 30 days.For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $15.32 points to a change of +14.8% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has remained unchanged.For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $17.60 indicates a change of +14.9% from what American Express is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has remained unchanged.With an impressive externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is a more conclusive indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for American Express.The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:12 Month EPSProjected Revenue GrowthWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.For American Express, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $17.05 billion indicates a year-over-year change of +7.9%. For the current and next fiscal years, $71.66 billion and $77.63 billion estimates indicate +8.7% and +8.3% changes, respectively.Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryAmerican Express reported revenues of $17.18 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +8.7%. EPS of $3.04 for the same period compares with $2.62 a year ago.Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $17.18 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +0.01%. The EPS surprise was +0.33%.The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. The company topped consensus revenue estimates two times over this period.ValuationNo investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock's valuation. Whether a stock's current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S) and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an An is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.American Express is graded C on this front, indicating that it is trading at par with its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.Bottom LineThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about American Express. However, its Zacks Rank #2 does suggest that it may outperform the broader market in the near term.Only $1 to See All Zacks' Buys and SellsWe're not kidding.Several years ago, we shocked our members by offering them 30-day access to all our picks for the total sum of only $1. No obligation to spend another cent.Thousands have taken advantage of this opportunity. Thousands did not - they thought there must be a catch. Yes, we do have a reason. We want you to get acquainted with our portfolio services like Surprise Trader, Stocks Under $10, Technology Innovators,and more, that closed 256 positions with double- and triple-digit gains in 2024 alone.See Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report American Express Company (AXP): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks