NEW YORK, Dec. 28, 2025, 4:03 p.m. ET — Market closed (weekend)
American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) heads into the final trading week of 2025 with U.S. markets shut for the weekend and investors navigating a familiar year-end mix: thin liquidity, “Santa Claus rally” seasonality, and a packed January catalyst calendar for major financial names.
AmEx shares last closed at $381.05 on Friday, Dec. 26, down 0.54% on the day, with the session’s range roughly $380.27 to $382.67 and volume around 1.11 million shares, according to Yahoo Finance historical pricing. [1]
What happened in the market over the last 24–48 hours
The most market-moving development for AXP over the past two days has been the broader tape—not a company-specific headline.
On Friday’s post-Christmas session, U.S. stocks finished nearly unchanged and just off record territory, as low volume and a lack of catalysts cooled a five-session run. The Dow fell 0.04%, the S&P 500 slipped 0.03%, and the Nasdaq eased 0.09%, according to Reuters. [2]
Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group, framed the session as a pause after a strong rally, noting investors were “catching [their] breath” and suggesting the market still had time for upside bias during the Santa Claus rally window (the last five trading days of the year and first two of the next). [3]
For AXP investors, that backdrop matters because year-end trading can magnify moves—especially in large, heavily owned financial stocks—while macro signals like rates and consumer strength continue to influence the credit-card and payments complex.
American Express stock snapshot: where AXP sits heading into Monday
American Express is trading close to recent highs. Data providers list AXP’s 52-week range roughly from $220.43 to $387.49, putting the stock within about 2% of its 52-week high. [4]
That positioning sets up a clear near-term dynamic: if the market’s year-end bid holds, AXP doesn’t need fresh company news to drift higher—yet being near highs can also invite profit-taking if rates jump or macro data surprises.
Company news check: last 24–48 hours
A review of the company’s investor relations news flow shows no new American Express press releases dated within the last 48 hours. Recent investor updates remain centered on scheduled events and shareholder returns rather than breaking operational developments. [5]
That doesn’t mean nothing is “happening” for the stock—only that weekend positioning is likely being driven more by market-level narratives (rates, consumer demand, and year-end flows) than by an AmEx-specific catalyst.
Analyst forecasts and price targets: where Wall Street sees AXP next
With AXP near the upper end of its 52-week range, forecasts have become more nuanced: some analysts still see upside, while several consensus aggregates show limited appreciation from current levels—typical when a stock has already had a strong run.
- Consensus targets (varies by dataset): One widely followed analyst aggregation lists an average 12‑month target around $364, with a broad spread between low and high estimates. [6]
- Recent target increases: In late December, Truist’s Brian Foran lifted his price target to $420 (from $395) and maintained a Buy rating, according to Benzinga’s analyst-actions log. [7]
Wells Fargo’s Donald Fandetti also raised his target to $425 (from $400) while keeping an Overweight rating, per the same log. [8]
The key takeaway for investors: analyst conviction is not uniformly bearish, but the stock’s proximity to highs means many forecasts now hinge on (1) whether consumer and travel spend stay resilient and (2) whether credit quality remains contained as rates and growth expectations evolve.
The fundamental debate: premium spending strength vs. rate and credit sensitivity
AmEx’s bull case continues to center on its premium customer base and travel-led spend resilience.
Earlier this month, CEO Stephen Squeri said American Express’ network saw 9% growth in U.S. retail consumer spending around the Thanksgiving-to–Cyber Monday period, with 13% growth in U.S. consumer Platinum retail spending, Reuters reported from the Goldman Sachs U.S. Financial Services Conference. [9]
The bear case, meanwhile, tends to focus less on “swipe volume” and more on the two variables that can quickly reset the group’s valuation: the path of interest rates (which shapes consumer behavior and discount-rate math for equities) and credit performance (especially if delinquencies rise or reserve-building accelerates across the sector).
What investors should know before the next session
With the NYSE closed today, the next meaningful catalysts are Monday’s data calendar, year-end liquidity conditions, and the countdown to AmEx’s January events.
1) Monday’s key U.S. economic releases to watch
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s economic indicators calendar shows several releases on Monday, Dec. 29 (all times Eastern), including:
- Advance International Trade in Goods (8:30 a.m.)
- NAR Pending Home Sales Index (10:00 a.m.)
- Dallas Fed Manufacturing Survey (10:30 a.m.) [10]
While none of these are “AmEx-specific,” they can influence Treasury yields and risk appetite, which can spill into financial stocks—especially in the thin final sessions of the year.
2) Know the session structure and liquidity reality
When markets reopen, standard NYSE hours run 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, with extended sessions that can run 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET on NYSE venues (and pre-open sessions on certain platforms). [11]
In year-end conditions, many investors pay extra attention to opening prints and closing auctions, when liquidity can concentrate and price discovery can be sharper than mid-day trading.
3) Keep the calendar straight for the holiday week
New Year’s logistics matter for positioning. Investopedia reports a full trading day for stocks on Wednesday, Dec. 31, while markets are closed on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026; bond trading is expected to close early at 2 p.m. ET on Dec. 31. [12]
For AXP shareholders planning trades around the turn of the year, this schedule can affect liquidity and execution—particularly if macro headlines hit during closures.
4) AmEx’s upcoming catalysts: earnings call date and dividend
American Express has already set a major near-term catalyst: the company plans to discuss fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. ET, with results and presentation materials typically posted around 7:00 a.m. ET ahead of the call. [13]
Separately, the board declared a $0.82 quarterly dividend, payable Feb. 10, 2026 to shareholders of record Jan. 2, 2026, according to the company’s investor relations release. [14]
The setup for AXP as markets reopen
With no fresh company headline over the weekend, American Express stock is likely to trade on three forces as Monday begins:
- The market’s year-end tone (including whether the Santa Claus rally pattern persists), [15]
- Rates and macro prints that can sway financials broadly, [16]
- Forward-looking positioning into January, when AmEx’s earnings call and other major financial-sector updates can reset expectations. [17]
References
1. finance.yahoo.com, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. www.reuters.com, 4. www.investing.com, 5. ir.americanexpress.com, 6. www.investing.com, 7. www.benzinga.com, 8. www.benzinga.com, 9. www.reuters.com, 10. www.newyorkfed.org, 11. www.nyse.com, 12. www.investopedia.com, 13. ir.americanexpress.com, 14. ir.americanexpress.com, 15. www.reuters.com, 16. www.newyorkfed.org, 17. ir.americanexpress.com
