New York, January 2, 2026, 15:44 ET — Regular session
American Express (AXP) shares were up 0.5% at $371.83 in late New York trading on Friday, after moving between $367.33 and $372.86 during the session.
The modest gain comes as investors start 2026 with fresh positioning ahead of next week’s U.S. economic releases, which can quickly reset expectations for interest rates and consumer-sensitive stocks. Visa fell 1.1% and Mastercard slid 1.4%, while Capital One gained 1.9%.
U.S. equities have opened the year on an uneven footing after a strong 2025, with strategists pointing to valuation risk. “Stocks trade expensive on 18 of 20 measures,” said Savita Subramanian, Bank of America’s equity and quant strategist, in a note. Reuters
Friday was also American Express’s ex-dividend date, a calendar event that can mechanically affect the share price. The ex-dividend date is the first trading day when new buyers are no longer entitled to the declared payout, the SEC’s Investor.gov explains.
American Express said its board declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.82 a share, payable on Feb. 10, 2026, to shareholders of record on Jan. 2, 2026.
Because the dividend is no longer attached to new purchases once a stock goes ex-dividend, prices often adjust by roughly the payout amount, though broader trading can offset that effect.
On a dividend-adjusted basis, Friday’s move implied about a 0.7% one-day total return for holders entitled to the payout, using the $0.82 dividend and the stock’s change versus the prior close.
Macro data are the next near-term swing factor. The monthly U.S. employment report is scheduled for Jan. 9, followed by the consumer price index on Jan. 13, according to the Labor Department’s release calendar.
Those reports feed directly into the interest-rate outlook for the Federal Reserve, which is scheduled to meet Jan. 27-28, the central bank’s calendar shows.
For American Express, the next company-specific catalyst is its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 report on Jan. 30. The company said it expects to post results around 7:00 a.m. ET ahead of an 8:30 a.m. conference call.
Investors will focus on “billed business” — total spending on AmEx cards — and whether management flags any change in travel and discretionary outlays as the new year begins.
Credit metrics will also be in focus, including delinquencies and charge-offs, alongside net interest income, which reflects interest earned on card loans minus funding costs.
More broadly, Reuters has flagged next week’s jobs data and the start of earnings season as potential volatility drivers after the year-end lull, with major bank results beginning later this month.
