One of the most storied brands in the financial services industry, American Express fell on hard times of late. In 2015, the company announced that it would end its 16-year exclusive relationship with mega-retailer Costco, a big hit considering 1 in 10 Amex cards were issued by the wholesaler. The firm also reduced its prices to small merchants and beefed up the rewards it offers its customers to hold its own in a highly competitive credit card landscape. Nonetheless, American Express has been able to rebound. Its adjusted revenues (excluding Costco and foreign exchange) were up 5% in 2016, grew worldwide spending on its cards by 8%, and added more than a million new merchant locations in the U.S. in a bid to compete more aggressively with Visa and MasterCard.
Company Info
| CEO | Kenneth I. Chenault |
| CEO Title | Chairman & Chief Executive Officer |
| Sector | Financials |
| Industry | Diversified Financials |
| HQ Location | New York, NY |
| Website | www.americanexpress.com |
| Years on Fortune 500 List | 23 |
| Employees | 56,400 |
Key Financials (Last Fiscal Year)
| Revenues ($M) | $33,823 |
| Profits ($M) | $5,408 |
| Assets ($M) | $158,893 |
| Total Stockholder Equity ($M) | $20,501 |
| Market Value — as of March 31, 2017 ($M) | $71,193 |
Profit Ratios
| Profit as % of Revenues | 16% |
| Profits as % of Assets | 3.4% |
| Profits as % of Stockholder Equity | 26.4% |
Earnings Per Share (Last Fiscal Year)
| Earnings Per Share ($) | 565 |
| EPS % Change (from 2015) | 11.9% |
| EPS % Change (5 year annual rate) | 6.5% |
| EPS % Change (10 year annual rate) | 6.6% |
Total Return
| Total Return to Investors (2016) | 8.6% |
| Total Return to Investors (5 year, annualized) | 11% |
| Total Return to Investors (10 year, annualized) | 3.7% |
