We are getting a market flash on American Express. For that, we'll turn to Hugh Son. Just talked to the CFO.Morning, Hugh. >> That's right, Carl. So, AMX CEO Christoff Layak telling me that their customers have been quote amazingly resilient in the second quarter.Now, as a reminder, the company topped estimates for profit and revenue on a 20% jump in card fees. So, it's been no secret that affluent Americans haven't slowed down their spending, and that remains the case. There are, however, interesting trend ...

Market Overview - Pre-market futures show positive movement with the Dow up +0.12%, S&P 500 +0.09%, Nasdaq +0.16%, and Russell 2000 leading at +0.52% [1] Bond Market - Bond yields remain stable with the 10-year yield at +4.44%, a slight increase of 3 basis points from last Friday, while the 2-year yield is at +3.88% and the 30-year yield at +5.00% [2] Housing Market - Housing Starts for June are reported at 1.32 million, slightly above projections, but still historically low compared to multi-year highs of 500K more in April 2022 [3] - Building Permits increased to 1.397 million from 1.394 million in May, but remain low compared to nearly 2 million in January 2022, prior to interest rate hikes [4] Company Earnings - 3M reported Q2 earnings of $2.16 per share, exceeding expectations of $2.01, with revenues of $6.2 billion, raising full-year 2025 earnings guidance to $7.75-8.00 per share [5] - American Express surpassed Q2 expectations with earnings of $4.08 per share and revenues of $17.9 billion, reflecting a year-over-year growth of +9% [6] - Charles Schwab's Q2 report showed earnings of $1.14 per share and revenues of $5.85 billion, both exceeding consensus estimates, with shares up +5% in pre-market trading [7] Economic Indicators - A preliminary print on Consumer Sentiment for July is expected to improve to 61.8 from 60.7, aligning with a healthier economic outlook as fears of tariffs impacting the economy have lessened [8]

American Express (AXP) came out with quarterly earnings of $4.08 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.86 per share. This compares to earnings of $3.49 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +5.70%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this credit card issuer and global payments company would post earnings of $3.45 per share when it actually produced earnings of $3.64, delivering a surprise of +5.51%.Ov ...

Market Overview - Pre-market futures are up with the Dow at +0.12%, S&P 500 at +0.09%, Nasdaq at +0.16%, and Russell 2000 leading at +0.52% [1] Bond Market - Bond yields have remained steady; the 10-year yield is at +4.44%, up 3 basis points from last week, the 2-year yield is at +3.88%, and the 30-year yield is at +5.00% [2] Housing Market - Housing Starts for June are at 1.32 million, slightly above projections, but still historically low, up from 1.256 million the previous month [3] - Building Permits increased to 1.397 million from 1.394 million in May, remaining at low levels compared to January 2022 when permits were close to 2 million [4] Q2 Earnings Reports - 3M reported Q2 earnings of $2.16 per share, beating expectations of $2.01, with revenues of $6.2 billion exceeding forecasts [5] - American Express reported Q2 earnings of $4.08 per share, surpassing the expected $3.86, with revenues of $17.9 billion, reflecting a year-over-year growth of +9% [6] - Charles Schwab's Q2 earnings were $1.14 per share on revenues of $5.85 billion, both exceeding consensus estimates, with shares up +5% in pre-market trading [7] Consumer Sentiment - A preliminary print on Consumer Sentiment for July is expected to improve to 61.8 from 60.7, indicating a healthier economic environment [7]

Core Insights - American Express reported $17.86 billion in revenue for Q2 2025, a year-over-year increase of 9.3% and a surprise of +0.95% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $17.69 billion [1] - The EPS for the same period was $4.08, compared to $3.49 a year ago, with an EPS surprise of +5.7% over the consensus estimate of $3.86 [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Book value per common share was $44.16, slightly below the estimated $44.84 [4] - Risk-Based Capital Ratios - Basel III - Common Equity Tier 1/Risk Weighted Assets stood at 10.6%, slightly above the estimated 10.5% [4] - Total Card Member loans amounted to $142.28 billion, compared to the average estimate of $143.69 billion [4] - Total non-interest revenues reached $13.67 billion, exceeding the estimated $13.4 billion [4] Market Performance - Shares of American Express returned +6.4% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +5.4% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating potential performance in line with the broader market [3]

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Group 1 - The CEO of American Express stated that cryptocurrencies will not replace traditional fiat currencies, indicating a clear stance on the role of digital currencies in the financial ecosystem [1] - The CEO acknowledged that stablecoins have a place in the payment system, suggesting a potential integration of these digital assets into existing financial frameworks [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenues reached a record $17.9 billion, up 9% year over year [5] - Earnings per share (EPS) was $4.8, up 17% excluding last year's gain from the sale of Certify [5][14] - Total card member spending increased by 7%, consistent with previous patterns [6][15] - The company reaffirmed its full-year revenue growth and EPS guidance provided in January [6][29] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Billed business trends showed a 7% increase in spend, with goods and services spending growing at a similar pace [15][16] - Travel and entertainment (T&E) growth was slightly down, driven by softer airline and lodging spend, while restaurant spending was strong, up 8% FX adjusted [16] - The U.S. Consumer business saw millennial spend up 10% and Gen Z spend growing around 40% [17] - New card acquisitions totaled 3.1 million in Q2, with 1.5 million in the U.S. Consumer business [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - International business continued to grow in double digits, up 12% FX adjusted [17] - The company reported strong credit performance, with delinquency rates flat to Q1 and write-off rates declining [20] - The Fed's CCAR results indicated the lowest projected credit card loss and highest profitability rates among all banks subject to the stress test [7][21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on refreshing its U.S. Consumer and Business Platinum cards this fall to maintain leadership in the premium card space [7][12] - The strategy includes enriching value propositions with more benefits and offerings, attracting premier partners to enhance customer value [10][12] - The competitive landscape has shifted towards partner-rated value, access, experiences, and superior customer service [8][9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the resilience of the business model despite macroeconomic uncertainties [15][29] - The company anticipates continued strong performance in the premium card segment, supported by a growing addressable market [12][29] - Management acknowledged the competitive environment but emphasized the importance of delivering value to maintain pricing power [49][50] Other Important Information - The company returned $2 billion of capital to shareholders, including $600 million in dividends and $1.4 billion in share repurchases [28] - The CET1 ratio was reported at 10.6%, within the target range of 10% to 11% [28] Q&A Session Summary Question: How does the company plan for spending trends in the intermediate term? - Management expects spending trends to remain consistent, with some softness in airline and lodging but resilience in goods and services [32][34] Question: How does the company view competition in the premium card space? - Management believes that competition has been beneficial for customers and that as long as value is delivered, pricing power will be maintained [48][50] Question: What is the outlook for international acceptance growth? - Management is optimistic about international growth, reporting double-digit growth and ongoing improvements in merchant acceptance [60][62] Question: How does the company address concerns about lounge access and overcrowding? - Management is expanding lounge space and introducing innovative solutions to manage demand effectively [77][78] Question: How does the company view the dynamics of net card fee growth? - Management expects some moderation in card fee growth rates in the second half of the year, with potential acceleration in 2026 [106] Question: How is the acquisition strategy evolving in the premium card space? - Management noted that increased competition has expanded demand for premium products, allowing for more marketing investment at attractive returns [101][102]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenues reached a record $17.9 billion, up 9% year over year [5] - Earnings per share (EPS) was $4.8, up 17% excluding last year's gain from the sale of Certify [5][14] - Total card member spending increased by 7%, consistent with previous patterns [6][15] - The company reaffirmed its full-year revenue growth and EPS guidance provided in January [6] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Spending in travel categories like airlines and lodging was softer overall, while restaurant spending was strong, up 8% FX adjusted [15] - The U.S. Consumer business saw millennial spending up 10% and Gen Z spending growing around 40% [16] - New card acquisitions totaled 3.1 million in Q2, with 1.5 million in the U.S. Consumer business [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - International business continued to grow in double digits, up 12% FX adjusted [16] - The premium products drove around 80% of growth in card member revolving loans [19] - Delinquency rates remained low, with U.S. millennial and Gen Z customers showing better credit performance than older age groups [20] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on refreshing its U.S. Consumer and Business Platinum cards this fall to maintain leadership in the premium card space [7][12] - The strategy includes enriching value propositions with more benefits and offerings, attracting premier partners to enhance customer value [10][12] - The competitive landscape has shifted towards partner-rated value, access, experiences, and superior customer service [8][9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the resilience of the business model despite macroeconomic uncertainties [15] - The company anticipates continued strong performance in the premium card segment, supported by a growing addressable market [12][28] - Management acknowledged the competitive environment but emphasized the importance of delivering value to maintain pricing power [46][67] Other Important Information - The company returned $2 billion of capital to shareholders, including $600 million in dividends and $1.4 billion in share repurchases [27] - The CET1 ratio was 10.6%, within the target range of 10% to 11% [26] Q&A Session Summary Question: How does the company plan for intermediate term spending trends? - Management expects spending trends to remain consistent, with some softness in airline and lodging but resilience in goods and services [31][32] Question: How does the company view competition in the premium card space? - Management believes that competition has been beneficial for customers and that as long as value is delivered, pricing power will remain intact [46][67] Question: What is the outlook for international growth and acceptance? - Management is optimistic about international growth, noting double-digit growth and ongoing improvements in merchant acceptance [58][60] Question: How does the company address concerns about lounge access and overcrowding? - Management is expanding lounge sizes and innovating with new concepts to manage demand effectively [77][78] Question: How does the company view the dynamics of net card fee growth? - Management expects some moderation in card fee growth rates in the second half of the year, with potential acceleration in 2026 [105][106]

Group 1 - The core viewpoint is that American Express CEO indicates that consumer spending in the U.S. remains stable [1] Group 2 - The company highlights that despite economic uncertainties, consumer confidence is holding up, which supports ongoing spending [1] - American Express reports strong performance metrics, suggesting resilience in the consumer sector [1] - The CEO emphasizes the importance of adapting to changing consumer behaviors and preferences in the current market [1]