Group 1 - American Express has generated a total return of 233% over the past five years, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 index [1] - The company primarily targets an affluent customer base through its charge cards, which require cardholders to pay their balances in full each month [3] - American Express earns revenue from discount fees collected from merchants, totaling $9.4 billion in Q2 2025 [4] Group 2 - The company also generates substantial fee revenue, with annual fees for popular cards like the Platinum and Gold amounting to $695 and $325, respectively, resulting in $2.5 billion in fee revenue in the latest quarter [5] - Combined, fee and discount revenue accounted for 66% of American Express's total revenue in Q2 [5] - The business model benefits from higher-income consumers who tend to spend more, directly impacting the company's revenue [6]