AmEx lifts 2024 profit forecast on robust spending by affluent customers
Recasts with forecast in paragraph 1
July 19 (Reuters) -Credit card giant AmericanExpress AXP.N raised its full-year profit forecast on Friday,as its wealthy customers persisted in splurging on travel, dining and entertainment.
The company also reported better-than-expected second-quarter profit, underscoring the benefit it has enjoyed by focusing on a premium customer base.
AmEx's affluent cardholders havesomewhat insulated it from weakness in the broader economy, even as rival lenders warn of tepid demand due to elevated borrowing costs.
"Increased scale, combined with our premium, high credit quality customers, our well-controlled expense base and our successful investments... fuels the earnings power of the core business," CEO Stephen Squeri said in a statement.
The company sees its 2024 earnings per share between $13.30 and $13.80, versus the $12.65 to $13.15 range it had forecast earlier. In the second quarter ended June 30, profitwas $3.02 billion, or $4.15 per share, 39% higher than a year ago.
Excluding a one-time gain from the sale ofits fraudprevention technology unit, Accertify, the company earned $3.49 per share, higher than analysts' estimate of $3.24 per share, according to LSEG data.
Revenue jumped 9% to a record $16.33 billion, but fell short of an LSEG estimate of $16.59 billion.Shares of the New York-based company fell 2% in premarket trading.
Last month, the company agreed to buy restaurant-booking platform Tock from Squarespace SQSP.N to expand its foothold in the dining industry.
The acquisition could support AmEx's efforts within the small-and-medium-enterprise market, according to analysts.
AmEx views the segment as lucrative despite a recent slowdown in SME spending growth.
Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
