Loan losses slowing at American Express

Article Excerpt

AMERICAN EXPRESS CO. $28 (New York symbol AXP; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $33.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; WSSF Rating: Average) reports that 4.4% of its U.S. cardholders were behind in their payments in the second quarter of 2009. That’s down from 5.1% in the first quarter. Despite this, the company’s earnings fell 48.2%, to $342 million from $660 million a year earlier. Earnings per share fell 83.9%, to $0.09 from $0.56. However, it recently repaid the $3.4 billion that it received from the U.S. Treasury last December. That will save it $170 million a year in preferred dividend payments. American Express is a buy. buy…