Lower loan losses fuel Amex’s gains

Article Excerpt

AMERICAN EXPRESS CO. $40 (New York symbol AXP, Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $48.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.7; Dividend yield: 1.8%; WSSF Rating: Average) is writing off fewer loans, thanks to its tougher lending policies. As well, more of its cardholders are repaying their balances on time. As a result, earnings jumped 833.3% in the quarter ended June 30, 2010, to $0.84 a share from $0.09 a year earlier. Revenue rose 12.6%, to $6.9 billion from $6.1 billion. However, the revenue gain was mainly due to a change in accounting rules. Weak consumer confidence will likely continue to hold back loan demand. American Express is a hold. hold…