American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as integrated payments company in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, and Internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Consumer Services, Commercial Services, International Card Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services. The company's products and services include credit card, charge card, banking, and other payment and financing products; network services; expense management products and services; and travel and lifestyle services. It also provides merchant acquisition and processing, servicing and settlement, point-of-sale marketing, and information products and services for merchants; and fraud prevention services, as well as the design and operation of customer loyalty programs. In addition, the company operates lounges at airports under Centurion Lounge brand name. It sells its products and services to consumers, small businesses, mid-sized companies, and large corporations through mobile and online applications, affiliate marketing, customer referral programs, third-party service providers and business partners, direct mail, telephone, in-house sales teams, and direct response advertising. American Express Company was founded in 1850 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

American Express Company

Mastercard Incorporated MA recently solidified ties with a worldwide leader in identity-focused security solutions, Entrust, as a result of which Mastercard Identity insights, driven by Ekata, will be integrated into the Entrust Identity Verification Security Platform. It will provide affordable, risk-based verification by automating processes with real-time fraud scores.
Organizations benefit from smarter and earlier fraud prevention, with machine learning models analyzing key details such as name, phone number, address and email to identify inconsistencies and suspicious behavior. This enables companies to block fraudulent attempts before they advance.
Low-risk customers enjoy faster onboarding, as Entrust adapts verification requirements to each user’s risk profile. During the onboarding process, users provide their basic information, which Entrust securely handles before connecting with Mastercard Identity’s network to produce a fraud risk score. Unlike traditional solutions that rely solely on authoritative records, Mastercard Identity employs a layered approach that combines trusted data sources, historical usage patterns and machine learning to provide deeper insights.
Using these insights, Entrust Identity Verification directs individuals through the most suitable onboarding path. Applicants with low-risk scores move forward with little resistance, while those identified as higher risk are required to complete extra verification steps.
The recent initiative seems to be a time-opportune one since identity fraud is on the rise and fraud tactics have become more sophisticated. Increased usage of Mastercard fraud detection solutions is expected to fetch greater revenues from the increased utilization of its value-added services and solutions suite. Its net revenues improved 17% year over year in the second quarter of 2025.
How are Competitors Faring?
Some of Mastercard’s competitors with enhanced fraud detection tools are American Express Company AXP and Visa Inc. V.
American Express offers fraud detection solutions that leverage AI, machine learning, predictive analytics and behavioral analysis to monitor transactions in real time. These tools work with its global detection platforms and merchant partnerships to identify and prevent suspicious or fraudulent activity. Total revenues, net of interest expense, rose 9% year over year in the second quarter of 2025.
Visa uses AI-driven fraud detection tools like Visa Advanced Authorization, which scores transactions in real time, and Visa Risk Manager, enabling issuers to set tailored controls. It also provides Visa Consumer Authentication Service to verify customers securely. Net revenues advanced 14% year over year in the third quarter of fiscal 2025.
Mastercard’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Shares of Mastercard have gained 20.2% in the past year compared with the industry’s 14.6% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, MA trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 32.3, above the industry average of 21.74.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mastercard’s 2025 earnings implies a 11.7% rise from the year-ago period. The consensus mark for revenues indicates 15.1% year-over-year growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
MA currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Mastercard and Entrust Expand Ties to Strengthen Identity Verification

Looking today at week-over-week shares outstanding changes among the universe of ETFs covered at ETF Channel, one standout is the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (Symbol: VTI) where we have detected an approximate $1.9 billion dollar inflow -- that's a 0.4% increase week over week in outstanding units (from 1,652,741,306 to 1,658,611,637). Among the largest underlying components of VTI, in trading today Blackrock Inc (Symbol: BLK) is off about 0.1%, American Express Co. (Symbol: AXP) is off about 0.1%, and Progressive Corp. (Symbol: PGR) is lower by about 1%. For a complete list of holdings, visit the VTI Holdings page » The chart below shows the one year price performance of VTI, versus its 200 day moving average:
Looking at the chart above, VTI's low point in its 52 week range is $236.42 per share, with $322.055 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $320.28. Comparing the most recent share price to the 200 day moving average can also be a useful technical analysis technique -- learn more about the 200 day moving average ».
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) trade just like stocks, but instead of ''shares'' investors are actually buying and selling ''units''. These ''units'' can be traded back and forth just like stocks, but can also be created or destroyed to accommodate investor demand. Each week we monitor the week-over-week change in shares outstanding data, to keep a lookout for those ETFs experiencing notable inflows (many new units created) or outflows (many old units destroyed). Creation of new units will mean the underlying holdings of the ETF need to be purchased, while destruction of units involves selling underlying holdings, so large flows can also impact the individual components held within ETFs.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Noteworthy ETF Inflows: VTI, BLK, AXP, PGR

Key Points
A Fed rate cut could lead to more interest in cryptocurrencies, XRP included.
The SEC is planning to decide on XRP ETFs in October.
Ripple, the company behind XRP, has partnered with more than 300 financial institutions that use its payment network.
Once the hottest cryptocurrency in the world, XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) has seen its momentum grind to a halt. Its price dropped about 7% last month, and it has been below $3 for more than a week. XRP isn't in dire straits, but investors are wondering whether to stick around or start selling.
Even though XRP has been up and down recently, it could close out the year well, and it still has plenty of long-term growth potential. Here's a look at possible growth catalysts during the rest of 2025 and what makes it a compelling crypto investment.
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Lower rates could drive more money to crypto
The Federal Reserve is meeting three more times this year, on Sept. 16-17, Oct. 28-29, and Dec. 9-10. There's a high probability of a rate cut at the September meeting, and we may see multiple rate cuts by the end of the year.
Lower interest rates tend to be beneficial for cryptocurrencies and other higher risk assets. When rates are high, U.S. Treasuries and other safe assets are more popular, since they offer a reasonable and nearly risk-free return. As rates drop and those returns get smaller, safe assets are a less attractive investment.
There are a few caveats here. There's still a chance, albeit a small one, that the Fed holds interest rates where they are. If it cuts rates, that's not guaranteed to raise cryptocurrency prices. And even if it does, it would be for many cryptocurrencies, not just XRP.
Still, the most likely scenario is that interest rates come down. As one of the most popular cryptocurrencies, XRP would be well positioned to benefit from that news.
An XRP ETF decision in October
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the first spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for Bitcoin and Ethereum last year. It's currently reviewing applications for XRP ETFs and plans to rule on those in October. Polymarket has the approval odds this year at 95% (as of Sept. 5).
ETF approval is the biggest reason I think XRP will do well in the coming months. If those funds get SEC approval, they will need to start buying XRP to support their ETFs. In addition, ETF approval would likely attract more retail investors, particularly those who see it as a sign of the cryptocurrency's legitimacy.
JPMorgan Chase has estimated that XRP ETFs could see inflows of $4 billion to $8 billion within the first year. But it made this projection at the start of 2025 based on the performance of Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. Ethereum ETF inflows picked up significantly during the last two months, to $5.4 billion in July and $3.9 billion in August, so JPMorgan's estimate could end up being on the low side. Canary Capital Chief Executive Officer Steve McClurg thinks that XRP ETF inflows may reach $5 billion -- within the first month.
XRP's success depends on Ripple
Rate cuts and ETF approval are potential short- and medium-term growth catalysts for XRP. Long-term growth is tied to Ripple's payments network and XRP's role in it.
Ripple developed XRP and its blockchain, the XRP Ledger (XRPL), to make cross-border payments more affordable and faster. Its payments network, RippleNet, is built on XRPL and uses blockchain technology to settle transactions in three to five seconds. This is a huge improvement for international payments, which can take several business days to complete with the widely used SWIFT system.
More than 11,500 financial institutions use SWIFT, compared to more than 300 that use RippleNet. And many of the banks that use RippleNet do so without using XRP, which serves as a bridge currency when needed and also to pay transaction fees on the XRPL.
Those numbers don't look great for Ripple, but in fairness, financial companies wouldn't change their payment systems overnight. To Ripple's credit, it has partnerships with several big banks, including Bank of America, American Express, and Banco Santander. Although it's still in the early stages, it has clearly drawn interest from financial institutions. If it's able to keep expanding its partnerships during the next few years, XRP will likely continue to be one of the most successful cryptocurrencies.
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Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Lyle Daly has positions in Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, JPMorgan Chase, and XRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Here's Why XRP Could Be About to Soar

Mastercard Incorporated MA recently teamed up with the fintech company, Zain Cash, which offers a secure and user-friendly platform for individuals and enterprises to manage financial transactions, including money transfers, digital payments, bill settlements and mobile wallet top-ups.
Through this latest partnership, MA will support the fintech in unveiling value-added services and advanced platforms and rolling out fast, hassle-free and secure payment solutions throughout the Kingdom. Therefore, the ulterior motive of the alliance remains to accelerate the adoption of digital payments and enhance the fintech firm’s card offerings across Jordan.
The focus will be on expanding Zain Cash’s Mastercard-powered portfolio, which includes prepaid and credit cards, along with specialized solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Mastercard will also support Zain Cash in launching its Innovation Hub in Jordan — a collaborative space dedicated to co-developing next-generation payment technologies and services.
Mastercard seems to be prudent in strengthening ties with Zain Cash since it has emerged as a major player in Jordan’s prepaid market and currently holds the distinction of being MA’s leading cross-border issuer in the country.
The recent initiative is expected to scale the reach of Zain Cash’s Mastercard-branded card portfolio throughout Jordan. Increased adoption of the card is likely to contribute to a rise in net revenues for the tech giant, which earns fees based on the total gross dollar volume processed through its card payment network. Notably, Mastercard reported a 17% year-over-year increase in total net revenues for the second quarter of 2025.
How are Competitors Faring?
Some of Mastercard’s competitors with an extensive card network are American Express Company AXP and Visa Inc. V.
American Express operates a distinctive, vertically-integrated card payment network, meaning it acts as both the card issuer and the network operator. It directly issues many of its own cards while also partnering with financial institutions globally. Total revenues net of interest expense rose 9% year over year in the second quarter of 2025.
Visa operates a global card payment network through its advanced transaction processing system, known as VisaNet, which facilitates secure and efficient money movement among consumers, merchants, financial institutions and governments across more than 200 countries and territories. Net revenues advanced 14% year over year in the third quarter of fiscal 2025.
Mastercard’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Shares of Mastercard have gained 22.3% in the past year compared with the industry’s 17% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, MA trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 32.67, above the industry average of 22.11.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mastercard’s 2025 earnings implies a 11.7% rise from the year-ago period. The consensus mark for revenues indicates 15.1% year-over-year growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
MA currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Mastercard Ties Up To Advance Zain Cash's Card Suite in Jordan

Key Points
A high-profile investor has taken a bullish interest in struggling health insurer UnitedHealth.
Apple’s tariff risks are also abating, thanks to an increase in its investment in American manufacturing capacity.
Two familiar names tied for third, each benefiting from evidence and expectations of continued economic strength.
With its gain of 3.2%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) outperformed most other major market indexes in August. Only a small handful of the Dow's constituents, however, did the bulk of this heavy lifting.
Health insurer UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) led the way with its 24% advance, although the company itself didn't do anything to merit it. Rather, give credit to Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B), which announced a new 5-million-share stake in the struggling stock last month. Shares had fallen more than 60% from their April peak to early August's multiyear low on a near-halving of its full-year profit guidance (largely due to unexpectedly high reimbursement costs). Warren Buffett and Berkshire's lieutenants, however, clearly feel the sellers overshot their target. Investors interpreted Berkshire's interest as a bullish clue.
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Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) finished a distant second to UnitedHealth, advancing nearly 12% last month. The company's solid fiscal third-quarter results posted in late July helped the stock hit the ground running in August. But an announcement of an additional $100 billion investment (bringing the total up to $600 billion) in its American manufacturing capacity that immunizes its iPhone from import tariffs arguably accounts for most of Apple stock's August gain.
Finally, retailer Home Depot (NYSE: HD) and credit card issuer American Express (NYSE: AXP) tied for last month's third-best performance among the Dow's stocks, each with a gain of 10.7%. Home Depot shares edged higher all month long despite its Q2 top and bottom lines reported in mid-August both missing analyst estimates; investors saw enough glimmers of hope in the company's same-store sales growth of 1.4% and the reaffirmation of this year's earnings and revenue guidance. There was no major news from or about American Express released last month. Given its healthy Q2 numbers released in July, however, it easily plugged into the broad market bullishness.
While these market-beating gains are compelling, interested investors will still want to do their usual due diligence before buying into any of these stocks.
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American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. James Brumley has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, and Home Depot. The Motley Fool recommends UnitedHealth Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

These Were the 3 Top-Performing Stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average in August 2025

Bread Financial Holdings, Inc. BFH closed at $66.19 on Friday, near its 52-week high of $67.33. This proximity underscores investor confidence. It has the ingredients for further price appreciation.
The stock is trading above the 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages (SMA) of $60.42 and $56.49, respectively, indicating solid upward momentum. SMA is a widely used technical analysis tool to predict future price trends by analyzing historical price data.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Shares of BFH have rallied 8.4% year to date, outperforming the industry’s growth of 5.4%.
The stock has a solid track record of beating earnings estimates in three of the past four quarters and missing in one, with an average surprise of 32.01%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BFH Shares are Affordable
BFH shares are trading at a discount to the Zacks Financial Miscellaneous Services industry. Its forward price-to-earnings of 7.71X is lower than the industry average of 24.8X, the Finance sector’s 17.32X and the Zacks S&P 500 Composite’s 22.8X. It has a Value Score of A.
Shares of Virtu Financial, Inc. VIRT, American Express Company AXP and LendingClub Corporation LC are also trading at a discount to the industry average.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BFH’s Encouraging Growth Projection
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Bread Financial’s 2025 earnings per share indicates a year-over-year increase of 9.8%. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $3.88 billion, implying a year-over-year improvement of 1.1%. The consensus estimate for 2026 earnings per share and revenues indicates an increase of 4.2% and 3.5%, respectively, from the corresponding 2025 estimates.
Optimist Analyst Sentiment on BFH
Two of the three analysts covering the stock have raised estimates for 2025, and one of the seven analysts has raised the same for 2026 over the past 30 days. Thus, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 and 2026 earnings has moved up 4.3% and 0.2%, respectively, in the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Average Target Price for BFH Suggests Upside
Based on short-term price targets offered by 14 analysts, the Zacks average price target is $70.14 per share. The average suggests a potential 5.9% upside from the last closing price.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BFH’s Return on Capital
The return on invested capital in the trailing 12 months was 9.7%, better than the industry average of 5.1%, reflecting the company’s efficiency in utilizing funds to generate income.
Factors Acting in Favor of BFH
The credit sales performance is expected to improve due to solid consumer spending. With the continued growth of credit sales, average loans are likely to increase. With new partner additions and holiday spending, BFH continues to expect strong credit sales.
Credit metrics should remain strong with delinquency and net loss rates remaining below the historical averages. Given disciplined, proactive risk management and strong consumer payment behavior, net loss rates are expected to remain low.
BFH is prudently investing in strategic growth areas and ramping up marketing spending in growth verticals and digital innovation and technology enhancements. Bread Financial stated that ramping up its digital and technology capabilities remains a top priority this year. It has strategic relationships leveraging BFH’s versatile mono platform, including RBC, Fiserv and Sezzle.
The company has been strengthening its balance sheet and lowering debt. Notably, its free cash flow conversion has been impressive over the last several quarters, reflecting its solid earnings. Bread Financial also intends to pay down $100 million remaining in 2026 bonds by this year to further improve leverage.
BFH remains focused on returning value to its shareholders. It uses share repurchases as a tool to mitigate the adverse impact of foreign exchange and intends to focus more on share buybacks and mergers and acquisitions.
What to Do With BFH Stock?
Robust credit sales, higher retained earnings, active risk management, solid consumer spending and capital deployment should continue to favor Bread Financial over the long term.
BFH also has a VGM Score of A. Stocks with a favorable VGM Score are those with the most attractive value, best growth and most promising momentum compared with peers.
Higher return on capital, favorable growth estimates, as well as attractive valuations should continue to benefit Bread Financial over the long term. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Bread Financial Stock Near 52-Week High: What Should Investors Do?

In early trading on Tuesday, shares of Merck topped the list of the day's best performing Dow Jones Industrial Average components, trading up 1.2%. Year to date, Merck has lost about 14.4% of its value.
And the worst performing Dow component thus far on the day is Goldman Sachs Group, trading down 2.7%. Goldman Sachs Group is showing a gain of 26.6% looking at the year to date performance.
Two other components making moves today are American Express, trading down 2.5%, and McDonald's, trading up 0.7% on the day.
VIDEO: Dow Movers: GS, MRK
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Dow Movers: GS, MRK

U.S. equity markets posted modest yet steady gains in August 2025 as investor optimism surrounding potential interest rate cuts and resilient corporate earnings helped counter persistent inflation and tariff-related apprehensions. The S&P 500 recorded monthly gains of 2.2%, extending its winning streak to the fourth month.
In August, market gains were driven by AI momentum, digital advertising strength and Fed rate cut optimism. As such, the Financial Services sector witnessed solid investor optimism. The KBW Nasdaq Bank Index and S&P Banks Select Industry Index were up 5.5% and 8.3%, respectively.
While the Financial Services sector comprises several big names, today let’s focus on the three best-performing stocks – Assurant, Inc. AIZ, Synchrony Financial SYF, American Express Company AXP, Fifth Third Bancorp FITB and Citizens Financial Group, Inc. CFG. These stocks have also outperformed the S&P 500 Index and the Zacks Finance sector.
August Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Before discussing these financial services stocks in detail, let’s check out the reasons for investors’ bullish stance on the sector.
In August, the Financial Services sector gained momentum as investors priced in a growing likelihood of a September Fed rate cut, boosting confidence in rate-sensitive banks and insurers. Stable consumer and corporate credit trends further supported the sector by easing concerns over asset quality.
Also, stronger-than-expected earnings reports and upbeat guidance from major financial institutions added to the positive sentiment. Meanwhile, a rebound in capital markets activity, alongside a constructive regulatory and policy backdrop, helped diversify revenue streams and sustain investor interest across the group.
5 Best Financial Services Stocks to Keep on Your Radar
Assurant’s focus on growing fee-based capital-light businesses, which account for 52% of segmental revenues, bodes well for growth. Management estimates that the contribution from this will continue to grow at a double-digit rate over the long term.
Within Connected Living, AIZ continues to support long-term growth by developing innovative offerings for its partners. U.S. Connected Living is poised for solid growth, particularly within the mobile protection business, thanks to innovative offerings, customer experience expertise and improved relationships with mobile carriers and cable operators.
Homeowners’ top-line growth, more favorable loss experience from prior-period development on claims, growth in policies in-force and higher average premiums within lender-placed, as well as growth across various specialty products, should drive better results at Global Housing. For 2025, AIZ expects Global Housing adjusted EBITDA, excluding reportable catastrophes, to deliver strong growth.
Global Lifestyle growth is expected to be driven by Connected Living, fueled by growth in global mobile device protection and a new financial services program, as well as inorganic and organic growth strategies. For 2025, Assurant expects adjusted EBITDA in this segment to increase from growth in Connected Living and Global Automotive.
The insurer remains focused on ramping up the Connected Living platform, deploying innovative products and services, and adding new partnerships. The company projects these initiatives to double Connected Living's margins to 8% over the long term.
Currently, AIZ sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Synchrony Financial stands out by leveraging its strong distribution channel to offer a broad range of products, including private-label credit cards and dual Cards for use on MasterCard and Visa networks. It has the potential to issue dual cards for use on the American Express and Discover networks, contributing to a more profitable and resilient business model.
Further, Synchrony Financial has fueled growth through acquisitions and partnerships that expand digital capabilities and diversify offerings. Notably, it acquired Ally Lending and Allegro Credit, boosting point-of-sale, audiology and dental financing. Collaborations with PayPal, Venmo, LG, Mastercard and retailers like Ashley and American Eagle modernized payments and broadened e-commerce reach, while a Walmart partnership introduced an embedded credit card program for U.S. shoppers.
The company’s revenues witnessed a five-year CAGR of 2.6% (ended 2024). The trend reversed in the first six months of 2025 on a year-over-year basis. SYF anticipates net revenues to be in the range of $15-$15.3 billion for 2025, down from the earlier guidance of $15.2-$15.7 billion. This downward revision is on account of higher Retailer Share Arrangements or RSA and lower loan receivables.
Also, despite financial strength, Synchrony Financial’s business model exposes it to credit risk, which adversely impacts its credit quality due to a higher allowance for loan loss, especially in an economy grappling with inflationary pressures and higher-than-normal interest rates. The lingering macroeconomic headwinds and tariff uncertainties are expected to weigh on its financials to some extent.
Currently, SYF carries a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold).
American Express stands out by leveraging its unique position as a credit card issuer and a network operator. This dual role allows it to capture a larger share of transaction economics, contributing to a more profitable and resilient business model.
Strong credit performance and operational efficiency remain core drivers of AmEx’s profitability, while rising cardmember spending and expanding lending operations help anchor stability in a shifting economic environment. While many U.S. consumers are feeling the strain of macroeconomic turbulence, AmEx’s premium-focused clientele remains willing to pay for the perks and rewards that come with its high-end credit cards.
Despite macro uncertainty, American Express remains resilient, with strong travel and entertainment spending, particularly in lodging, dining and experiences. Strategic acquisitions, including Center, Kabbage, Tock and Rooam, have expanded its footprint in premium lifestyle services, high-end dining and small business lending, diversifying revenue and reinforcing its premium value proposition.
Revenues, net of interest expenses, witnessed a three-year CAGR of 15.9% (ended 2024). Additionally, AXP anticipates revenues to increase 8-10% for 2025 from $65.9 billion in 2024.
Nonetheless, despite showing resilience, AmEx’s business model exposes it to credit risk, especially in an economy grappling with inflationary pressures and higher-than-normal interest rates. The lingering macroeconomic headwinds and tariff uncertainties are expected to weigh on this Zacks Rank #3 stock’s financials to some extent.
Fifth Third’s efforts to expand the non-interest income base over the years with the help of strategic partnerships and acquisitions in different industries, such as healthcare (including the acquisition of Coker Capital in 2020 and buyout of Provide in August 2021), will support commercial verticals and result in revenue growth, expense savings and operational excellence.
Fifth Third remains focused on branch optimization to strengthen its footprint in high-growth regions. The bank is actively repositioning its network, expanding in the Southeast while gradually reducing its presence in the Midwest. By 2028, it expects its branch mix to be evenly split between the two regions. To support this strategy, the bank plans to open 50–60 new locations annually across key Southeast markets from 2025 through 2028, adding more than 200 branches over four years. As of June 30, 2025, it operated more than 1,080 branches across 11 states.
The initiative will not only result in incremental deposit growth as new Southeast branches mature, but it will also expand commercial, treasury, wealth and private banking businesses in the new markets. With such efforts, FITB has diversified its revenue base, which will support top-line growth even during economic slowdowns.
A strong balance sheet and investment-grade long-term credit ratings from leading credit rating agencies are likely to continue supporting the company’s growth. Also, Fifth Third’s sustainable capital deployments reflect a solid liquidity position and will keep enhancing shareholder value.
At present, FITB has a Zacks Rank #3.
Citizens Financial is executing a long-term growth strategy centered on wealth management, high-net-worth capabilities and targeted market expansion. In October 2023, the company launched Citizens Private Bank, a key milestone in strengthening its wealth management franchise. The private bank has been strategically built out, raising $7 billion in deposits through 2024 and reaching profitability by the fourth quarter of that year.
Beyond wealth management, CFG is expanding its New York Metro franchise and deepening its middle-market presence in Florida and California. At the same time, the company continues to invest in its payments platform and reinforce its commercial coverage in the middle market. Together, these efforts complement the success of the private banking business and position the bank for sustainable long-term growth.
Moreover, Citizens Financial’s focus on executing a series of revenue and efficiency initiatives led to the introduction of the “Tapping Our Potential” (TOP) program more than a decade ago. Since then, the TOP programs have helped achieve more than $1.25 billion in pre-tax run rate benefits through 2024. The bank’s TOP 9 program is progressing well and targets a $100 million pre-tax run-rate benefit in 2025. It plans to launch the TOP 10 program, which will focus on automation and improving efficiency and include the use of artificial intelligence in its operations.
The company’s focus on relationship-based lending involves reducing non-core loans through its balance sheet optimization plans. Further, Citizens Financial has been growing via acquisitions. The buyouts have bolstered this Zacks Rank #3 company’s balance sheet, expanded its product and fee-generation capabilities and geographic reach, creating a strong foundation for solid revenue growth.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

August's Top S&P 500 Performers in the Financial Services Sector

Looking at options trading activity among components of the Russell 3000 index, there is noteworthy activity today in Polaris Inc (Symbol: PII), where a total volume of 13,410 contracts has been traded thus far today, a contract volume which is representative of approximately 1.3 million underlying shares (given that every 1 contract represents 100 underlying shares). That number works out to 97% of PII's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 1.4 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $40 strike call option expiring September 19, 2025, with 6,240 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 624,000 underlying shares of PII. Below is a chart showing PII's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $40 strike highlighted in orange:
Bitdeer Technologies Group (Symbol: BTDR) saw options trading volume of 30,171 contracts, representing approximately 3.0 million underlying shares or approximately 93% of BTDR's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 3.2 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $20 strike call option expiring December 19, 2025, with 8,564 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 856,400 underlying shares of BTDR. Below is a chart showing BTDR's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $20 strike highlighted in orange:
And American Express Co. (Symbol: AXP) saw options trading volume of 20,944 contracts, representing approximately 2.1 million underlying shares or approximately 90.9% of AXP's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 2.3 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $320 strike put option expiring September 19, 2025, with 2,178 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 217,800 underlying shares of AXP. Below is a chart showing AXP's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $320 strike highlighted in orange:
For the various different available expirations for PII options, BTDR options, or AXP options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
Also see:
Top Stocks Held By Jim Simons
CXDC shares outstanding history
Top Ten Hedge Funds Holding FENX
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Notable Friday Option Activity: PII, BTDR, AXP

Investors interested in Financial - Miscellaneous Services stocks are likely familiar with Inter & Co. Inc. (INTR) and American Express (AXP). But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to take a closer look.
The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight stocks with specific traits.
Currently, Inter & Co. Inc. has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while American Express has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that INTR likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than AXP has recently. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.
Value investors also try to analyze a wide range of traditional figures and metrics to help determine whether a company is undervalued at its current share price levels.
Our Value category grades stocks based on a number of key metrics, including the tried-and-true P/E ratio, the P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share, as well as a variety of other fundamentals that value investors frequently use.
INTR currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.47, while AXP has a forward P/E of 21.40. We also note that INTR has a PEG ratio of 0.42. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. AXP currently has a PEG ratio of 1.73.
Another notable valuation metric for INTR is its P/B ratio of 2.28. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, AXP has a P/B of 7.04.
These are just a few of the metrics contributing to INTR's Value grade of A and AXP's Value grade of C.
INTR is currently sporting an improving earnings outlook, which makes it stick out in our Zacks Rank model. And, based on the above valuation metrics, we feel that INTR is likely the superior value option right now.
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This under-the-radar company specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. And it's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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