Credit Metrics Continue to Improve at AmEx (AXP)

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By Jon C. Ogg Updated Published

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American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) is continuing to see better credit trends among its card holders.  The borrowers who were at least a month behind fell to 2.6% in July from 2.7% in June.  This rate is effectively half of what was seen at the peak in early 2009.

Each drop like this in the 30+ day delinquencies will continue to help the company.  It means lower reserves that have to be set aside for future losses and write-downs.

When you couple this with lower credit each month, that is good because it means that American Express is holding even while the pool is shrinking.  The total loans listed in May was $49.5 billion, and the $49.0 billion drop in June was the same in July at $49.0 billion.

What also improved was the annualized default rate net of recoveries.  That was 6.1% in May, but fell to 5.9% in June and that came in even lower at 5.4% in July.

Shares had been negative this morning but the stock is up marginally, by $0.03, at $41.76 versus a 52-week trading range of $30.09 to $49.19.

JON C. OGG

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

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About the Author Jon C. Ogg →

Jon Ogg has been a financial news analyst since 1997. Mr. Ogg set up one of the first audio squawk box services for traders called TTN, which he sold in 2003. He has previously worked as a licensed broker to some of the top U.S. and E.U. financial institutions, managed capital, and has raised private capital at the seed and venture stage. He has lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as New York and Chicago, and he now lives in Houston, Texas. Jon received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance at University of Houston in 1992. www.247wallst.com.

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