American Express: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors

AXP posted record Q3 2026 revenue of $20 billion and reaffirmed a 10% full-year revenue growth target, anchoring a quarter that pairs top-line strength with a sizable cost reset.

The company is eliminating 5% of global positions, a restructuring that carries a $336 million charge. Management is also integrating its Membership Rewards program into AI tools and concentrating on premium, creditworthy customers. Interpretation: the headcount cut and customer-quality focus read as an effort to protect margins while revenue grows near 10%.

A new partnership with ABNB adds more than 1 million listings to Amex Travel. That expands the inventory behind AXP's travel offering, and for ABNB it opens a path to AXP's premium cardholder base. The article ties these moves to sustained mid-teen EPS growth, the figure that likely matters most for valuation.

Interpretation: the $336 million charge will weigh on reported results near term, but the market's focus is likely to be on whether cost savings and premium-customer mix support the mid-teen EPS trajectory.