AXP vs. BABA: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 28, 2025

Here’s a clear look at AXP and BABA, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

AXP is a standard domestic listing, while BABA trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors access to its foreign-listed shares.

Symbol	AXP	BABA
Company Name	American Express Company	Alibaba Group Holding Limited
Country	United States	Hong Kong
GICS Sector	Financials	Consumer Discretionary
GICS Industry	Consumer Finance	Broadline Retail
Market Capitalization	224.39 billion USD	291.42 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	June 1, 1972	September 19, 2014
Security Type	Common Stock	ADR

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AXP and BABA by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

AXP vs. BABA: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	AXP	BABA
5-Day Price Return	4.64%	3.51%
13-Week Price Return	9.77%	2.27%
26-Week Price Return	9.16%	-14.97%
52-Week Price Return	27.01%	49.50%
Month-to-Date Return	7.73%	1.33%
Year-to-Date Return	8.65%	44.16%
10-Day Avg. Volume	2.17M	10.75M
3-Month Avg. Volume	2.63M	13.34M
3-Month Volatility	22.11%	34.76%
Beta	1.32	0.11

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

AXP

32.87%

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 32.87%
Q3: 20.39%
Median: 14.14%
Q1: 7.64%
Min: -10.63%

In the upper quartile for the Consumer Finance industry, AXP’s Return on Equity of 32.87% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

BABA

13.27%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 49.17%
Q3: 28.98%
Median: 19.22%
Q1: 10.86%
Min: -11.14%

BABA’s Return on Equity of 13.27% is on par with the norm for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

AXP vs. BABA: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

AXP

13.55%

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 19.68%
Q3: 15.94%
Median: 13.37%
Q1: 9.73%
Min: 3.66%

AXP’s Net Profit Margin of 13.55% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Consumer Finance industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

BABA

12.99%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 19.78%
Q3: 11.90%
Median: 8.63%
Q1: 5.21%
Min: 0.82%

A Net Profit Margin of 12.99% places BABA in the upper quartile for the Broadline Retail industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

AXP vs. BABA: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

AXP

17.15%

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 50.11%
Q3: 29.38%
Median: 18.31%
Q1: 14.26%
Min: -5.45%

AXP’s Operating Profit Margin of 17.15% is around the midpoint for the Consumer Finance industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

BABA

14.14%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 27.23%
Q3: 15.96%
Median: 11.13%
Q1: 8.31%
Min: 1.77%

BABA’s Operating Profit Margin of 14.14% is around the midpoint for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

AXP vs. BABA: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	AXP	BABA
Return on Equity (TTM)	32.87%	13.27%
Return on Assets (TTM)	3.62%	7.19%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	13.55%	12.99%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	17.15%	14.14%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	61.37%	39.95%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

AXP

0.71

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 5.34
Q3: 4.21
Median: 2.67
Q1: 0.71
Min: 0.20

For the Consumer Finance industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

BABA

1.55

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 3.54
Q3: 2.42
Median: 1.49
Q1: 1.22
Min: 0.67

BABA’s Current Ratio of 1.55 aligns with the median group of the Broadline Retail industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

AXP vs. BABA: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Consumer Finance and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

AXP

6.47

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 6.63
Q3: 3.39
Median: 2.21
Q1: 0.94
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Consumer Finance industry.

BABA

0.23

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 2.14
Q3: 1.34
Median: 0.63
Q1: 0.27
Min: 0.00

Falling into the lower quartile for the Broadline Retail industry, BABA’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.23 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

AXP vs. BABA: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Consumer Finance and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

AXP

33.37

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 49.63
Q3: 39.33
Median: 4.56
Q1: 2.97
Min: -15.69

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Consumer Finance industry.

BABA

9.56

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 37.34
Q3: 20.63
Median: 11.28
Q1: 4.22
Min: -19.29

BABA’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 9.56 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

AXP vs. BABA: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	AXP	BABA
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.71	1.55
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.71	1.08
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	6.47	0.23
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	33.37	9.56

Growth

Revenue Growth

AXP vs. BABA: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

AXP vs. BABA: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

AXP

0.99%

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 8.31%
Q3: 3.93%
Median: 2.51%
Q1: 0.84%
Min: 0.00%

AXP’s Dividend Yield of 0.99% is consistent with its peers in the Consumer Finance industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

BABA

2.79%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 5.46%
Q3: 2.38%
Median: 0.43%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 2.79%, BABA offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Broadline Retail industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

AXP vs. BABA: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

AXP

20.97%

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 145.89%
Q3: 88.53%
Median: 23.79%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AXP’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 20.97% is within the typical range for the Consumer Finance industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

BABA

103.01%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 131.17%
Q3: 63.48%
Median: 29.43%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BABA’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 103.01% is in the upper quartile for the Broadline Retail industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.

AXP vs. BABA: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	AXP	BABA
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.99%	2.79%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	20.97%	103.01%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

AXP

21.11

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 34.39
Q3: 20.36
Median: 13.05
Q1: 9.29
Min: 4.74

A P/E Ratio of 21.11 places AXP in the upper quartile for the Consumer Finance industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

BABA

16.04

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 66.12
Q3: 35.17
Median: 16.29
Q1: 10.47
Min: 5.94

BABA’s P/E Ratio of 16.04 is within the middle range for the Broadline Retail industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

AXP vs. BABA: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

AXP

2.86

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 4.28
Q3: 2.67
Median: 1.88
Q1: 1.15
Min: 0.55

AXP’s P/S Ratio of 2.86 is in the upper echelon for the Consumer Finance industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.

BABA

2.08

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 5.40
Q3: 3.33
Median: 2.04
Q1: 0.80
Min: 0.16

BABA’s P/S Ratio of 2.08 aligns with the market consensus for the Broadline Retail industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

AXP vs. BABA: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

AXP

6.87

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 3.63
Q3: 2.40
Median: 1.96
Q1: 1.16
Min: 0.26

At 6.87, AXP’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Consumer Finance industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

BABA

2.23

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 9.06
Q3: 5.22
Median: 3.48
Q1: 1.90
Min: 0.74

BABA’s P/B Ratio of 2.23 is within the conventional range for the Broadline Retail industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

AXP vs. BABA: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Consumer Finance and Broadline Retail industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	AXP	BABA
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	21.11	16.04
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	2.86	2.08
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	6.87	2.23
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	16.03	26.78