AXP vs. COF: American Express vs. Capital One Financial Stock Comparison
How do American Express (AXP) and Capital One Financial (COF) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
American Express (AXP) and Capital One Financial (COF) are both classified in the Consumer Finance sub-industry within the broader Consumer Finance industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | AXP | COF |
|---|---|---|
| Name | American Express Company | Capital One Financial Corp. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Consumer Finance | Consumer Finance |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Consumer Finance | Consumer Finance |
| Market Capitalization | 215.24 billion USD | 121.43 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 1, 1972 | November 16, 1994 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AXP | COF |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -10.80% | -5.89% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 30.19% | 26.49% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 13.96% | 7.24% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | AXP | COF |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 26.18% | 31.21% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.06 | 1.09 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -31.55% | -45.56% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.91M | 3.66M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AXP | COF |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.58 | -0.33 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.74 | -0.43 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
American Express (AXP) at 35.93% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Capital One Financial (COF) at 9.39% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for AXP.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
35.93%
- Max
- 44.78%
- AXP
- 35.93%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
COF
Financial Services industry group
9.39%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- COF
- 9.39%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both American Express (AXP) at 16.82% and Capital One Financial (COF) at 22.23% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
16.82%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- AXP
- 16.82%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
COF
Financial Services industry group
22.23%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- COF
- 22.23%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both American Express (AXP) at 18.43% and Capital One Financial (COF) at 37.83% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
18.43%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- AXP
- 18.43%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
COF
Financial Services industry group
37.83%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- COF
- 37.83%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AXP | COF |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 35.93% | 9.39% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.03% | 1.57% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 16.82% | 22.23% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 18.43% | 37.83% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Capital One Financial (COF) at 36.62% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while American Express (AXP) at 9.52% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for COF.
EPS Growth
American Express (AXP) at 9.78% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Capital One Financial (COF) at -65.23% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AXP | COF |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 9.52% | 36.62% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 10.97% | 15.98% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 9.78% | -65.23% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 16.01% | -39.18% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: American Express (AXP) in Financial Services and Capital One Financial (COF) in Financial Services both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: American Express (AXP) in Financial Services and Capital One Financial (COF) in Financial Services run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AXP | COF |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both American Express (AXP) at 1.13% and Capital One Financial (COF) at 1.57% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
1.13%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- AXP
- 1.13%
- Median
- 1.09%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
COF
Financial Services industry group
1.57%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- COF
- 1.57%
- Median
- 1.09%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both American Express (AXP) at 15.32% and Capital One Financial (COF) at 19.61% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
15.32%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- AXP
- 15.32%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
COF
Financial Services industry group
19.61%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- COF
- 19.61%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AXP | COF |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.13% | 1.57% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 15.32% | 19.61% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both American Express (AXP) at 18.08 and Capital One Financial (COF) at 12.37 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
18.08
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- AXP
- 18.08
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
COF
Financial Services industry group
12.37
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- COF
- 12.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both American Express (AXP) at 2.95 and Capital One Financial (COF) at 2.48 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
2.95
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- AXP
- 2.95
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
COF
Financial Services industry group
2.48
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- COF
- 2.48
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Capital One Financial (COF) at 1.15 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while American Express (AXP) at 6.02 carries an above-peer premium to book — AXP is pricier on assets.
AXP
Financial Services industry group
6.02
- Max
- 7.79
- AXP
- 6.02
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
COF
Financial Services industry group
1.15
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- COF
- 1.15
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AXP | COF |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 18.08 | 12.37 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.95 | 2.48 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 6.02 | 1.15 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |