AXP vs. SPGI: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AXP and SPGI, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AXP’s market capitalization stands at 229.88 billion USD, while SPGI’s is 162.43 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
With betas of 1.25 for AXP and 1.20 for SPGI, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | AXP | SPGI |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | American Express Company | S&P Global Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Financial - Credit Services | Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges |
| CEO | Stephen Joseph Squeri | Martina L. Cheung |
| Price | 328.13 USD | 529.61 USD |
| Market Cap | 229.88 billion USD | 162.43 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.25 | 1.20 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | June 1, 1972 | April 28, 2016 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AXP and SPGI 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.
Profitability
Return on Equity
AXP
34.05%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 34.05%
- Q3
- 18.70%
- Median
- 10.57%
- Q1
- 3.55%
- Min
- -12.12%
In the upper quartile for the Financial - Credit Services industry, AXP’s Return on Equity of 34.05% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
SPGI
11.67%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 26.26%
- Q3
- 23.14%
- Median
- 14.33%
- Q1
- 11.12%
- Min
- -0.64%
SPGI’s Return on Equity of 11.67% is on par with the norm for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
AXP
8.40%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 68.11%
- Q3
- 32.26%
- Median
- 9.52%
- Q1
- 3.37%
- Min
- -7.03%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Financial - Credit Services industry.
SPGI
8.44%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 18.31%
- Q3
- 14.86%
- Median
- 11.07%
- Q1
- 6.75%
- Min
- 4.04%
SPGI’s Return on Invested Capital of 8.44% is in line with the norm for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
Net Profit Margin
AXP
13.64%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 39.42%
- Q3
- 20.10%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 5.82%
- Min
- -14.80%
AXP’s Net Profit Margin of 13.64% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Financial - Credit Services industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
SPGI
27.27%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 39.08%
- Q3
- 31.63%
- Median
- 23.20%
- Q1
- 18.09%
- Min
- -0.88%
SPGI’s Net Profit Margin of 27.27% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin
AXP
17.36%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 77.26%
- Q3
- 42.86%
- Median
- 17.99%
- Q1
- 10.82%
- Min
- -14.94%
AXP’s Operating Profit Margin of 17.36% is around the midpoint for the Financial - Credit Services industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
SPGI
40.39%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 53.68%
- Q3
- 40.45%
- Median
- 31.81%
- Q1
- 24.66%
- Min
- 9.71%
SPGI’s Operating Profit Margin of 40.39% is around the midpoint for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | SPGI |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 34.05% | 11.67% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 3.64% | 6.60% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 8.40% | 8.44% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 13.64% | 27.27% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.36% | 40.39% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 82.37% | 67.47% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AXP
0.32
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 8.15
- Q3
- 4.39
- Median
- 2.62
- Q1
- 1.06
- Min
- 0.15
For the Financial - Credit Services industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.
SPGI
0.90
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 1.60
- Q3
- 1.57
- Median
- 1.06
- Q1
- 0.96
- Min
- 0.62
SPGI’s Current Ratio of 0.90 falls into the lower quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
AXP
1.69
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 4.69
- Q3
- 2.55
- Median
- 1.20
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.00
AXP’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.69 is typical for the Financial - Credit Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
SPGI
0.36
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 1.09
- Q3
- 0.80
- Median
- 0.62
- Q1
- 0.36
- Min
- 0.04
Falling into the lower quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, SPGI’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.36 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio
AXP
1.59
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 17.48
- Q3
- 7.42
- Median
- 1.59
- Q1
- 0.38
- Min
- -7.77
The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Financial - Credit Services industry.
SPGI
19.71
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 27.44
- Q3
- 22.05
- Median
- 10.08
- Q1
- 6.79
- Min
- 1.01
SPGI’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 19.71 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | SPGI |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.32 | 0.90 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.32 | 0.90 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.69 | 0.36 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.19 | 0.20 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.03 | 1.50 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 1.59 | 19.71 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AXP and SPGI. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AXP
0.93%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 14.68%
- Q3
- 2.97%
- Median
- 1.03%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AXP’s Dividend Yield of 0.93% is consistent with its peers in the Financial - Credit Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
SPGI
0.71%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 3.86%
- Q3
- 1.44%
- Median
- 1.06%
- Q1
- 0.73%
- Min
- 0.00%
SPGI’s Dividend Yield of 0.71% is in the lower quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
Dividend Payout Ratio
AXP
20.01%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 169.58%
- Q3
- 38.15%
- Median
- 18.30%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AXP’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 20.01% is within the typical range for the Financial - Credit Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
SPGI
28.92%
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 106.40%
- Q3
- 44.44%
- Median
- 31.97%
- Q1
- 29.26%
- Min
- 0.00%
SPGI’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 28.92% is in the lower quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | SPGI |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.93% | 0.71% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 20.01% | 28.92% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AXP
22.38
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 42.04
- Q3
- 25.88
- Median
- 12.28
- Q1
- 9.55
- Min
- 3.09
AXP’s P/E Ratio of 22.38 is within the middle range for the Financial - Credit Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
SPGI
41.18
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 41.71
- Q3
- 40.17
- Median
- 37.47
- Q1
- 30.61
- Min
- 16.74
A P/E Ratio of 41.18 places SPGI in the upper quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
AXP
2.10
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 2.76
- Q3
- 1.57
- Median
- 0.82
- Q1
- 0.51
- Min
- 0.06
A Forward PEG Ratio of 2.10 places AXP in the upper quartile for the Financial - Credit Services industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
SPGI
4.19
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 4.54
- Q3
- 4.09
- Median
- 4.06
- Q1
- 3.33
- Min
- 2.36
A Forward PEG Ratio of 4.19 places SPGI in the upper quartile for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
AXP
3.05
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 6.24
- Q3
- 3.02
- Median
- 1.54
- Q1
- 0.75
- Min
- 0.32
The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Financial - Credit Services industry.
SPGI
11.21
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 15.75
- Q3
- 12.42
- Median
- 9.37
- Q1
- 6.34
- Min
- 1.69
SPGI’s P/S Ratio of 11.21 aligns with the market consensus for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
AXP
7.37
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 3.58
- Q3
- 2.84
- Median
- 1.28
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.07
At 7.37, AXP’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Financial - Credit Services 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.
SPGI
4.88
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges Industry
- Max
- 8.57
- Q3
- 8.05
- Median
- 4.77
- Q1
- 3.69
- Min
- 1.19
SPGI’s P/B Ratio of 4.88 is within the conventional range for the Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges 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.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | SPGI |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 22.38 | 41.18 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.10 | 4.19 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.05 | 11.21 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 7.37 | 4.88 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 20.31 | 29.26 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 15.56 | 24.83 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.06 | 11.93 |