AXP vs. WMT: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AXP and WMT, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
WMT’s market capitalization of 784.95 billion USD is significantly greater than AXP’s 229.88 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
AXP’s beta of 1.25 points to significantly higher volatility compared to WMT (beta: 0.69), suggesting AXP has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.
| Symbol | AXP | WMT |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | American Express Company | Walmart Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Financial Services | Consumer Defensive |
| Industry | Financial - Credit Services | Discount Stores |
| CEO | Stephen Joseph Squeri | C. Douglas McMillon |
| Price | 328.13 USD | 98.36 USD |
| Market Cap | 229.88 billion USD | 784.95 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.25 | 0.69 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | June 1, 1972 | August 25, 1972 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AXP and WMT 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.
WMT
21.67%
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 31.68%
- Q3
- 28.60%
- Median
- 15.53%
- Q1
- 12.21%
- Min
- 12.12%
WMT’s Return on Equity of 21.67% is on par with the norm for the Discount Stores 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.
WMT
13.33%
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 20.02%
- Q3
- 12.27%
- Median
- 11.13%
- Q1
- 6.51%
- Min
- 5.03%
In the upper quartile for the Discount Stores industry, WMT’s Return on Invested Capital of 13.33% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
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.
WMT
2.75%
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 2.92%
- Q3
- 2.92%
- Median
- 2.81%
- Q1
- 2.75%
- Min
- 2.75%
WMT’s Net Profit Margin of 2.75% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Discount Stores 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.
WMT
4.33%
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 5.42%
- Q3
- 5.42%
- Median
- 4.33%
- Q1
- 3.93%
- Min
- 2.10%
WMT’s Operating Profit Margin of 4.33% is around the midpoint for the Discount Stores industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | WMT |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 34.05% | 21.67% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 3.64% | 7.17% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 8.40% | 13.33% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 13.64% | 2.75% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.36% | 4.33% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 82.37% | 24.88% |
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.
WMT
0.78
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 1.25
- Q3
- 1.23
- Median
- 1.02
- Q1
- 0.78
- Min
- 0.74
WMT’s Current Ratio of 0.78 aligns with the median group of the Discount Stores industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
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.
WMT
0.80
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 2.34
- Q3
- 1.40
- Median
- 0.80
- Q1
- 0.31
- Min
- 0.20
WMT’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.80 is typical for the Discount Stores industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
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.
WMT
11.80
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 18.46
- Q3
- 17.45
- Median
- 13.09
- Q1
- 10.49
- Min
- 1.08
WMT’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 11.80 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Discount Stores industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | WMT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.32 | 0.78 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.32 | 0.22 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.69 | 0.80 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.19 | 0.26 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.03 | 1.49 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 1.59 | 11.80 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AXP and WMT. 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.
WMT
0.90%
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 4.51%
- Q3
- 0.91%
- Median
- 0.49%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WMT’s Dividend Yield of 0.90% is consistent with its peers in the Discount Stores industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
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.
WMT
36.65%
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 44.99%
- Q3
- 36.65%
- Median
- 19.69%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WMT’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 36.65% is within the typical range for the Discount Stores industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | WMT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.93% | 0.90% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 20.01% | 36.65% |
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.
WMT
41.87
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 55.76
- Q3
- 45.00
- Median
- 33.38
- Q1
- 22.25
- Min
- 10.79
WMT’s P/E Ratio of 41.87 is within the middle range for the Discount Stores industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
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.
WMT
4.85
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 5.06
- Q3
- 3.70
- Median
- 2.97
- Q1
- 2.24
- Min
- 1.25
A Forward PEG Ratio of 4.85 places WMT in the upper quartile for the Discount Stores 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.
WMT
1.15
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 2.07
- Q3
- 1.63
- Median
- 0.96
- Q1
- 0.64
- Min
- 0.43
WMT’s P/S Ratio of 1.15 aligns with the market consensus for the Discount Stores 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.
WMT
9.40
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 16.12
- Q3
- 9.30
- Median
- 5.40
- Q1
- 3.27
- Min
- 2.73
WMT’s P/B Ratio of 9.40 is in the upper tier for the Discount Stores industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | WMT |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 22.38 | 41.87 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.10 | 4.85 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.05 | 1.15 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 7.37 | 9.40 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 20.31 | 58.09 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 15.56 | 21.66 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.06 | 1.23 |