AXP vs. WSE: American Express vs. Wise Stock Comparison
How do American Express (AXP) and Wise (WSE) 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 Wise (WSE) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but AXP is classified in Consumer Finance while WSE is classified in Financial Services.
American Express (AXP) has been public since June 1, 1972, giving it decades of market history across multiple cycles, while Wise (WSE) listed only on May 11, 2026 and lacks comparable through-cycle data.
| Profile Item | AXP | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Name | American Express Company | Wise Group plc |
| Country/Region | United States | United Kingdom |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Consumer Finance | Financial Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Consumer Finance | Transaction & Payment Processing Services |
| Market Capitalization | 215.24 billion USD | 10.76 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | June 1, 1972 | May 11, 2026 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AXP | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -10.80% | -- |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 30.19% | -- |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 13.96% | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | AXP | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 26.18% | 44.06% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.06 | 1.56 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -31.55% | -32.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.91M | 1.74M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Both AXP and WSE need 1-year volatility and 1-year return to plot risk-return positioning.
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AXP | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.58 | -- |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.74 | -- |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both American Express (AXP) at 35.93% and Wise (WSE) at 27.23% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
27.23%
- Max
- 44.78%
- WSE
- 27.23%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both American Express (AXP) at 16.82% and Wise (WSE) at 19.93% 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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
19.93%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- WSE
- 19.93%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Wise (WSE) at 59.77% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of American Express (AXP) at 18.43%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
59.77%
- Max
- 107.33%
- WSE
- 59.77%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AXP | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 35.93% | 27.23% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.03% | 2.41% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 16.82% | 19.93% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 18.43% | 59.77% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both American Express (AXP) at 9.52% and Wise (WSE) at 17.14% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both American Express (AXP) at 9.78% and Wise (WSE) at -5.78% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AXP | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 9.52% | 17.14% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 10.97% | 30.26% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 9.78% | -5.78% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 16.01% | 52.89% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: American Express (AXP) in Financial Services and Wise (WSE) 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 Wise (WSE) 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 | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Wise (WSE) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile American Express (AXP) reports a yield of 1.13%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- WSE
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Wise (WSE) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile American Express (AXP) reports a payout of 15.32%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- WSE
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AXP | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.13% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 15.32% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both American Express (AXP) at 18.08 and Wise (WSE) at 23.23 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
WSE
Financial Services industry group
23.23
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- WSE
- 23.23
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both American Express (AXP) at 2.95 and Wise (WSE) at 4.30 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
WSE
Financial Services industry group
4.30
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- WSE
- 4.30
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both American Express (AXP) at 6.02 and Wise (WSE) at 5.94 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
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
WSE
Financial Services industry group
5.94
- Max
- 7.79
- WSE
- 5.94
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AXP | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 18.08 | 23.23 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.95 | 4.30 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 6.02 | 5.94 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |