Compare Stocks › AXP vs COF
American Express Company (AXP) vs Capital One Financial Corporation (COF)
AXP
American Express Company
$294.93
VS
COF
Capital One Financial Corporation
$179.73
Rewards
AXP
- ★Gross margin of 63.5% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
- ★Return on equity has consistently exceeded 20% over 4 years, indicating efficient use of shareholder capital.
- ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $6.18 of market value — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
COF
- ★Free cash flow has grown at a 26.6% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
- ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $14.50 of market value — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
Risks
AXP
- ⚠Altman Z-Score of 0.93 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.
- ⚠7 insider sales totaling $36.4M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
- ⚠Free cash flow has declined at a 5.9% CAGR over the past 4 years — a concerning trend.
COF
- ⚠Gross margin of 0.0% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
- ⚠Share count has increased by 64% over the past 4 years, diluting existing shareholders.
- ⚠Buybacks have been poorly timed — 3 out of 4 years involved repurchases at relatively expensive valuations.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →AXP
COF
Valuation
N/A
Free Cash Flow
N/A
N/A
FCF Yield
N/A
19.19
Trailing P/E
53.49
14.64
Forward P/E
7.31
Quality & Moat
9.49%
ROIC
11.02%
31.97%
ROE
N/A
63.47%
Gross Margin
0.00%
1.16
PEG Ratio
2.41
Balance Sheet Safety
1.91
Debt / Equity
N/A
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
N/A
Net Debt / EBITDA
N/A
1.29%
Dividend Yield
1.78%
AXP: 3Ties: 1COF: 3
AXPCOF
Historical Fundamentals
Learn more →AXP
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
COF
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
$1 Retained Earnings Test
Learn more →AXP
$6.18
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$23.29B
Δ Market Cap
+$144.01B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
COF
$14.50
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$8.00B
Δ Market Cap
+$116.05B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis
Learn more →AXP
38.6% Margin of Safety
Price is 38.6% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $294.93
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $480.21
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
COF
5.8% Margin of Safety
Price is 5.8% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $179.73
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $190.88
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →AXP
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
COF
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →AXP
40/100
Narrow Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Narrow moat with revenue predictability as the key competitive advantage. Improving margin stability would strengthen the moat.
Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
COF
30/100
No Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
No durable moat detected, though reinvestment efficiency shows some competitive positioning. The business lacks consistent evidence of sustainable advantages.
Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
Forensic Accounting
Learn more →AXP
-2.51
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
COF
-2.27
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Ownership Breakdown
Learn more →AXP
Insiders 22.2%Institutions 64.8%Retail & Other 12.9%
No. of Institutional Holders3,749
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
COF
Insiders 1.9%Institutions 88.6%Retail & Other 9.6%
No. of Institutional Holders2,706
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
Insider Buying Activity
Learn more →AXP
0
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $4,054
JOABAR RAYMOND D
Officer
$4,054
@ $176.26 · 2025-04-09
ANGELAKIS MICHAEL J
Director
$998,593
@ $269.89 · 2025-03-07
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
COF
0
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $1,972
ZAMSKY MICHAEL
Officer
$1,972
@ $197.20 · 2025-05-16
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.
Insider Selling Activity
Learn more →AXP
7
Sells (3M)
20
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $152.65M
LIEBERMAN QUINN JESSICA
Officer
$909,661
@ $300.02 · 2026-03-06
JOABAR RAYMOND D
Officer
$4.77M
@ $340.67 · 2026-02-19
GROSFIELD HOWARD M
Officer
$2.82M
@ $346.73 · 2026-02-12
RADHAKRISHNAN RAVIKUMAR S
Chief Technology Officer
$5.35M
@ $356.58 · 2026-02-09
SEEGER LAUREEN E
Officer
$4.60M
@ $360.99 · 2026-02-09
MARRS ANNA
Officer
$9.60M
@ $350.01 · 2026-02-05
PICKETT DENISE
Officer
$8.35M
@ $356.91 · 2026-02-05
JOABAR RAYMOND D
Officer
$538,902
@ $384.93 · 2025-12-12
RUTLEDGE ELIZABETH
Officer
$18.01M
@ $360.21 · 2025-10-31
TABISH DOUGLAS J
Officer
$894,359
@ $355.61 · 2025-10-23
PICKETT DENISE
Officer
$1.75M
@ $350.73 · 2025-10-22
SQUERI STEPHEN J
Chief Executive Officer
$37.03M
@ $329.86 · 2025-09-04
HERENA MONIQUE
Officer
$2.83M
@ $325.88 · 2025-09-03
BUCKMINSTER DOUGLAS E
Officer
$7.67M
@ $326.37 · 2025-09-02
SEEGER LAUREEN E
Officer
$23.37M
@ $296.90 · 2025-08-06
MCNEAL GLENDA G
Officer
$15.47M
@ $309.50 · 2025-07-29
MARRS ANNA
Officer
$1.71M
@ $310.77 · 2025-07-29
MARQUEZ RAFAEL
Officer
$3.56M
@ $296.93 · 2025-05-20
GROSFIELD HOWARD M
Officer
$2.60M
@ $275.50 · 2025-05-06
MCNEAL GLENDA G
Officer
$799,009
@ $264.66 · 2025-04-29
MARRS ANNA
President
$6.32M
@ $287.88 · 2025-03-04
LIEBERMAN QUINN JESSICA
Officer
$897,590
@ $296.43 · 2025-02-26
MCNEAL GLENDA G
Officer
$2.29M
@ $309.96 · 2025-02-11
SQUERI STEPHEN J
Chief Executive Officer
$16.24M
@ $319.45 · 2025-02-06
JOABAR RAYMOND D
Officer
$3.53M
@ $317.01 · 2025-02-05
RADHAKRISHNAN RAVIKUMAR S
Chief Technology Officer
$3.03M
@ $319.17 · 2025-02-05
PICKETT DENISE
Officer
$7.25M
@ $318.69 · 2025-02-05
JOABAR RAYMOND D
Officer
$4.77M
@ $313.94 · 2025-01-28
LE CAILLEC CHRISTOPHE
Chief Financial Officer
$1.82M
@ $303.48 · 2024-11-27
SQUERI STEPHEN J
Chief Executive Officer
$48.90M
@ $286.57 · 2024-11-07
HERENA MONIQUE
Officer
$374,010
@ $287.70 · 2024-11-07
BUCKMINSTER DOUGLAS E
Officer
$3.55M
@ $270.98 · 2024-10-29
WILLIAMS ANRE D.
Officer
$21.05M
@ $270.26 · 2024-10-22
PICKETT DENISE
Officer
$666,213
@ $240.68 · 2024-05-22
SKYLER JENNIFER
Officer
$3.58M
@ $241.73 · 2024-05-10
LIEBERMAN QUINN JESSICA
Officer
$729,770
@ $232.41 · 2024-05-06
MARRS ANNA
Officer
$829,501
@ $230.93 · 2024-05-03
BUCKMINSTER DOUGLAS E
Officer
$27.27M
@ $232.44 · 2024-05-02
SQUERI STEPHEN J
Chief Executive Officer
$9.28M
@ $238.63 · 2024-04-23
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
COF
12
Sells (3M)
28
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $85.26M
DEAN LIA
Officer
$627,244
@ $191.00 · 2026-03-02
KARAM CELIA EDWARDS
Officer
$312,476
@ $191.00 · 2026-03-02
MOUADEB MARK DANIEL
Officer
$334,530
@ $210.00 · 2026-02-26
MOUADEB MARK DANIEL
Officer
$305,755
@ $202.62 · 2026-02-25
HANSON JASON P
Officer
$764,445
@ $205.00 · 2026-02-25
BLINDE NEAL A
Officer
$7.27M
@ $190.51 · 2026-02-24
DEAN LIA
Officer
$734,565
@ $223.68 · 2026-02-04
KARAM CELIA EDWARDS
Officer
$460,071
@ $218.25 · 2026-02-02
COOPER MATTHEW W.
General Counsel
$500,000
@ $250.00 · 2026-01-06
RAGHU RAVI
Officer
$3.36M
@ $250.00 · 2026-01-05
KARAM CELIA EDWARDS
Officer
$504,338
@ $244.35 · 2026-01-02
DEAN LIA
Officer
$772,879
@ $244.35 · 2026-01-02
COOPER MATTHEW W.
General Counsel
$443,080
@ $221.54 · 2025-12-02
KARAM CELIA EDWARDS
Officer
$640,488
@ $218.15 · 2025-12-01
DEAN LIA
Officer
$713,132
@ $218.15 · 2025-12-01
LAPRADE FRANK G. III
Officer
$3.96M
@ $222.03 · 2025-11-13
BLINDE NEAL A
Officer
$9.58M
@ $221.83 · 2025-11-06
COOPER MATTHEW W.
General Counsel
$438,820
@ $219.41 · 2025-11-04
FAIRBANK RICHARD D
Chief Executive Officer
$22.84M
@ $220.68 · 2025-11-04
FAIRBANK RICHARD D
Chief Executive Officer
$23.35M
@ $225.68 · 2025-10-27
COOPER MATTHEW W.
General Counsel
$423,980
@ $211.99 · 2025-10-02
COOPER MATTHEW W.
General Counsel
$446,800
@ $223.40 · 2025-09-02
GOLDEN TIMOTHY P.
Officer
$44,590
@ $215.41 · 2025-08-19
GOLDEN TIMOTHY P.
Officer
$727,989
@ $210.28 · 2025-08-12
ZAMSKY MICHAEL
Officer
$1.16M
@ $209.59 · 2025-08-04
ALEXANDER ROBERT M.
Chief Technology Officer
$2.30M
@ $227.86 · 2025-07-23
ZAMSKY MICHAEL
Officer
$1.91M
@ $199.40 · 2025-05-12
HACKETT ANN FRITZ
Director
$329,445
@ $198.70 · 2025-05-12
ZAMSKY MICHAEL
Officer
$2.01M
@ $190.26 · 2024-11-12
YOUNG ANDREW M
Chief Financial Officer
$1.08M
@ $183.51 · 2024-11-08
WEST KARA
Officer
$133,189
@ $184.73 · 2024-11-07
ALEXANDER ROBERT M.
Chief Technology Officer
$3.11M
@ $187.12 · 2024-11-07
RAGHU RAVI
Officer
$4.09M
@ $165.00 · 2024-11-05
MOUADEB MARK DANIEL
Officer
$323,766
@ $162.37 · 2024-11-05
LAPRADE FRANK G. III
Officer
$2.52M
@ $160.00 · 2024-10-17
BORGMANN KEVIN S
Officer
$8.18M
@ $132.86 · 2024-08-06
ALEXANDER ROBERT M.
Chief Technology Officer
$4.61M
@ $150.00 · 2024-07-17
KARAM CELIA EDWARDS
Officer
$2.42M
@ $142.88 · 2024-05-08
WEST KARA
Officer
$171,946
@ $141.87 · 2024-05-02
DEAN LIA
Officer
$2.21M
@ $143.00 · 2024-05-01
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.
🎭 Mr. Market's Mood
Learn more →AXP
😐Neutral(42/100)
"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"
Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
COF
😨Fear(34/100)
"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"
Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
⚖️ Buffett Signal
Learn more →AXP
⚪Awaiting DCF Data
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (42)
COF
⚪Awaiting DCF Data
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Fear (34)