Compare StocksAXP vs GD

American Express Company (AXP) vs General Dynamics Corporation (GD)

AXP
American Express Company
$319.68
VS
GD
General Dynamics Corporation
$345.84

Rewards

AXP
  • Gross margin of 62.8% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • American Express Company scores 100/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • Return on equity has consistently exceeded 20% over 4 years, indicating efficient use of shareholder capital.
GD
  • General Dynamics Corporation has maintained ROIC above 10% for 4 consecutive years, suggesting solid business economics.
  • General Dynamics Corporation scores 93/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • Each dollar of retained earnings has created $1.35 of earning power — management is creating shareholder value.

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.
GD
  • Gross margin of 15.2% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
  • FCF yield of 5.7% suggests reasonable valuation assuming continued moderate growth.
  • 5 insider sales totaling $19.5M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.

Key Valuation Metrics

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AXP
GD
Valuation
N/A
Free Cash Flow
$5.29B
N/A
FCF Yield
5.66%
19.96
Trailing P/E
21.79
15.90
Forward P/E
19.18
Quality & Moat
12.37%
ROIC
12.48%
31.48%
ROE
16.14%
62.76%
Gross Margin
15.24%
1.13
PEG Ratio
1.82
Balance Sheet Safety
1.78
Debt / Equity
0.38
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
N/A
Net Debt / EBITDA
0.95
1.19%
Dividend Yield
1.76%
AXP: 5Ties: 2GD: 2
AXPGD

Historical Fundamentals

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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.

GD

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

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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
GD
$3.40
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$6.76B
Δ Market Cap
+$22.95B
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

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

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AXP
34.4% Margin of Safety
Price is 34.4% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $319.68
Fair Value: $487.58
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
GD
3.3% Overvalued
Price is 3.3% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $345.84
Fair Value: $334.63
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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AXP

Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.

GD

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $346?

+10.0%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +6.9%

The market implies +10.0% Owner Earnings growth, roughly in line with history — reasonably priced.

Standard FCF implies +6.9%, reflecting ongoing growth investment.

Economic Moat Score

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AXP
100/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat driven primarily by revenue predictability. Margin Stability is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.

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.
GD
93/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Revenue Predictability is the standout factor.

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

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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.
GD
-2.64
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

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AXP
Insiders 22.3%Institutions 65.6%Retail & Other 12.1%
No. of Institutional Holders3,664
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.
GD
Insiders 0.5%Institutions 87.3%Retail & Other 12.2%
No. of Institutional Holders2,555
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

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AXP
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
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
GD
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

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AXP
7
Sells (3M)
19
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $151.85M
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
PICKETT DENISE
Officer
$8.35M
@ $356.91 · 2026-02-05
MARRS ANNA
Officer
$9.60M
@ $350.01 · 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
MARRS ANNA
Officer
$1.71M
@ $310.77 · 2025-07-29
MCNEAL GLENDA G
Officer
$15.47M
@ $309.50 · 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
PICKETT DENISE
Officer
$7.25M
@ $318.69 · 2025-02-05
JOABAR RAYMOND D
Officer
$3.53M
@ $317.01 · 2025-02-05
RADHAKRISHNAN RAVIKUMAR S
Chief Technology Officer
$3.03M
@ $319.17 · 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
HERENA MONIQUE
Officer
$374,010
@ $287.70 · 2024-11-07
SQUERI STEPHEN J
Chief Executive Officer
$48.90M
@ $286.57 · 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
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
GD
5
Sells (3M)
19
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $180.13M
GALLOPOULOS GREGORY S
General Counsel
$1.32M
@ $354.35 · 2026-03-11
GILLILAND MARGUERITE AMY
Officer
$1.35M
@ $353.50 · 2026-03-11
BURNS MARK LAGRAND
Officer
$3.60M
@ $354.95 · 2026-03-11
NOVAKOVIC PHEBE N
Chief Executive Officer
$11.66M
@ $354.09 · 2026-03-11
RAYHA MARK
Officer
$1.52M
@ $348.79 · 2026-02-13
PADDOCK DAVID
Officer
$6.82M
@ $334.92 · 2025-12-17
RAYHA MARK
Officer
$33,990
@ $339.90 · 2025-11-20
MALCOLM MARK
Director
$1.06M
@ $329.45 · 2025-09-12
BRADY CHRISTOPHER J.
Officer
$2.62M
@ $321.17 · 2025-08-25
MALCOLM MARK
Director
$386,038
@ $319.04 · 2025-08-22
NOVAKOVIC PHEBE N
Chief Executive Officer
$40.48M
@ $313.57 · 2025-08-18
MOSS WILLIAM A.
Officer
$5.60M
@ $316.40 · 2025-08-14
GILLILAND MARGUERITE AMY
Officer
$10.63M
@ $315.20 · 2025-08-08
PADDOCK DAVID
Officer
$1.93M
@ $312.26 · 2025-08-04
BURNS MARK LAGRAND
Officer
$23.92M
@ $312.99 · 2025-07-28
DE LEON RUDY F
Director
$1.72M
@ $312.81 · 2025-07-28
WALL PETER A.
Director
$710,038
@ $312.79 · 2025-07-25
NOVAKOVIC PHEBE N
Chief Executive Officer
$52.77M
@ $283.02 · 2025-06-16
GALLOPOULOS GREGORY S
General Counsel
$12.00M
@ $284.16 · 2025-06-13
GILLILAND MARGUERITE AMY
Officer
$7.50M
@ $272.11 · 2025-03-10
GALLOPOULOS GREGORY S
General Counsel
$930,926
@ $263.42 · 2025-03-05
NOVAKOVIC PHEBE N
Chief Executive Officer
$8.61M
@ $263.48 · 2025-03-05
SCHUMACHER LAURA J
Director
$459,205
@ $255.68 · 2025-01-31
BRADY CHRISTOPHER J.
Officer
$1.56M
@ $280.91 · 2024-11-22
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

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AXP
FearGreed
😐Neutral(49/100)

"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.
GD
FearGreed
😏Greed(65/100)

"Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"

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

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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 (49)
GD
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: Greed (65)
View AXP Full AnalysisView GD Full Analysis
AXP vs GD: Which Is the Better Buy? | SafetyMargin.io