Compare StocksAXP vs KO

American Express Company (AXP) vs The Coca-Cola Company (KO)

AXP
American Express Company
$294.93
VS
KO
The Coca-Cola Company
$75.55

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.
KO
  • The Coca-Cola Company has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • Gross margin of 61.6% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • The Coca-Cola Company scores 94/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with margin stability as the strongest competitive dimension.

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.
KO
  • PEG ratio of 6.90 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
  • 10 insider sales totaling $72.0M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
  • Free cash flow has declined at a 17.8% CAGR over the past 4 years — a concerning trend.

Key Valuation Metrics

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AXP
KO
Valuation
N/A
Free Cash Flow
$-1.46B
N/A
FCF Yield
-0.45%
19.19
Trailing P/E
24.85
14.64
Forward P/E
21.80
Quality & Moat
9.49%
ROIC
11.36%
31.97%
ROE
38.24%
63.47%
Gross Margin
61.63%
1.16
PEG Ratio
6.90
Balance Sheet Safety
1.91
Debt / Equity
1.40
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
N/A
Net Debt / EBITDA
2.00
1.29%
Dividend Yield
2.73%
AXP: 3Ties: 2KO: 4
AXPKO

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.

KO

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
KO
$2.72
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$9.36B
Δ Market Cap
+$25.42B
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
38.6% Margin of Safety
Price is 38.6% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $294.93
Fair Value: $480.21
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
KO
35.7% Overvalued
Price is 35.7% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $75.55
Fair Value: $55.67
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.

KO

Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.

Economic Moat Score

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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.
KO
94/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Margin Stability 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.
KO
-2.38
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 22.2%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.
KO
Insiders 9.9%Institutions 66.7%Retail & Other 23.4%
No. of Institutional Holders4,381
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)
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
KO
0
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $998,676
LEVCHIN MAX R
Director
$998,676
@ $70.00 · 2025-10-24
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)
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
KO
10
Sells (3M)
19
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $122.47M
DOUGLAS MONICA HOWARD
Officer
$1.85M
@ $77.37 · 2026-03-09
QUINCEY JAMES R.
Chief Executive Officer
$19.84M
@ $79.14 · 2026-03-03
QUAN NANCY W
Officer
$1.87M
@ $79.50 · 2026-03-03
PIETRACCI BRUNO
Divisional Officer
$2.28M
@ $79.41 · 2026-03-03
MURPHY JOHN
President
$5.83M
@ $80.52 · 2026-03-02
PEREZ BEATRIZ R
Officer
$1.73M
@ $81.00 · 2026-02-27
PEREZ BEATRIZ R
Officer
$2.93M
@ $80.69 · 2026-02-26
DOUGLAS MONICA HOWARD
Officer
$1.60M
@ $80.16 · 2026-02-25
MURPHY JOHN
President
$8.00M
@ $80.42 · 2026-02-25
QUINCEY JAMES R.
Chief Executive Officer
$26.05M
@ $77.10 · 2026-02-03
QUAN NANCY W
Officer
$2.25M
@ $71.17 · 2025-11-17
ARROYO MANUEL
Officer
$9.89M
@ $70.80 · 2025-11-14
BRAUN HENRIQUE GNANI
Chief Operating Officer
$2.86M
@ $70.93 · 2025-11-11
DOUGLAS MONICA HOWARD
Officer
$947,464
@ $69.93 · 2025-10-24
KOUMETTIS NIKOLAOS
Divisional Officer
$2.58M
@ $69.10 · 2025-08-05
QUINCEY JAMES R.
Chief Executive Officer
$19.20M
@ $72.06 · 2025-05-30
QUAN NANCY W
Officer
$2.02M
@ $70.81 · 2025-05-09
PEREZ BEATRIZ R
Officer
$4.34M
@ $71.87 · 2025-05-08
MURPHY JOHN
President
$6.39M
@ $72.09 · 2025-05-07
BRAUN HENRIQUE GNANI
Chief Operating Officer
$1.81M
@ $71.47 · 2025-03-11
KOUMETTIS NIKOLAOS
Divisional Officer
$3.94M
@ $71.01 · 2025-03-07
DOUGLAS MONICA HOWARD
Officer
$394,231
@ $70.84 · 2025-02-26
KOUMETTIS NIKOLAOS
Divisional Officer
$3.88M
@ $70.96 · 2025-02-26
QUAN NANCY W
Officer
$3.92M
@ $71.36 · 2025-02-25
CHANG LISA VIRGINIA
Officer
$961,352
@ $71.50 · 2025-02-25
PIETRACCI BRUNO
Divisional Officer
$1.34M
@ $70.56 · 2025-02-24
DOUGLAS MONICA HOWARD
Officer
$697,673
@ $63.71 · 2024-11-22
QUINCEY JAMES R.
Chief Executive Officer
$6.40M
@ $64.03 · 2024-11-08
QUAN NANCY W
Officer
$1.32M
@ $71.50 · 2024-08-27
QUINCEY JAMES R.
Chief Executive Officer
$2.97M
@ $70.02 · 2024-08-26
MANN JENNIFER K
Officer
$8.99M
@ $69.52 · 2024-08-22
QUINCEY JAMES R.
Chief Executive Officer
$7.18M
@ $70.02 · 2024-08-21
CHANG LISA VIRGINIA
Officer
$2.80M
@ $69.54 · 2024-08-21
PEREZ BEATRIZ R
Officer
$2.43M
@ $68.62 · 2024-08-08
ARROYO MANUEL
Officer
$1.88M
@ $68.22 · 2024-08-07
CHANG LISA VIRGINIA
Officer
$3.98M
@ $68.51 · 2024-08-06
QUAN NANCY W
Officer
$1.27M
@ $68.95 · 2024-08-02
PIETRACCI BRUNO
Divisional Officer
$2.67M
@ $69.01 · 2024-08-02
QUAN NANCY W
Officer
$2.53M
@ $66.96 · 2024-07-26
QUAN NANCY W
Officer
$1.25M
@ $64.96 · 2024-07-17
KOUMETTIS NIKOLAOS
Divisional Officer
$5.04M
@ $62.34 · 2024-06-14
QUAN NANCY W
Officer
$1.22M
@ $63.44 · 2024-06-11
BRAUN HENRIQUE GNANI
Officer
$3.61M
@ $63.08 · 2024-05-15
DOUGLAS MONICA HOWARD
Officer
$561,801
@ $63.31 · 2024-05-10
MURPHY JOHN
President
$3.60M
@ $62.91 · 2024-05-09
QUAN NANCY W
Officer
$2.33M
@ $62.28 · 2024-05-07
RANDAZZA MARK
Officer
$1.28M
@ $62.29 · 2024-05-07
PEREZ BEATRIZ R
Officer
$3.55M
@ $61.99 · 2024-05-06
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(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.
KO
FearGreed
😐Neutral(53/100)

"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.

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 (42)
KO
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 (53)
View AXP Full AnalysisView KO Full Analysis
American Express Company (AXP) vs The Coca-Cola Company (KO) Stock Comparison | SafetyMargin.io