8-KRegulation FD

AMERICAN EXPRESS CO 8-K Report, Regulation FD Disclosure (Feb 15, 2019)

Filed February 15, 2019For Securities:AXP

Summary

This 8-K filing from American Express (AXP) provides updated delinquency and write-off statistics for its U.S. Consumer and U.S. Small Business Card Member lending portfolios for the months ending January 31, 2019, December 31, 2018, and November 30, 2018. The report also includes credit performance data for the American Express Credit Account Master Trust. Investors can use this information to monitor the credit quality of the company's loan book and assess potential risks related to credit losses. Overall, the provided data indicates a relatively stable credit environment for American Express during the period. While there are minor fluctuations, the delinquency and write-off rates remain within manageable levels, suggesting a continued focus on risk management by the company. Investors should pay attention to any trends or significant changes in these metrics over future reporting periods to gauge the health of the company's lending operations.

Key Highlights

  • 1Furnishes delinquency and write-off statistics for U.S. Consumer and U.S. Small Business Card Member lending portfolios.
  • 2Data covers the months ended January 31, 2019, December 31, 2018, and November 30, 2018.
  • 3U.S. Consumer Card Member loans showed a slight increase in 30-day delinquencies to 1.5% as of January 31, 2019, from 1.4% in the prior two months.
  • 4Net write-off rate for U.S. Consumer Card Member loans remained steady at 2.2% for January 2019 and December 2018, up from 2.0% in November 2018.
  • 5U.S. Small Business Card Member loans showed a slight increase in 30-day delinquencies to 1.3% in January 2019, consistent with December 2018, and up from 1.2% in November 2018.
  • 6Net write-off rate for U.S. Small Business Card Member loans was 1.8% in January 2019, an increase from 1.7% in December 2018 and 1.6% in November 2018.
  • 7Includes credit performance data for the American Express Credit Account Master Trust, showing a stable annualized default rate net of recoveries.

Frequently Asked Questions

This filing provides updated statistics on delinquency rates (30 days past due) and net write-off rates for American Express's U.S. Consumer Card Member and U.S. Small Business Card Member lending portfolios for the months of November and December 2018, and January 2019. It also includes credit performance data for the American Express Credit Account Master Trust.

No, the filing explicitly states that the Card Member loans securitized through the Lending Trust do not have identical characteristics to the total U.S. Consumer or U.S. Small Business Card Member loan portfolios. Differences in loan mix, vintage, aging, and calculation methodologies (average vs. end-of-period balances for write-offs) mean that the reported credit performance of the Lending Trust may differ from the broader portfolios.

A slight increase in delinquency or write-off rates could indicate a marginal deterioration in credit quality. However, investors should consider these figures in the context of the overall economic environment and the company's historical performance. For this period, the increases were minor and the rates remained within relatively low levels, suggesting continued prudent risk management. Investors should monitor these trends over subsequent quarters for any significant shifts.

The data for the Lending Trust provides insight into the performance of the securitized portion of American Express's loan portfolio. The reported annualized default rate, net of recoveries, remained stable at 1.1% and 1.2% during the reported periods. This stability in the securitized pool is generally a positive sign, although it's important to remember it may not perfectly mirror the performance of the entire loan book.