Billionaire Mario Gabelli’s Top 5 Dividend Stocks

2. American Express Company (NYSE:AXP)

GAMCO Investors’ Stake Value: $119,088,796

Dividend Yield as of June 23: 1.12%

On June 18, DZ Bank upgraded American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) to Buy from Hold. It set a price target of $375 on the stock.

During the company’s first-quarter 2026 earnings call, Chairman and CEO Stephen Squeri said American Express was reaffirming its full-year guidance. The company continues to expect revenue growth of 9% to 10% for the year. It also expects earnings per share in the range of $17.30 to $17.90. Chief Financial Officer Christophe Le Caillec said first-quarter earnings were stronger than management had anticipated. That performance gave the company room to increase spending on key areas, particularly marketing and technology. He added that full-year marketing expenses are now expected to rise at a mid-single-digit rate.

While American Express kept its revenue growth and earnings guidance unchanged from the previous quarter, management said the strong start to the year created greater flexibility to invest in the business. Squeri noted that the company is putting the excess earnings generated in the first quarter back into strategic growth initiatives. Those investments include additional spending on marketing and technology, areas management views as important for supporting future growth.

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) is a global payments company with card-issuing, merchant-acquiring, and card network operations. It serves a broad customer base that includes consumers, small businesses, mid-sized companies, and large corporations worldwide.