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Relative Intelligence · Consumer Finance

How American Express (AXP) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on AXP alone. It places AXP (American Express Company) against 18 popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where AXP stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: AXP's full trading record, from October 1986 through September 2026. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

Data as of October 20, 2026. Full tables and charts read best on a larger screen.

Rank the market against AXP →Chart AXP vs. 18 alternatives →
On this page12 sections

Key findings

How much would $10,000 in AXP have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in AXP over the past 25 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of AXP over the same span and AXP's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period. A second view covers the past 5 years, the period the better options further down the page are judged on. It shows not only where each investment ended up but also how smooth or uneven the path was.

Note: The chart covers the past 25 years rather than AXP's full 29 years, because most of its popular alternatives have not traded that long.

Choose a period

From the end of September 2001 to the end of September 2026. The scale is logarithmic, so equal steps up the chart are equal percentage gains. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 422 of the 1,326 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of AXP; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$10,000$100,000$1M$10M2001200520092013201720212025$10,000$100,000$1M$10M20012007201320192025
  • AAPL$14M+143,470% total · +33.7% a year
  • RY$321,225+3,112% total · +14.9% a year
  • TD$253,189+2,432% total · +13.8% a year
  • FIS$210,889+2,009% total · +13.0% a year
  • JPM$197,715+1,877% total · +12.7% a year
  • AXP$167,508+1,575% total · +11.9% a year
  • GPN$121,888+1,119% total · +10.5% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$114,557+1,046% total · +10.2% a year
  • BFH$87,983+780% total · +9.1% a year
  • COF$58,398+484% total · +7.3% a year
Change the dates or add tickers to this chart in EasyCompare

From the end of September 2021 to the end of September 2026. The scale is logarithmic, so equal steps up the chart are equal percentage gains. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 864 of the 3,628 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of AXP; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$1,000$2,000$5,000$10,000$20,000$50,000202120222023202420252026$1,000$10,000202120222023202420252026
  • ENVA$48,367+384% total · +37.1% a year
  • AAPL$24,129+141% total · +19.3% a year
  • RY$23,646+136% total · +18.8% a year
  • JPM$22,905+129% total · +18.0% a year
  • TD$21,998+120% total · +17.1% a year
  • AXP$19,289+92.9% total · +14.0% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$19,000+90.0% total · +13.7% a year
  • MA$16,338+63.4% total · +10.3% a year
  • BFH$13,265+32.6% total · +5.8% a year
  • AFRM$5,811−41.9% total · −10.3% a year
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AXP at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout. These figures serve as the baseline for every comparison that follows.

The company

Market value
$215B
Industry
Financial - Credit Services
Price history from
October 1986

Returns

Past 1 year
−7.9%total return
Past 3 years
+133%+32.5% a year
Past 5 years
+88.5%+13.5% a year
Past 10 years
+446%+18.5% a year
Best calendar year
+126%2009
Worst calendar year
−63.7%2008
Losing years
8 of 29full calendar years

Risk

Volatility
29.3%typical yearly swing, 5 years
Sharpe ratio
0.58return per unit of risk, 5 years
Worst decline ever
−83.9%Jul 2007 to Mar 2009
From its all-time high
−16.4%below the peak

AXP against the whole market

Where AXP ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

How does AXP rank among all stocks?

This section ranks AXP on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history. Where the comparisons with its popular alternatives show how AXP stacks up against its peers, these rankings show where it stands in the market as a whole.

Ranked against U.S.-listed stocks worth at least $300M that have enough history for each measure, so the count changes from row to row; smaller stocks are left out. Lower volatility and smaller declines rank higher.

MeasureAXPRankStanding
1-year return−7.9%2,276 of 3,287bottom 32%
3-year return+133%692 of 3,017top 23%
5-year return+88.5%750 of 2,893top 26%
10-year return+446%352 of 2,202top 16%
Volatility, 5 years29.3%663 of 2,893top 23%
Sharpe ratio, 5 years0.58719 of 2,893top 25%
Worst decline, past 10 years−49.6%449 of 2,187top 21%

What has beaten AXP on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer). AXP sits where the dashed lines cross. Anything in the green box above and to the left earned more than AXP with smaller swings, a better trade-off over this period on both counts. Past results are no promise, but a name in the box is worth a closer look.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested, and volatility the annualized swing in daily prices, both over 5 years. Labeled dots are the strongest picks from the table below and the names called out above, colored by how close they sit to AXP; faint dots are 89 more of the 166 in the green region (the strongest, one per fund family). 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million were screened. Hover over a dot for its figures.

5.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than AXPCOST: +17.4% a year, volatility 22.9%PM: +21.0% a year, volatility 23.4%MCK: +38.7% a year, volatility 25.0%BFC: +19.0% a year, volatility 27.3%ABBV: +26.1% a year, volatility 23.4%PGR: +21.3% a year, volatility 25.6%TT: +22.7% a year, volatility 27.7%GWW: +26.3% a year, volatility 24.9%ETR: +19.2% a year, volatility 22.4%SPMO: +18.7% a year, volatility 20.8%EWT: +20.4% a year, volatility 24.2%MSGS: +18.4% a year, volatility 25.6%FLTW: +21.8% a year, volatility 24.3%RSPT: +16.9% a year, volatility 25.1%FRDM: +17.3% a year, volatility 22.8%THFF: +15.9% a year, volatility 26.2%UFOX: +17.2% a year, volatility 26.5%NXTG: +16.2% a year, volatility 19.1%WELL: +26.0% a year, volatility 23.8%RTX: +18.6% a year, volatility 24.3%BTI: +18.7% a year, volatility 22.0%TRV: +22.4% a year, volatility 22.3%DXJ: +26.6% a year, volatility 19.1%MFC: +22.6% a year, volatility 24.0%LVHI: +17.0% a year, volatility 11.1%KO: +14.7% a year, volatility 16.8%HLT: +21.0% a year, volatility 26.8%CTAS: +16.5% a year, volatility 23.1%CSCO: +16.8% a year, volatility 26.1%WAB: +25.6% a year, volatility 26.2%MRK: +16.3% a year, volatility 24.8%NVS: +17.1% a year, volatility 20.7%AMGN: +19.6% a year, volatility 24.9%GILD: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.9%HEI: +17.3% a year, volatility 27.8%GLD: +17.7% a year, volatility 18.9%IHG: +21.4% a year, volatility 26.6%CB: +15.7% a year, volatility 20.4%COR: +24.2% a year, volatility 22.8%MNST: +17.2% a year, volatility 24.9%BNY: +22.7% a year, volatility 24.4%CM: +19.2% a year, volatility 21.6%ALL: +17.0% a year, volatility 26.2%PCAR: +17.9% a year, volatility 26.1%ENSG: +19.8% a year, volatility 26.8%DYNF: +14.7% a year, volatility 17.5%IX: +17.9% a year, volatility 25.4%ATO: +14.9% a year, volatility 18.4%DFIV: +14.8% a year, volatility 16.4%PVAL: +16.1% a year, volatility 15.1%NI: +15.1% a year, volatility 20.3%EUFN: +18.5% a year, volatility 21.8%PKG: +15.4% a year, volatility 25.8%DTM: +24.5% a year, volatility 25.2%BLX: +31.4% a year, volatility 25.9%TJX: +19.9% a year, volatility 22.3%RNR: +20.1% a year, volatility 27.8%EWP: +19.2% a year, volatility 20.3%PAVE: +14.9% a year, volatility 21.6%IOO: +15.7% a year, volatility 17.2%EHC: +18.4% a year, volatility 26.8%VLUE: +15.9% a year, volatility 18.4%NEU: +21.0% a year, volatility 26.8%PPA: +16.3% a year, volatility 18.9%AIRR: +18.3% a year, volatility 25.9%ORLY: +15.9% a year, volatility 23.4%ACT: +20.5% a year, volatility 24.3%EMLP: +14.9% a year, volatility 14.5%WRB: +18.9% a year, volatility 22.9%EPU: +29.5% a year, volatility 24.9%WTM: +15.4% a year, volatility 23.6%TDIV: +16.2% a year, volatility 21.3%MPLX: +23.5% a year, volatility 18.8%TRST: +15.5% a year, volatility 26.8%SPUS: +15.0% a year, volatility 19.5%RCBC: +14.6% a year, volatility 27.2%PWB: +14.8% a year, volatility 22.2%GLTR: +14.9% a year, volatility 24.6%CHCO: +15.9% a year, volatility 22.8%FFLC: +15.7% a year, volatility 16.8%XOM: +27.1% a year, volatility 26.5%TRIN: +15.8% a year, volatility 26.5%DBJP: +20.9% a year, volatility 19.2%CTBI: +16.0% a year, volatility 26.0%CVX: +19.5% a year, volatility 25.2%SHEL: +21.0% a year, volatility 24.8%TTE: +18.0% a year, volatility 25.8%MO: +17.8% a year, volatility 21.4%WMB: +24.6% a year, volatility 24.0%AXP: +13.5% a year, volatility 29.3%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%JPM: +17.3% a year, volatility 24.3%ENVA: +37.8% a year, volatility 41.9%V: +12.8% a year, volatility 22.9%RY: +17.3% a year, volatility 18.2%TD: +15.8% a year, volatility 20.0%AAPL: +18.5% a year, volatility 28.0%HSBC: +33.1% a year, volatility 25.9%MUFG: +33.2% a year, volatility 29.4%BMO: +13.6% a year, volatility 21.4%WMT: +20.8% a year, volatility 22.6%MSI: +14.8% a year, volatility 23.6%FAST: +15.8% a year, volatility 24.6%CBOE: +21.5% a year, volatility 25.1%QQQ: +14.5% a year, volatility 23.0%VGT: +18.4% a year, volatility 26.0%IRM: +24.6% a year, volatility 30.3%AME: +14.4% a year, volatility 22.1%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%AXPSPY (S&P 500)JPMENVAVRYTDAAPLHSBCMUFGWMTMSICBOEVGTIRMAMECAH0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than AXPCOST: +17.4% a year, volatility 22.9%PM: +21.0% a year, volatility 23.4%MCK: +38.7% a year, volatility 25.0%BFC: +19.0% a year, volatility 27.3%ABBV: +26.1% a year, volatility 23.4%PGR: +21.3% a year, volatility 25.6%TT: +22.7% a year, volatility 27.7%GWW: +26.3% a year, volatility 24.9%ETR: +19.2% a year, volatility 22.4%SPMO: +18.7% a year, volatility 20.8%EWT: +20.4% a year, volatility 24.2%MSGS: +18.4% a year, volatility 25.6%FLTW: +21.8% a year, volatility 24.3%RSPT: +16.9% a year, volatility 25.1%FRDM: +17.3% a year, volatility 22.8%THFF: +15.9% a year, volatility 26.2%UFOX: +17.2% a year, volatility 26.5%NXTG: +16.2% a year, volatility 19.1%WELL: +26.0% a year, volatility 23.8%RTX: +18.6% a year, volatility 24.3%BTI: +18.7% a year, volatility 22.0%TRV: +22.4% a year, volatility 22.3%DXJ: +26.6% a year, volatility 19.1%MFC: +22.6% a year, volatility 24.0%LVHI: +17.0% a year, volatility 11.1%KO: +14.7% a year, volatility 16.8%HLT: +21.0% a year, volatility 26.8%CTAS: +16.5% a year, volatility 23.1%CSCO: +16.8% a year, volatility 26.1%WAB: +25.6% a year, volatility 26.2%MRK: +16.3% a year, volatility 24.8%NVS: +17.1% a year, volatility 20.7%AMGN: +19.6% a year, volatility 24.9%GILD: +22.8% a year, volatility 24.9%HEI: +17.3% a year, volatility 27.8%GLD: +17.7% a year, volatility 18.9%IHG: +21.4% a year, volatility 26.6%CB: +15.7% a year, volatility 20.4%COR: +24.2% a year, volatility 22.8%MNST: +17.2% a year, volatility 24.9%BNY: +22.7% a year, volatility 24.4%CM: +19.2% a year, volatility 21.6%ALL: +17.0% a year, volatility 26.2%PCAR: +17.9% a year, volatility 26.1%ENSG: +19.8% a year, volatility 26.8%DYNF: +14.7% a year, volatility 17.5%IX: +17.9% a year, volatility 25.4%ATO: +14.9% a year, volatility 18.4%DFIV: +14.8% a year, volatility 16.4%PVAL: +16.1% a year, volatility 15.1%NI: +15.1% a year, volatility 20.3%EUFN: +18.5% a year, volatility 21.8%PKG: +15.4% a year, volatility 25.8%DTM: +24.5% a year, volatility 25.2%BLX: +31.4% a year, volatility 25.9%TJX: +19.9% a year, volatility 22.3%RNR: +20.1% a year, volatility 27.8%EWP: +19.2% a year, volatility 20.3%PAVE: +14.9% a year, volatility 21.6%IOO: +15.7% a year, volatility 17.2%EHC: +18.4% a year, volatility 26.8%VLUE: +15.9% a year, volatility 18.4%NEU: +21.0% a year, volatility 26.8%PPA: +16.3% a year, volatility 18.9%AIRR: +18.3% a year, volatility 25.9%ORLY: +15.9% a year, volatility 23.4%ACT: +20.5% a year, volatility 24.3%EMLP: +14.9% a year, volatility 14.5%WRB: +18.9% a year, volatility 22.9%EPU: +29.5% a year, volatility 24.9%WTM: +15.4% a year, volatility 23.6%TDIV: +16.2% a year, volatility 21.3%MPLX: +23.5% a year, volatility 18.8%TRST: +15.5% a year, volatility 26.8%SPUS: +15.0% a year, volatility 19.5%RCBC: +14.6% a year, volatility 27.2%PWB: +14.8% a year, volatility 22.2%GLTR: +14.9% a year, volatility 24.6%CHCO: +15.9% a year, volatility 22.8%FFLC: +15.7% a year, volatility 16.8%XOM: +27.1% a year, volatility 26.5%TRIN: +15.8% a year, volatility 26.5%DBJP: +20.9% a year, volatility 19.2%CTBI: +16.0% a year, volatility 26.0%CVX: +19.5% a year, volatility 25.2%SHEL: +21.0% a year, volatility 24.8%TTE: +18.0% a year, volatility 25.8%MO: +17.8% a year, volatility 21.4%WMB: +24.6% a year, volatility 24.0%AXP: +13.5% a year, volatility 29.3%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%JPM: +17.3% a year, volatility 24.3%ENVA: +37.8% a year, volatility 41.9%V: +12.8% a year, volatility 22.9%RY: +17.3% a year, volatility 18.2%TD: +15.8% a year, volatility 20.0%AAPL: +18.5% a year, volatility 28.0%HSBC: +33.1% a year, volatility 25.9%MUFG: +33.2% a year, volatility 29.4%BMO: +13.6% a year, volatility 21.4%WMT: +20.8% a year, volatility 22.6%MSI: +14.8% a year, volatility 23.6%FAST: +15.8% a year, volatility 24.6%CBOE: +21.5% a year, volatility 25.1%QQQ: +14.5% a year, volatility 23.0%VGT: +18.4% a year, volatility 26.0%IRM: +24.6% a year, volatility 30.3%AME: +14.4% a year, volatility 22.1%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%AXPSPY (S&P 500)JPMENVARYTDAAPLHSBCWMTMSIIRMCAH
  • Popular alternatives
  • Same and neighboring categories, and shared themes
  • The whole market
  • Others in the green region

Is there a better investment than AXP?

Investments that beat AXP over the past 5 years on return, volatility, drawdowns, consistency, crash losses or fees, from its popular alternatives out to the whole market.

How this works

The table below lists investments that beat AXP over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes. It checks AXP's popular alternatives first, then the rest of its own and neighboring categories, then every stock and fund worth at least $500 million, and shows the strongest few in each group. The full list of those with a higher return and lower volatility than AXP follows the table.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested. Annual return, volatility and the Sharpe ratio cover 5 years; the worst decline covers the past 10 years. Green marks a better figure than AXP's. "On the frontier" means no other option shown or tested earned more with less volatility. Funds that hold the same thing are shown once. Beyond the popular alternatives, nothing with more than 1.5× AXP's volatility counts as better.

These figures cover the past 5 years. Green marks a better figure than AXP's.

Screen the whole market against AXP for any period in BetterThanSPYOpen these 18 in EasyCompare
InvestmentWhy it is betterPast 5 yearsDownsideLong runFit
Annual return?higher is betterVolatility?lower is calmerSharpe?return per unit of riskWorst decline?past 10 years10Y returntotalCorr. with AXP?lower diversifies moreExpenseper year
AXPAmerican Express Company · this page
+13.5%29.3%0.58−49.6%+446%1.00—
SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF · S&P 500
+12.7%17.1%0.79−33.7%+321%0.640.09%
Popular alternativesbest 3 shownThe investments people most often weigh against AXP. 3 of 18 passed at least one test.
JPMJPMorgan Chase & Co. · Banks
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+17.3%24.3%0.78−43.6%+537%0.64—
ENVAEnova International, Inc. · Consumer Finance
Higher return in most periods+37.8%41.9%0.98−77.6%+1,819%0.60—
VVisa Inc. · Payment Processing
Similar return, lower volatility+12.8%22.9%0.64−36.4%+429%0.65—
Same and neighboring categories, and shared themesbest 6 shownEverything else in Consumer Finance and the categories next to it (Payment Processing, Application Software, Banks, Specialty Retail), plus AXP's specific themes. 37 of 165 passed at least one test.
RYRoyal Bank of Canada · Banks
On the frontierHigher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+17.3%18.2%0.97−40.0%+352%0.66—
TDThe Toronto-Dominion Bank · Banks
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+15.8%20.0%0.84−42.0%+310%0.55—
AAPLApple Inc. · Computer Hardware · Digital Payments theme
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+18.5%28.0%0.75−38.5%+1,168%0.35—
HSBCHSBC Holdings plc · Banks
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher return in most periods+33.1%25.9%1.24−62.3%+319%0.41—
MUFGMitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. · Banks
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher return in most periods+33.2%29.4%1.13−54.9%+483%0.34—
BMOBank of Montreal · Banks
Similar return, lower volatility+13.6%21.4%0.71−51.0%+295%0.59—
The whole marketbest 8 shownEvery other stock and fund worth at least $500 million. 530 of 3,450 passed at least one test.
WMTWalmart Inc. · Discount Retail
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+20.8%22.6%0.96−25.7%+508%0.30—
MSIMotorola Solutions, Inc. · Communications Equipment
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+14.8%23.6%0.71−32.8%+625%0.20—
FASTFastenal Company · Industrial Distribution
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+15.8%24.6%0.72−30.7%+576%0.22—
CBOECboe Global Markets, Inc. · Capital Markets
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+21.5%25.1%0.91−43.2%+463%-0.02—
QQQInvesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 · US Large-Cap Growth
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+14.5%23.0%0.71−35.1%+553%0.500.18%
VGTVanguard Information Technology ETF · Technology Equity
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+18.4%26.0%0.78−35.1%+779%0.480.09%
IRMIron Mountain Incorporated · Specialty REITs
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+24.6%30.3%0.88−39.0%+470%0.34—
AMEAMETEK, Inc. · Electronic Instruments
Similar return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+14.4%22.1%0.72−42.7%+481%0.49—
What these numbers mean for AXP
Annual return
AXP returned 13.5% a year over the past 5 years with dividends reinvested, against 12.7% a year for the S&P 500. At that pace, $10,000 became about $18,800. Annual return is the steady yearly rate that would produce the same total result, so investments held over the same span compare fairly. Guide: What is performance and return? →
Volatility
AXP's volatility over the past 5 years was 29.3%, 1.7 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, AXP's return lands within 29.3% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump. Guide: Understanding and measuring risk (volatility) →
Sharpe ratio
AXP's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.58, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so AXP earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings. Guide: Balancing reward with risk (Sharpe ratio) →
Worst decline
AXP's worst fall from a peak to a low over the past 10 years was 49.6%, against 33.7% for the S&P 500. Losses and gains are not symmetric: climbing back from a 49.6% fall takes a 98.6% gain. Guide: Market crash risk and tail risk →
Correlation
Over the past 5 years, AXP's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.64 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They often move together: some diversification next to an index fund, but not a cushion. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against AXP instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a AXP holding. Guide: Correlation and diversification →
Show all 166 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that earned more than AXP with less volatility

Out of 3,633 tested over 5 years. The strongest 100 are listed, best first, with funds that hold the same thing listed once.

#InvestmentFound inAnnual returnVolatilitySharpeWorst decline10Y returnCorr. with AXPExpense
1
WMTWalmart Inc. · Discount Retail
Whole market+20.8%22.6%0.96−25.7%+508%0.30—
2
MSIMotorola Solutions, Inc. · Communications Equipment
Whole market+14.8%23.6%0.71−32.8%+625%0.20—
3
FASTFastenal Company · Industrial Distribution
Whole market+15.8%24.6%0.72−30.7%+576%0.22—
4
CBOECboe Global Markets, Inc. · Capital Markets
Whole market+21.5%25.1%0.91−43.2%+463%-0.02—
5
RYRoyal Bank of Canada · Banks
Same or nearby category+17.3%18.2%0.97−40.0%+352%0.66—
6
COSTCostco Wholesale Corporation · Discount Retail
Whole market+17.4%22.9%0.82−31.4%+685%0.33—
7
QQQInvesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 · US Large-Cap Growth
Whole market+14.5%23.0%0.71−35.1%+553%0.500.18%
8
PMPhilip Morris International Inc. · Tobacco
Whole market+21.0%23.4%0.94−42.9%+242%0.27—
9
MCKMcKesson Corporation · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+38.7%25.0%1.44−38.1%+586%0.16—
10
BFCBank First Corporation · Banks - Regional
Whole market+19.0%27.3%0.78−39.8%+496%0.26—
11
VGTVanguard Information Technology ETF · Technology Equity
Whole market+18.4%26.0%0.78−35.1%+779%0.480.09%
12
ABBVAbbVie Inc. · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+26.1%23.4%1.11−45.1%+603%0.04—
13
PGRThe Progressive Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+21.3%25.6%0.89−30.3%+816%0.25—
14
TTTrane Technologies plc · Building Products
Whole market+22.7%27.7%0.88−40.5%+955%0.44—
15
GWWW.W. Grainger, Inc. · Industrial Distribution
Whole market+26.3%24.9%1.07−41.6%+654%0.48—
16
ETREntergy Corporation · Electric Utilities
Whole market+19.2%22.4%0.90−42.0%+311%0.21—
17
SPMOInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF · US Momentum Equity
Whole market+18.7%20.8%0.93−30.9%+499%0.490.13%
18
TDThe Toronto-Dominion Bank · Banks
Same or nearby category+15.8%20.0%0.84−42.0%+310%0.55—
19
EWTiShares MSCI Taiwan ETF · International Equity
Whole market+20.4%24.2%0.89−38.9%+468%0.360.59%
20
JPMJPMorgan Chase & Co. · Banks
Popular alternative+17.3%24.3%0.78−43.6%+537%0.64—
21
MSGSMadison Square Garden Sports Corp. · Entertainment
Whole market+18.4%25.6%0.79−41.6%+432%0.23—
22
CAHCardinal Health, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+42.1%24.7%1.55−46.1%+349%0.41—
23
FLTWFranklin FTSE Taiwan ETF · Technology
Whole market+21.8%24.3%0.94−38.0%—0.350.19%
24
RSPTInvesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Technology ETF · Technology Equity
Whole market+16.9%25.1%0.75−33.7%+572%0.510.40%
25
FRDMFreedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF · International
Whole market+17.3%22.8%0.82−40.5%—0.410.49%
26
THFFFirst Financial Corporation · Banks - Regional
Whole market+15.9%26.2%0.69−42.8%+161%0.40—
27
UFOXDefiance Space and Connective Tech ETF · Technology
Whole market+17.2%26.5%0.73−33.9%—0.460.30%
28
NXTGFirst Trust Indxx NextG ETF · Technology
Whole market+16.2%19.1%0.89−33.6%+330%0.410.70%
29
WELLWelltower Inc. · Healthcare REITs
Whole market+26.0%23.8%1.09−63.3%+379%0.35—
30
RTXRTX Corporation · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+18.6%24.3%0.83−52.0%+317%0.40—
31
BTIBritish American Tobacco p.l.c. · Tobacco
Whole market+18.7%22.0%0.90−56.1%+98.2%0.29—
32
TRVThe Travelers Companies, Inc. · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+22.4%22.3%1.02−46.3%+347%0.44—
33
DXJWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund · International Equity
Whole market+26.6%19.1%1.34−39.1%+428%0.320.48%
34
MFCManulife Financial Corporation · Life Insurance
Whole market+22.6%24.0%0.97−57.5%+373%0.63—
35
LVHIFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF · International Equity
Whole market+17.0%11.1%1.48−32.4%+194%0.470.40%
36
KOThe Coca-Cola Company · Food & Beverages
Whole market+14.7%16.8%0.91−37.0%+204%0.21—
37
HLTHilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. · Hotels & Resorts
Whole market+21.0%26.8%0.85−50.8%+694%0.64—
38
CTASCintas Corporation · Business Services
Whole market+16.5%23.1%0.78−48.4%+808%0.28—
39
CSCOCisco Systems, Inc. · Communications Equipment
Whole market+16.8%26.1%0.73−42.0%+374%0.29—
40
WABWestinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation · Industrial Machinery
Whole market+25.6%26.2%1.00−64.1%+264%0.58—
41
MRKMerck & Co., Inc. · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+16.3%24.8%0.74−43.4%+241%0.09—
42
NVSNovartis AG · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+17.1%20.7%0.87−26.8%+226%0.20—
43
AMGNAmgen Inc. · Biotechnology
Whole market+19.6%24.9%0.85−24.9%+266%0.07—
44
GILDGilead Sciences, Inc. · Biotechnology
Whole market+22.8%24.9%0.95−30.5%+200%-0.04—
45
HSBCHSBC Holdings plc · Banks
Same or nearby category+33.1%25.9%1.24−62.3%+319%0.41—
46
HEIHEICO Corporation · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+17.3%27.8%0.71−57.7%+809%0.50—
47
GLDSPDR Gold Shares · Gold
Whole market+17.7%18.9%0.96−26.4%+213%0.030.40%
48
IHGInterContinental Hotels Group PLC · Hotels & Resorts
Whole market+21.4%26.6%0.86−59.3%+383%0.74—
49
CBChubb Limited · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+15.7%20.4%0.82−42.6%+248%0.37—
50
CORCencora, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+24.2%22.8%1.07−32.4%+406%0.45—
51
MNSTMonster Beverage Corporation · Food & Beverages
Whole market+17.2%24.9%0.77−30.4%+285%0.15—
52
BNYBank of New York Mellon Corp · Banks
Same or nearby category+22.7%24.4%0.97−50.5%+341%0.64—
53
CMCanadian Imperial Bank of Commerce · Banks
Same or nearby category+19.2%21.6%0.93−47.3%+395%0.66—
54
ALLThe Allstate Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+17.0%26.2%0.73−41.4%+356%0.23—
55
PCARPACCAR Inc · Commercial Vehicles
Whole market+17.9%26.1%0.76−37.9%+314%0.58—
56
ENSGThe Ensign Group, Inc. · Health Care Facilities
Whole market+19.8%26.8%0.81−55.5%+896%0.31—
57
DYNFiShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF · US Multifactor Equity
Whole market+14.7%17.5%0.87−34.7%—0.630.26%
58
IXORIX Corporation · Diversified Financials
Whole market+17.9%25.4%0.78−42.5%+284%0.35—
59
ATOAtmos Energy Corporation · Gas Utilities
Whole market+14.9%18.4%0.85−32.9%+194%0.41—
60
DFIVDimensional - International Value ETF · International Equity
Whole market+14.8%16.4%0.93−25.4%—0.570.27%
61
PVALPutnam Focused Large Cap Value ETF · US Large-Cap Value
Whole market+16.1%15.1%1.07−41.3%—0.670.56%
62
NINiSource Inc · Gas Utilities
Whole market+15.1%20.3%0.80−30.9%+158%0.36—
63
EUFNiShares MSCI Europe Financials ETF · Financial Sector Equity
Whole market+18.5%21.8%0.89−53.2%+233%0.550.49%
64
PKGPackaging Corporation of America · Packaging
Whole market+15.4%25.8%0.69−38.2%+294%0.49—
65
DTMDT Midstream, Inc. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+24.5%25.2%1.00−23.6%—0.48—
66
BLXBladex, Inc. · Banks - Regional
Whole market+31.4%25.9%1.19−68.5%+290%0.50—
67
TJXThe TJX Companies, Inc. · Specialty Retail
Same or nearby category+19.9%22.3%0.93−42.5%+361%0.29—
68
RNRRenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. · Insurance
Whole market+20.1%27.8%0.80−40.7%+215%0.02—
69
EWPiShares MSCI Spain ETF · Broad Market
Whole market+19.2%20.3%0.97−46.4%+196%0.520.50%
70
PAVEGlobal X - U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF · Infrastructure Equity
Whole market+14.9%21.6%0.75−44.1%—0.650.47%
71
IOOiShares Global 100 ETF · Global Equity
Whole market+15.7%17.2%0.94−31.4%+361%0.580.40%
72
EHCEncompass Health Corporation · Health Care Facilities
Whole market+18.4%26.8%0.77−39.5%+340%0.36—
73
VLUEiShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF · US Large-Cap Value
Whole market+15.9%18.4%0.90−39.5%+286%0.560.15%
74
NEUNewMarket Corporation · Specialty Chemicals
Whole market+21.0%26.8%0.85−40.7%+165%0.26—
75
PPAInvesco Aerospace & Defense ETF · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+16.3%18.9%0.90−43.9%+344%0.570.58%
76
AIRRFirst Trust RBA American Industrial RenaissanceTM ETF · US Industrials
Whole market+18.3%25.9%0.78−42.4%+407%0.580.69%
77
ORLYO'Reilly Automotive, Inc. · Specialty Retail
Same or nearby category+15.9%23.4%0.75−42.0%+393%0.17—
78
ACTEnact Holdings Inc. · Insurance
Whole market+20.5%24.3%0.89−20.2%—0.42—
79
EMLPFirst Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund · Energy Infrastructure
Whole market+14.9%14.5%1.04−43.6%+150%0.500.95%
80
WRBW. R. Berkley Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+18.9%22.9%0.87−45.3%+443%0.23—
81
EPUiShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF · International
Whole market+29.5%24.9%1.17−51.0%+275%0.400.59%
82
WTMWhite Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. · Insurance
Whole market+15.4%23.6%0.73−40.2%+169%0.26—
83
TDIVFirst Trust NASDAQ Technology Dividend Index Fund · Technology Equity
Whole market+16.2%21.3%0.81−32.0%+388%0.520.50%
84
MPLXMPLX Lp · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+23.5%18.8%1.22−75.2%+350%0.49—
85
TRSTTrustCo Bank Corp NY · Banks - Regional
Whole market+15.5%26.8%0.68−49.5%+126%0.47—
86
SPUSSP Funds S&P 500 Sharia Industry Exclusions ETF · Technology
Whole market+15.0%19.5%0.82−30.8%—0.530.45%
87
RCBCRiver City Bank · Banks - Regional
Whole market+14.6%27.2%0.64−45.5%+345%0.22—
88
PWBInvesco Large Cap Growth ETF · Broad Market
Whole market+14.8%22.2%0.74−32.4%+409%0.520.55%
89
GLTRabrdn Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF · Alternatives
Whole market+14.9%24.6%0.69−37.9%+191%0.040.60%
90
CHCOCity Holding Company · Banks - Regional
Whole market+15.9%22.8%0.77−32.3%+286%0.43—
91
FFLCFidelity Fundamental Large Cap Core ETF · Broad Market
Whole market+15.7%16.8%0.95−19.7%—0.730.38%
92
XOMExxonmobil Holdings Corporation · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+27.1%26.5%1.04−61.0%+214%0.20—
93
TRINTrinity Capital Inc. · Asset Management
Whole market+15.8%26.5%0.69−43.1%—0.41—
94
DBJPXtrackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity ETF · International
Whole market+20.9%19.2%1.09−31.3%+348%0.380.45%
95
CTBICommunity Trust Bancorp, Inc. · Banks - Regional
Whole market+16.0%26.0%0.70−43.0%+192%0.40—
96
CVXChevron Corporation · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+19.5%25.2%0.84−55.8%+238%0.25—
97
SHELShell plc · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+21.0%24.8%0.90−67.2%+233%0.21—
98
TTETotalEnergies SE · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+18.0%25.8%0.78−59.6%+234%0.12—
99
MOAltria Group, Inc. · Tobacco
Whole market+17.8%21.4%0.88−53.7%+140%0.29—
100
WMBThe Williams Companies, Inc. · Oil & Gas Midstream
Whole market+24.6%24.0%1.04−68.1%+288%0.35—

AXP against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against AXP, compared period by period and year by year.

How do AXP's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings. Investments toward the upper left earned more for a smoother ride, and those toward the lower right earned less for a rougher one. The dashed lines cross at AXP, which divides the map into what did better or worse on each measure.

Green points earned more than AXP with less volatility; red points earned less with more. Hover over a point for its figures. Total returns with dividends reinvested, annualized.

0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%100%120%−50.0%−40.0%−30.0%−20.0%−10.0%0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityAXP: 13.5% a year, volatility 29.3%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%JPM: 17.3% a year, volatility 24.3%AFRM: −12.9% a year, volatility 91.6%BFH: 7.0% a year, volatility 46.4%SYF: 9.6% a year, volatility 36.8%PYPL: −25.9% a year, volatility 43.3%GPN: −11.2% a year, volatility 36.9%COF: 4.9% a year, volatility 35.2%SCHW: 3.6% a year, volatility 31.9%OMF: 7.1% a year, volatility 35.5%FISV: −15.2% a year, volatility 36.7%ALLY: −4.3% a year, volatility 38.2%FIS: −19.7% a year, volatility 33.9%SLM: 7.0% a year, volatility 36.0%SOFI: −7.0% a year, volatility 65.7%UPST: −41.9% a year, volatility 102%ENVA: 37.8% a year, volatility 41.9%MA: 12.4% a year, volatility 23.8%V: 12.8% a year, volatility 22.9%AXPSPY (S&P 500)JPMAFRMBFHSYFPYPLGPNCOFSCHWOMFFISVALLYFISSOFIUPSTENVA0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%100%120%−60.0%−40.0%−20.0%0.0%20.0%40.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityAXP: 13.5% a year, volatility 29.3%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%JPM: 17.3% a year, volatility 24.3%AFRM: −12.9% a year, volatility 91.6%BFH: 7.0% a year, volatility 46.4%SYF: 9.6% a year, volatility 36.8%PYPL: −25.9% a year, volatility 43.3%GPN: −11.2% a year, volatility 36.9%COF: 4.9% a year, volatility 35.2%SCHW: 3.6% a year, volatility 31.9%OMF: 7.1% a year, volatility 35.5%FISV: −15.2% a year, volatility 36.7%ALLY: −4.3% a year, volatility 38.2%FIS: −19.7% a year, volatility 33.9%SLM: 7.0% a year, volatility 36.0%SOFI: −7.0% a year, volatility 65.7%UPST: −41.9% a year, volatility 102%ENVA: 37.8% a year, volatility 41.9%MA: 12.4% a year, volatility 23.8%V: 12.8% a year, volatility 22.9%AXPSPY (S&P 500)JPMAFRMBFHPYPLGPNCOFSCHWFISVALLYFISSOFIUPSTENVAV
All figures
InvestmentAnnual returnVolatility
ENVA Enova International, Inc.+37.8%41.9%
JPM JPMorgan Chase & Co.+17.3%24.3%
AXP This pageAmerican Express Company+13.5%29.3%
V Visa Inc.+12.8%22.9%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF+12.7%17.1%
MA Mastercard Incorporated+12.4%23.8%
SYF Synchrony Financial+9.6%36.8%
OMF OneMain Holdings, Inc.+7.1%35.5%
BFH Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.+7.0%46.4%
SLM SLM Corporation+7.0%36.0%
COF Capital One Financial Corporation+4.9%35.2%
SCHW The Charles Schwab Corporation+3.6%31.9%
ALLY Ally Financial Inc.−4.3%38.2%
SOFI SoFi Technologies, Inc.−7.0%65.7%
GPN Global Payments Inc.−11.2%36.9%
AFRM Affirm Holdings, Inc.−12.9%91.6%
FISV Fiserv, Inc.−15.2%36.7%
FIS Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.−19.7%33.9%
PYPL PayPal Holdings, Inc.−25.9%43.3%
UPST Upstart Holdings, Inc.−41.9%102%
Open these 20 in EasyCompare

Has AXP consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares AXP with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years. Counting how often an alternative earned more than AXP helps separate lasting outperformance from a single strong stretch.

A green cell means the alternative earned more than AXP over that period. "Qualified" marks those that did so in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 3 long-term periods.

InvestmentPeriods outperformed Short termLong termRisk · 5 yearsFund
1M3M6MYTD1Y3Y5Y10YVolatilitylower is calmerSharpehigher is betterWorst declinepast 10 yearsExpenseAssetsOverlapsame sectors
AXP American Express Company (this page)—+1.8%−9.3%−2.9%−13.8%−7.9%+133%+88.5%+446%29.3%0.58−49.6%—$215B—
ENVA QualifiedEnova International, Inc.4/5 short3/3 longAll-weather+4.7%−22.1%+8.6%+10.8%+63.9%+289%+397%+1,819%41.9%0.98−77.6%—$4.5B—
JPM QualifiedJPMorgan Chase & Co.4/5 short3/3 longAll-weather−4.3%−0.6%+6.8%+5.0%+13.0%+150%+122%+537%24.3%0.78−43.6%—$891B—
MA Financial - Credit ServicesMastercard Incorporated5/5 short1/3 long+9.5%+13.5%+20.5%+10.9%+10.3%+64.3%+79.2%+541%23.8%0.61−41.0%—$543B—
AFRM Financial - Credit ServicesAffirm Holdings, Inc.5/5 short1/3 long+3.9%−2.0%+10.1%−0.2%+2.5%+305%−50.0%—91.6%0.30−94.7%—$22B—
BFH Financial - Credit ServicesBread Financial Holdings, Inc.4/5 short1/3 long−3.1%+5.4%+14.6%+40.0%+76.6%+284%+40.5%−25.3%46.4%0.38−91.5%—$4.0B—
SYF Financial - Credit ServicesSynchrony Financial3/5 short1/3 long−2.2%+0.4%−5.9%−12.2%+3.2%+175%+57.8%+242%36.8%0.43−66.4%—$24B—
V Financial - Credit ServicesVisa Inc.5/5 short0/3 long+9.9%+13.0%+30.0%+18.0%+19.0%+78.2%+82.5%+429%22.9%0.64−36.4%—$759B—
PYPL Financial - Credit ServicesPayPal Holdings, Inc.4/5 short0/3 long+8.6%+0.8%+11.7%−0.9%−16.5%+8.2%−77.6%+44.1%43.3%-0.47−87.3%—$49B—
GPN Financial - Credit ServicesGlobal Payments Inc.4/5 short0/3 long−0.6%+3.3%+17.2%+13.4%−1.3%−21.1%−44.7%+22.4%36.9%-0.14−70.2%—$22B—
COF Financial - Credit ServicesCapital One Financial Corporation3/5 short0/3 long−1.6%−2.2%−1.2%−17.8%−4.7%+134%+27.0%+222%35.2%0.31−60.3%—$124B—
SCHW Financial - Capital MarketsThe Charles Schwab Corporation3/5 short0/3 long−15.0%−11.1%−1.8%−9.6%−3.1%+86.2%+19.1%+221%31.9%0.27−51.1%—$157B—
OMF Financial - Credit ServicesOneMain Holdings, Inc.2/5 short0/3 long−7.3%−5.4%−3.2%−14.4%+8.4%+92.9%+40.6%+333%35.5%0.37−68.7%—$6.4B—
FISV Information Technology ServicesFiserv, Inc.2/5 short0/3 long+3.8%−6.6%−24.8%−26.4%−61.1%−56.3%−56.2%−2.7%36.7%-0.24−81.3%—$26B—
ALLY Financial - Credit ServicesAlly Financial Inc.1/5 short0/3 long−4.8%−16.0%−16.9%−15.3%−3.5%+73.9%−19.6%+159%38.2%0.08−66.2%—$12B—
FIS Information Technology ServicesFidelity National Information Services, Inc.1/5 short0/3 long+3.5%−12.8%−22.9%−42.7%−44.3%−21.6%−66.6%−41.3%33.9%-0.47−76.0%—$19B—
SLM Financial - Credit ServicesSLM Corporation0/5 short0/3 long−11.2%−11.7%−2.6%−17.3%−12.7%+80.4%+40.0%+263%36.0%0.37−51.7%—$4.2B—
SOFI Financial - Credit ServicesSoFi Technologies, Inc.0/5 short0/3 long−13.5%−13.7%−24.7%−46.5%−48.8%+99.2%−30.3%—65.7%0.21−83.3%—$19B—
UPST Financial - Credit ServicesUpstart Holdings, Inc.0/5 short0/3 long−7.5%−17.9%−32.2%−48.4%−52.9%−4.2%−93.4%—102%-0.01−96.9%—$2.3B—
Open these 19 in EasyCompare

How did AXP do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 1997, along with where AXP ranked among its popular alternatives each year. Annual results reveal how consistently each one kept pace with AXP and how far its good and bad years diverged, detail that multiyear averages tend to smooth over.

Newest year first. Green marks a year in which the fund came out ahead of AXP; gray means the two finished within a fraction of a point. The rank row places AXP among the alternatives that traded the full year; dark green is the top quarter and red the bottom quarter.

InvestmentYears ahead of AXP20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997
AXP This pageAmerican Express Company—+26.0%+60.3%+28.7%−8.5%+36.9%−1.1%+32.5%−2.6%+36.2%+8.6%−24.2%+3.7%+59.8%+23.6%+11.6%+7.8%+126%−63.7%−13.4%+19.1%+4.3%+17.6%+37.7%+0.2%−34.5%−0.3%+63.3%+15.7%+59.9%
Rank among alternativesTop quarter in 5 of 299 of 194 of 1911 of 196 of 196 of 1812 of 1611 of 168 of 166 of 1610 of 1613 of 1512 of 124 of 1110 of 114 of 116 of 111 of 1110 of 108 of 105 of 97 of 95 of 95 of 92 of 95 of 65 of 61 of 66 of 62 of 6
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF10 of 29+17.7%+24.9%+26.2%−18.2%+28.7%+18.3%+31.2%−4.6%+21.7%+12.0%+1.2%+13.5%+32.3%+16.0%+1.9%+15.1%+26.4%−36.8%+5.1%+15.9%+4.8%+10.7%+28.2%−21.6%−11.7%−9.8%+20.4%+28.7%+33.5%
ENVA Enova International, Inc.8 of 11+64.0%+73.2%+44.3%−6.3%+65.4%+2.9%+23.6%+28.0%+21.1%+89.9%−70.3%——————————————————
JPM JPMorgan Chase & Co.14 of 29+37.3%+44.3%+30.6%−12.6%+27.8%−5.5%+47.3%−6.6%+26.8%+34.5%+8.4%+9.9%+36.7%+36.2%−19.9%+2.3%+34.4%−25.1%−6.9%+25.7%+5.7%+10.0%+60.5%−30.7%−17.4%−10.1%+11.7%+32.9%+25.5%
MA Mastercard Incorporated11 of 19+9.0%+24.2%+23.4%−2.7%+1.2%+20.2%+59.2%+25.3%+47.7%+6.9%+13.8%+3.7%+70.7%+32.1%+66.7%−12.2%+79.8%−33.4%+119%——————————
AFRM Affirm Holdings, Inc.1 of 4+22.2%+23.9%+408%−90.4%—————————————————————————
BFH Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.12 of 24+23.1%+88.9%−10.3%−42.4%+13.7%−32.7%−23.8%−40.2%+11.9%−17.2%−3.3%+8.8%+81.6%+39.4%+46.2%+10.0%+38.8%−38.0%+20.1%+75.5%−25.0%+71.5%+56.3%−7.5%—————
SYF Synchrony Financial6 of 11+30.6%+74.0%+19.8%−27.4%+36.4%−0.1%+57.5%−37.8%+8.4%+20.4%+2.2%——————————————————
V Visa Inc.9 of 17+11.8%+22.3%+26.3%−3.4%−0.3%+17.1%+43.3%+16.5%+47.2%+1.4%+19.1%+18.7%+48.0%+50.5%+45.4%−18.9%+68.0%————————————
PYPL PayPal Holdings, Inc.3 of 10−31.4%+39.0%−13.8%−62.2%−19.5%+117%+28.6%+14.2%+86.5%+9.0%———————————————————
GPN Global Payments Inc.11 of 24−30.1%−11.0%+29.0%−25.9%−36.9%+18.5%+77.3%+2.9%+44.5%+7.6%+59.9%+24.4%+43.7%−4.3%+2.6%−14.1%+64.6%−29.4%+0.7%−0.5%+59.6%+24.6%+48.1%−6.6%—————
COF Capital One Financial Corporation15 of 29+37.6%+38.3%+44.3%−34.6%+49.3%−2.7%+38.6%−22.8%+16.3%+23.8%−10.9%+9.4%+34.2%+37.5%−0.1%+11.6%+24.1%−30.3%−38.4%−11.0%+2.7%+37.6%+107%−44.8%−17.8%+36.9%+26.0%+113%+51.5%
SCHW The Charles Schwab Corporation16 of 29+36.6%+9.2%−16.0%+0.1%+60.2%+13.6%+16.4%−18.4%+31.1%+21.0%+9.9%+17.2%+83.3%+29.8%−33.1%−7.8%+18.1%−36.1%+40.0%+32.8%+23.5%+1.7%+9.5%−29.5%−45.4%+11.4%+36.3%+102%+97.6%
OMF OneMain Holdings, Inc.6 of 12+39.7%+15.2%+63.1%−27.2%+23.6%+34.5%+88.5%−6.6%+17.3%−46.7%+14.9%+43.0%—————————————————
FISV Fiserv, Inc.16 of 29−67.3%+54.6%+31.4%−2.6%−8.8%−1.5%+57.3%+12.1%+23.9%+17.2%+30.7%+21.9%+49.8%+34.6%+0.4%+20.8%+33.3%−34.5%+5.8%+21.1%+7.7%+1.6%+16.5%−19.7%+33.8%+23.7%+11.7%+57.5%+33.9%
ALLY Ally Financial Inc.6 of 11+29.9%+6.4%+49.2%−46.9%+36.0%+20.6%+37.9%−20.7%+56.1%+2.9%−21.1%——————————————————
FIS Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.11 of 24−15.8%+37.0%−8.2%−36.5%−21.9%+2.7%+37.2%+10.3%+26.1%+26.6%−1.0%+17.8%+57.4%+34.1%−2.2%+17.7%+45.4%+282%+4.7%+19.1%+15.6%+9.6%+34.5%−28.1%—————
SLM SLM Corporation13 of 29−0.2%+47.3%+18.7%−13.5%+60.6%+41.0%+8.5%−26.5%+2.6%+69.0%−36.1%+9.3%+57.3%+32.4%+8.7%+11.6%+26.2%−55.7%−58.4%−9.8%+4.9%+44.2%+10.6%+24.8%+27.1%+63.9%−10.7%+22.2%+51.7%
SOFI SoFi Technologies, Inc.2 of 5+70.0%+54.8%+116%−70.8%+27.1%————————————————————————
UPST Upstart Holdings, Inc.2 of 5−29.0%+50.7%+209%−91.3%+271%————————————————————————
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Risk and diversification

How AXP has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

What were AXP's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high. This section presents AXP's five deepest drawdowns since it began trading in 1986, alongside the S&P 500's return over the same dates, and how long each took to recover. Together, these figures show how much an investor could have lost and how long it took to get back to even.

Green means AXP fell less than the S&P 500 over the same dates. Based on daily closing prices with dividends reinvested.

DuringAXP fellS&P 500, same datesPeakLowTime to the lowBack at the peakTime to recover
2008 financial crisis−83.9%−54.0%Jul 2007Mar 200920 monthsApr 20123.1 years
Dot-com bust−59.1%−31.5%Oct 2000Sep 200111 monthsJan 20064.3 years
No named crash−54.0%—Oct 1989Oct 199012 monthsSep 19932.9 years
Covid crash−49.6%−33.7%Feb 2020Mar 20201 monthFeb 202111 months
No named crash−46.2%—Mar 1987Dec 19879 monthsAug 198920 months

How did AXP do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far AXP, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000. A smaller decline means an investment held up better, and comparing results across crashes shows whether that resilience was consistent or a one-off.

Newest crash first. Each figure is the fund's deepest fall within the crash window; green means a smaller fall than AXP.

InvestmentHeld up better2023 regional bank crisisMar 20232022 bear marketJan 2022Covid crashFeb 2020Late-2018 sell-offSep 2018February 2018 volatility shockFeb 20182015 China and oil sell-offAug 20152011 euro debt crisisJul 20112010 flash crashMay 20102008 financial crisisOct 2007Dot-com bustMar 2000
AXP This pageAmerican Express Company—−9.8%−31.6%−49.6%−20.7%−8.6%−36.6%−18.1%−4.5%−83.4%−59.1%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF9 of 10−3.4%−24.5%−33.7%−19.3%−6.5%−12.8%−17.9%−1.5%−55.2%−47.5%
ENVA Enova International, Inc.1 of 6−12.9%−42.8%−60.9%−41.4%−3.7%−62.9%————
JPM JPMorgan Chase & Co.6 of 10−5.4%−37.9%−42.5%−21.3%−5.6%−22.0%−32.1%−0.1%−67.7%−74.0%
MA Mastercard Incorporated8 of 9−4.0%−28.2%−41.0%−21.9%−5.8%−20.4%−13.8%−3.1%−62.7%—
AFRM Affirm Holdings, Inc.0 of 2−14.8%−82.9%————————
BFH Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.3 of 9−15.0%−59.6%−78.1%−41.8%−4.5%−41.3%−18.7%−0.8%−70.5%—
SYF Synchrony Financial1 of 6−15.2%−43.6%−62.0%−33.3%−9.6%−30.7%————
V Visa Inc.8 of 8−3.5%−24.1%−36.4%−19.1%−5.8%−15.8%−11.5%−0.8%——
PYPL PayPal Holdings, Inc.5 of 6−4.4%−63.8%−31.2%−16.7%−5.6%−21.6%————
GPN Global Payments Inc.5 of 9−11.9%−29.2%−44.3%−25.4%−7.5%−27.8%−18.6%−5.7%−44.4%—
COF Capital One Financial Corporation2 of 10−11.1%−42.6%−58.8%−28.2%−9.6%−28.5%−24.2%−2.1%−87.7%−65.6%
SCHW The Charles Schwab Corporation2 of 10−31.9%−36.9%−41.5%−26.5%−8.2%−37.0%−28.9%−5.5%−56.0%−83.1%
OMF OneMain Holdings, Inc.1 of 6−14.7%−43.4%−68.7%−35.3%−5.6%−61.7%————
FISV Fiserv, Inc.8 of 10−10.9%−19.3%−37.7%−16.2%−6.1%−11.3%−20.4%−1.4%−48.3%−51.5%
ALLY Ally Financial Inc.2 of 6−21.7%−46.0%−60.2%−24.3%−5.8%−32.3%————
FIS Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.6 of 9−20.2%−38.5%−34.7%−13.1%−8.0%−23.4%−23.3%0.0%−46.4%—
SLM SLM Corporation4 of 10−12.0%−31.9%−47.3%−31.8%−7.1%−41.7%−31.8%−0.9%−93.5%−22.2%
SOFI SoFi Technologies, Inc.0 of 2−15.2%−67.8%————————
UPST Upstart Holdings, Inc.0 of 2−13.3%−87.0%————————
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How closely does AXP move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell. An investment that captures more of the gains than the losses has compounded ahead of the market over time. This section compares AXP with its popular alternatives on both measures, and on beta (how strongly each has moved with the market), over the past 10 years.

Monthly total returns over the past 10 years, measured against SPY. 100% capture or a beta of 1.00 means moving in line with the S&P 500. Green marks a better figure than AXP's: more upside, less downside or a higher capture ratio. Sorted by capture ratio.

InvestmentUpside captureDownside captureCapture ratioBeta
AXP This pageAmerican Express Company117%113%1.031.16
ENVA Enova International, Inc.170%135%1.261.49
MA Mastercard Incorporated105%88%1.200.95
V Visa Inc.93%79%1.180.87
JPM JPMorgan Chase & Co.117%103%1.141.09
SCHW The Charles Schwab Corporation89%90%0.990.91
SLM SLM Corporation98%108%0.911.18
OMF OneMain Holdings, Inc.136%167%0.811.63
COF Capital One Financial Corporation115%146%0.791.39
SYF Synchrony Financial125%163%0.771.56
ALLY Ally Financial Inc.114%158%0.721.35
PYPL PayPal Holdings, Inc.106%186%0.571.25
GPN Global Payments Inc.76%139%0.540.98
FISV Fiserv, Inc.51%107%0.480.86
BFH Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.102%222%0.461.80
FIS Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.54%150%0.360.82
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What diversifies AXP?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions). This section lists large ETFs and stocks whose returns have had a low correlation with AXP's. Because such investments tend not to fall at the same time, pairing AXP with them can reduce a portfolio's overall swings.

Only ETFs with at least $1.0B in assets and stocks worth at least $10B, with a correlation below 0.5 over the past 5 years and a positive return, are included, ranked by Sharpe ratio; funds that hold the same thing are shown once. The year columns are the years in which AXP lost money. The last two columns show a portfolio that is 80% AXP and 20% the other investment, rebalanced monthly.

ETFs

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe2022202020182015200820072001200080/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
AXP American Express Company (this page)1.00+88.5%0.58−8.5%−1.1%−2.6%−24.2%−63.7%−13.4%−34.5%−0.3%26.6%+14.0%
LVHI InternationalFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF0.47+119%1.48+3.8%−9.0%−5.2%—————22.2%+15.1%
DXJ InternationalWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund0.32+225%1.34+6.0%+3.9%−19.8%+7.7%−20.8%−7.4%——22.2%+17.1%
GCOW InternationalPacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF0.44+93.4%1.04+5.5%−4.3%−8.0%—————22.7%+14.4%
SMH TechnologyVanEck Semiconductor ETF0.42+323%0.97−33.5%+55.5%−9.1%−0.3%−44.7%+6.0%−14.6%—24.9%+19.4%
GLD CommoditiesSPDR Gold Shares0.03+126%0.96−0.8%+24.8%−1.9%−10.7%+4.9%+30.4%——21.6%+15.8%
SPMO Broad MarketInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF0.49+136%0.93−10.4%+28.2%−0.9%—————23.5%+16.0%
XLE EnergyState Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF0.30+177%0.93+64.4%−32.7%−18.2%−21.5%−39.0%+36.8%−18.2%+24.4%23.3%+16.6%
EWT TechnologyiShares MSCI Taiwan ETF0.36+153%0.89−28.9%+31.5%−9.9%−12.9%−45.3%+6.4%+2.1%—23.6%+16.3%

Stocks

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe2022202020182015200820072001200080/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
AXP American Express Company (this page)1.00+88.5%0.58−8.5%−1.1%−2.6%−24.2%−63.7%−13.4%−34.5%−0.3%26.6%+14.0%
CAH Medical - DistributionCardinal Health, Inc.0.41+479%1.55+54.1%+10.1%−24.5%+12.6%−39.6%−9.8%−2.5%+108%23.9%+19.2%
CLS Hardware, Equipment & PartsCelestica Inc.0.42+3,143%1.47+1.3%−2.4%−16.3%−6.0%−20.5%−25.7%−25.6%−2.3%28.2%+31.6%
FIX Engineering & ConstructionComfort Systems USA, Inc.0.34+1,636%1.46+17.0%+6.7%+0.8%+67.7%−15.2%+2.1%+73.7%−71.1%25.7%+28.0%
MCK Medical - DistributionMcKesson Corporation0.16+413%1.44+51.8%+27.1%−28.4%−4.5%−40.4%+29.7%+4.9%+61.2%22.6%+18.9%
MPC Oil & Gas Refining & MarketingMarathon Petroleum Corporation0.25+690%1.41+86.6%−27.4%−8.2%+17.4%————23.7%+21.4%
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Common questions

What was AXP's worst drawdown?

AXP's deepest decline since it began trading in 1986 was 83.9%, from July 2007 to March 2009. It took about three years from the low to climb back to its old high.

What were AXP's best and worst years?

Over 29 full calendar years, AXP's best year was 2009, when it returned 126%. Its worst was 2008, with a return of -63.7%.

Is there a better investment than AXP?

Among AXP's popular alternatives, JPM earned more than AXP with less volatility over the past 5 years: 17.3% a year at 24.3% volatility, against 13.5% a year at 29.3%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, RY (banks) and TD (banks) earned more than AXP with less volatility over the past 5 years. RY returned 17.3% a year at 18.2% volatility, against 13.5% a year at 29.3%.

Is AXP more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. AXP's volatility over the past 5 years was 29.3%, 1.7 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, AXP's return lands within 29.3% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

What is AXP's Sharpe ratio?

AXP's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.58, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so AXP earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

How correlated is AXP with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, AXP's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.64 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They often move together: some diversification next to an index fund, but not a cushion. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against AXP instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a AXP holding.

What are the best alternatives to AXP?

Of the 18 popular alternatives we compared, two outperformed AXP in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: ENVA and JPM.

Did AXP outperform the S&P 500?

AXP finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in 19 of 29 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +26.0%, against +17.7% for the index.

How did AXP do in stock market crashes?

AXP fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in none of the ten major crashes it has traded through, and further in nine. The clearest case was the 2008 financial crisis, when AXP fell 83.4% and the S&P 500 fell 55.2%.

What diversifies AXP?

These had a low correlation with AXP over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.47), DXJ (correlation 0.32) and GCOW (correlation 0.44); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.41), CLS (correlation 0.42) and FIX (correlation 0.34). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

How we measure

More research

Popular alternatives to AXP

Other stocks and ETFs