Daniel Loeb's Third Point takes stake in American Express

[November 10, 2018]  (Reuters) - Activist investor Daniel Loeb's Third Point LLC on Friday disclosed a new position in American Express Co <AXP.N>, saying the market under-appreciates the strategic pivot of the company.

Daniel S. Loeb, founder of Third Point LLC, participates in a panel discussion during the Skybridge Alternatives (SALT) Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada May 9, 2012. REUTERS/Steve Marcus

The hedge fund said it sees the company's shares trading above $135 over the next 18 months. The company's stock was at $108.06 in afternoon trading.

Third Point, in its quarterly investor letter https://www.thirdpointoffshore.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Third-Point-Q3-2018-Investor-Letter-TPOI.pdf, did not disclose the size of the stake in the company.

AmEx's new chief executive officer, Stephen Squeri, is re-energizing the company by focusing on growth and opportunities in commercial and international units that will likely lead to more double-digit earnings growth, the hedge fund said.

Third Point said AmEx has a significant opportunity to sustain revenue growth, as it prioritizes investments that drive customer acquisition, card acceptance and higher average spend.

(Reporting by Soundarya J in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)

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