Key Points American Express cardholders are higher-income consumers that can pay their balances off each month. The company benefits directly when its cardholders spend more. Annual fees charged on American Express' premium cards bring in another source of revenue. 10 stocks we like better than American Express › American Express (NYSE: AXP) has been a fantastic company to own. In the past five years, it has generated a total return of 233% (as of Sept. 10). This gain trounces that of the S&P 500 ...