Operating Expenses
Sales & Marketing
American Express Sales & Marketing decreased by 8.2% to $1.48B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 0.4%, from $1.49B to $1.48B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Sales & Marketing shows a downward trend with a -8.8% CAGR.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryGrowth
SignalContext dependent
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2013
Last reportedQ1 2026Apr 23, 2026
How to read this metric
An increase may signal aggressive growth strategies or higher customer acquisition costs, while a decrease could indicate cost-cutting or a shift toward organic growth.
Detailed definition
Represents the total costs incurred to acquire new customers and promote brand awareness through advertising, promotiona...
Peer comparison
Standard across financial services; peers often report this as 'Marketing and Business Development' or 'Advertising and Promotion'.
Metric ID:
selling_and_marketingHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $2.22B | $2.36B | $2.71B | $1.22B | $1.50B | $1.46B | $1.27B | $1.34B | $1.41B | $1.24B | $1.23B | $1.48B | $1.48B | $1.47B | $1.61B | $1.49B | $1.56B | $1.60B | $1.61B | $1.48B |
| QoQ Change | — | +6.1% | +15.2% | -54.9% | +22.7% | -2.9% | -12.6% | +5.3% | +5.0% | -12.2% | -0.6% | +20.2% | +0.3% | -0.7% | +9.8% | -7.9% | +4.6% | +2.8% | +0.8% | -8.2% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | -32.3% | -38.1% | -53.0% | +9.6% | -6.3% | -15.2% | -3.6% | +10.1% | +5.1% | +18.9% | +31.4% | +0.7% | +5.1% | +8.8% | -0.1% | -0.4% |
Range$1.22B – $2.71B
CAGR-8.2%
Avg YoY Growth-3.7%
Median YoY Growth+0.3%
Business Segments
Sales & Marketing at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is American Express's sales & marketing?
- American Express (AXP) reported sales & marketing of $1.48B in Q1 2026.
- How has American Express's sales & marketing changed year-over-year?
- American Express's sales & marketing decreased by 0.4% year-over-year, from $1.49B to $1.48B.
- What is the long-term trend for American Express's sales & marketing?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), American Express's sales & marketing has grown at a -8.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $9.05B to $6.25B.
- What does sales & marketing mean?
- The total amount spent on advertising, marketing, and sales activities to acquire and retain customers.