Total Operating Expenses
American Express Total Operating Expenses decreased by 4.1% to $13.88B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 11.1%, from $12.49B to $13.88B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Total Operating Expenses shows an upward trend with a 12.6% CAGR. This increase may warrant attention — for this metric, lower values are generally preferred.
Analysis
How to read this metric
An increase faster than revenue growth suggests declining operating margins, while slower growth indicates effective cost control.
Detailed definition
Total operating expenses represent the sum of all costs incurred to operate the business, excluding the cost of goods so...
Peer comparison
Used to calculate operating margin; peers in the healthcare sector monitor this closely to manage profitability against R&D requirements.
total_operating_expensesHistorical Data
| 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 | $7.91B | $8.67B | $9.79B | $9.06B | $10.44B | $10.32B | $11.28B | $11.06B | $11.12B | $11.05B | $11.85B | $11.39B | $11.28B | $12.08B | $13.13B | $12.49B | $12.90B | $13.31B | $14.48B | $13.88B |
| QoQ Change | — | +9.6% | +12.9% | -7.5% | +15.3% | -1.2% | +9.3% | -1.9% | +0.6% | -0.7% | +7.3% | -3.9% | -1.0% | +7.1% | +8.7% | -4.9% | +3.3% | +3.2% | +8.7% | -4.1% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +32.0% | +19.0% | +15.2% | +22.1% | +6.5% | +7.1% | +5.1% | +3.0% | +1.4% | +9.3% | +10.8% | +9.7% | +14.4% | +10.3% | +10.2% | +11.1% |
Business Segments
Total Operating Expenses at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is American Express's total operating expenses?
- American Express (AXP) reported total operating expenses of $13.88B in Q1 2026.
- How has American Express's total operating expenses changed year-over-year?
- American Express's total operating expenses increased by 11.1% year-over-year, from $12.49B to $13.88B.
- What is the long-term trend for American Express's total operating expenses?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), American Express's total operating expenses has grown at a 12.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $33.11B to $53.18B.
- What does total operating expenses mean?
- The total cost of running the business, including all non-production expenses.