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
CategoryEfficiency
SignalContext dependent
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2014
Last reportedQ1 2026
How to read this metric
An increase may signal an aggressive growth strategy, while a decrease might indicate cost-cutting or reduced market investment.
Detailed definition
Selling and marketing expenses include costs associated with advertising, sales force compensation, and promotional acti...
Peer comparison
Common operating expense category; analyzed as a percentage of revenue to gauge marketing efficiency.
Metric ID:
is_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%
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?
- Costs related to promoting products and acquiring or retaining customers.