In the current session, the stock is trading at $268.50, after a 0.43% spike. Over the past month, American Express Inc. (NYSE:AXP) stock increased by 0.58%, and in the past year, by 85.01%. With performance like this, long-term shareholders are optimistic but others are more likely to look into the price-to-earnings ratio to see if the stock might be overvalued.

Evaluating American Express P/E in Comparison to Its Peers

The P/E ratio is used by long-term shareholders to assess the company's market performance against aggregate market data, historical earnings, and the industry at large. A lower P/E could indicate that shareholders do not expect the stock to perform better in the future or it could mean that the company is undervalued.

American Express has a lower P/E than the aggregate P/E of 23.45 of the Consumer Finance industry. Ideally, one might believe that the stock might perform worse than its peers, but it's also probable that the stock is undervalued.

In conclusion, the price-to-earnings ratio is a useful metric for analyzing a company's market performance, but it has its limitations. While a lower P/E can indicate that a company is undervalued, it can also suggest that shareholders do not expect future growth. Additionally, the P/E ratio should not be used in isolation, as other factors such as industry trends and business cycles can also impact a company's stock price. Therefore, investors should use the P/E ratio in conjunction with other financial metrics and qualitative analysis to make informed investment decisions.