Meet the Dow Jones Dividend Inventory That is on Tempo to Beat the S&P 500 for the Fifth Consecutive 12 months. Here is Why It is Nonetheless a Purchase Now.

• American Categorical is on observe to ship the next complete return than the S&P 500 for the fifth consecutive 12 months.

• Its enterprise mannequin is distinctly totally different than Visa and Mastercard.

• American Categorical caters to prosperous customers, making it nicely positioned to endure an financial slowdown.

• 10 shares we like higher than American Categorical ›

The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has doubled over the past 5 years largely due to mega-cap tech shares just like the “Ten Titans.” Many value-focused firms that distribute a good portion of their income to shareholders by way of dividends have underperformed the index throughout this era of dominance for tech shares. However not Dow Jones Industrial Common (DJINDICES: ^DJI) part American Categorical (NYSE: AXP).

The monetary companies large produced a 269% complete return within the final 5 years and is on observe to beat the S&P 500 for the fifth consecutive 12 months in 2025.

Here is why American Categorical continues to thrive in a progress stock-dominated market, and why it may nonetheless be a purchase now, even at an all-time excessive.

American Categorical acts as a cost processor and a financial institution by issuing playing cards and managing the chance related to prospects paying off their balances. Whereas Visa (NYSE: V) and Mastercard (NYSE: MA) serve solely because the cost processor, passing the chance alongside to affiliated banks reminiscent of JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup. Visa and Mastercard’s simplicity and capital-light enterprise fashions yield far increased working margins than American Categorical. However American Categorical has demonstrated that its method provides considerably extra upside potential and quicker progress.

Prime-tier American Categorical playing cards include comparatively costly annual charges, but additionally some beneficiant perks. American Categorical attracts prosperous prospects who’re extremely prone to handle their spending nicely. Perks incentivize prospects to make use of their playing cards for as many purchases as potential. The perks come at a price, as American Categorical’s member rewards bills are roughly double the charges it collects from memberships. However it’s value it as a result of American Categorical makes a lot in low cost income (service provider charges). It tends to cost increased charges to retailers than Visa and Mastercard to assist offset the losses incurred on membership rewards.

American Categorical has expanded its community, making it extra engaging for retailers to simply accept its playing cards, even when they must pay increased charges. The result’s a snowball impact, the place current prospects use their American Categorical playing cards extra continuously, and potential prospects could make the choice to enroll in a card because of the perks and its widespread acceptance.

American Categorical has outperformed Visa and Mastercard over the past 12 months, three-year, and five-year durations — however has lagged each its friends over the past decade. A giant motive for American Categorical’s current breakout relative to Visa and Mastercard is probably going its deal with prosperous prospects, which makes it extra resilient to a possible financial downturn or extended interval of shopper spending declines.

Monetary safety is carefully tied to spending. Somebody dwelling paycheck to paycheck with out an emergency fund is extra prone to be delicate to inflation and the price of dwelling outpacing wage progress than somebody with a extra substantial monetary cushion. What’s extra, quite a lot of totally different asset classes are at or close to all-time highs — from the U.S inventory market to actual property costs and even gold. People who’ve benefited from the worth enlargement in these classes could also be higher off now than they had been when inflation was decrease.

As talked about, the S&P 500 has doubled within the final 5 years — and inflation hasn’t gone up practically as a lot. So people who personal quite a lot of shares and have seen their wealth compound could don’t have any points paying up for discretionary items and companies even when costs have gone up. That is the group of customers that American Categorical is focusing on, which is what makes it an excellent wager for traders involved a few weakening job market or rising inflation.

Even when shopper spending pressures persist, Visa and Mastercard will nonetheless generate sturdy returns as a result of they generate income each time a card is swiped, tapped, or processed digitally, whatever the transaction measurement. However they’re arguably extra delicate to pullbacks in discretionary spending by non-affluent customers than American Categorical.

The Federal Reserve’s choice to decrease rates of interest might be a boon for American Categorical, Visa, and Mastercard. However American Categorical is a safer wager for traders who worth firms with loyal buyer bases.

Visa and Mastercard are phenomenal, high-margin firms. However American Categorical is the higher purchase for traders in search of a extra recession-resistant firm at a cheaper valuation and with the next dividend yield. American Categorical has a ahead price-to-earnings ratio of simply 22.2. Its yield is only one%, however that is primarily as a result of the inventory has carried out so nicely and outpaced its dividend progress price. American Categorical has been boosting its payout at a formidable price in recent times. Its most up-to-date increase was by 17%, and the payout has practically tripled over the past decade.

All advised, American Categorical remains to be an excellent inventory to purchase now and has what it takes to proceed delivering sturdy returns for years to return.

Before you purchase inventory in American Categorical, think about this:

The Motley Idiot Inventory Advisor analyst staff simply recognized what they consider are the 10 greatest shares for traders to purchase now… and American Categorical wasn’t one in every of them. The ten shares that made the lower may produce monster returns within the coming years.

Think about when Netflix made this checklist on December 17, 2004… in the event you invested $1,000 on the time of our suggestion, you’d have $652,872!* Or when Nvidia made this checklist on April 15, 2005… in the event you invested $1,000 on the time of our suggestion, you’d have $1,092,280!*

Now, it’s value noting Inventory Advisor’s complete common return is 1,062% — a market-crushing outperformance in comparison with 189% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the most recent prime 10 checklist, out there once you be a part of Inventory Advisor.

See the ten shares »

*Inventory Advisor returns as of September 22, 2025

American Categorical is an promoting companion of Motley Idiot Cash. JPMorgan Chase is an promoting companion of Motley Idiot Cash. Citigroup is an promoting companion of Motley Idiot Cash. Daniel Foelber has no place in any of the shares talked about. The Motley Idiot has positions in and recommends JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, and Visa. The Motley Idiot has a disclosure coverage.

Meet the Dow Jones Dividend Inventory That is on Tempo to Beat the S&P 500 for the Fifth Consecutive 12 months. Here is Why It is Nonetheless a Purchase Now. was initially revealed by The Motley Idiot