American Express vs BBVA: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
American Express reported $72.2B of revenue in FY2025 and $10.8B of net income. BBVA reported ~$41.7B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$11.9B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
American Express
- Latest revenue
- $72.2B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $10.8B
- Net margin
- 15.0%
- Revenue growth
- +8.2% a year, FY2016–FY2025
BBVA
- Latest revenue
- ~$41.7B (FY2025)
- Net income
- ~$11.9B
- Net margin
- 28.5%
- Revenue growth
- +4.6% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Financial summary
American Express
American Express reported $72.2 billion in total revenues net of interest expense for FY2025, up 10 percent, and $10.8 billion of net income, or $15.38 per diluted share. The mix is less fee-only than its premium image suggests: discount revenue on merchant transactions was $37.4 billion, net interest income on card member loans was $17.4 billion, net card fees were $10.0 billion and service fees and other revenue were $7.5 billion. Growth in 2025 came disproportionately from the two smaller lines, with net card fees up 18 percent and net interest income up 12 percent against 6 percent growth in discount revenue. Return on average equity was 33.9 percent, the net write-off rate on consumer and small business loans and receivables was 2.0 percent, and the company declared $3.28 per share in dividends while average diluted shares fell from 713 million to 696 million.
BBVA
BBVA's profit is spread across five business areas. In 2025 Spain contributed ~$4.72B (EUR4.175B) of net attributable profit, Mexico ~$5.95B (EUR5.264B), Turkey ~$910M (EUR805M), South America ~$820M (EUR726M) and Rest of Business ~$709M (EUR627M), while the Corporate Center recorded a ~$1.23B (EUR1.086B) loss. Gross income rose 4.1 percent in reported euros but 16.3 percent at constant exchange rates, the gap being mostly the weaker Mexican peso. Loan-loss impairments were ~$6.86B (EUR6.073B) with a cost of risk of 1.39 percent, and the NPL ratio improved to 2.7 percent with 85 percent coverage. CET1 capital closed at 12.70 percent against a 9.28 percent requirement, and BBVA set total 2025 shareholder distributions at 50 percent of profit, EUR0.92 per share in cash.
Revenue and profit by year
American Express
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $72.2B | $10.8B | 15.0% | +9.5% | Source |
| FY2024 | $65.9B | $10.1B | 15.4% | +9.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $60.5B | $8.4B | 13.8% | +14.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | $52.9B | $7.5B | 14.2% | +24.7% | Source |
| FY2021 | $42.4B | $8.1B | 19.0% | +17.4% | Source |
| FY2020 | $36.1B | $3.1B | 8.7% | -17.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | $43.6B | $6.8B | 15.5% | +8.0% | Source |
| FY2018 | $40.3B | $6.9B | 17.2% | +9.4% | Source |
| FY2017 | $36.9B | $2.7B | 7.5% | +4.1% | Source |
| FY2016 | $35.4B | $5.4B | 15.2% | — | Source |
BBVA
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$41.7B | ~$11.9B | 28.5% | +4.1% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$40.1B | ~$11.4B | 28.3% | +20.1% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$33.4B | ~$9.1B | 27.1% | +19.4% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$28B | ~$7.2B | 25.7% | +17.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$23.8B | ~$5.3B | 22.1% | -8.3% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$26B | ~$1.5B | 5.7% | -6.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$27.6B | ~$4B | 14.4% | +3.4% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$26.7B | ~$6.1B | 22.8% | -6.3% | Source |
| FY2017 | ~$28.6B | ~$4B | 13.9% | +2.5% | Source |
| FY2016 | ~$27.9B | ~$3.9B | 14.1% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
American Express
- Discount Revenue (Merchant Fees)~52%
Discount revenue is the fee American Express charges merchants on card transactions. It was $37,401 million in FY2025, up 6 percent, and equalled 2.24 percent of billed business. It remains the largest revenue line and moves with billed business, merchant mix and geography.
- Net Interest Income~24%
Net interest income is earned on card member loans and receivables after funding costs. It was $17,364 million in FY2025, up 12 percent, on a net interest yield of 8.1 percent, helped by growth in revolving balances and by lending features added to charge card products.
- Net Card Fees~14%
Net card fees are the annual fees on consumer, small business and corporate cards. They reached $9,993 million in FY2025, up 18 percent, at an average of $117 per proprietary card in force, driven by new acquisitions on fee-paying products and by the 2025 Platinum refresh.
- Service Fees and Other Revenue~10%
Service fees and other revenue was $7,471 million in FY2025, up 10 percent. It covers network partnership revenue from cards issued by partner banks, foreign currency fees on cross-currency spending, loyalty coalition and merchant service fees, delinquency fees, travel commissions and income from equity method investments.
BBVA
- Net interest income
about 71% of gross income
Loan and deposit spreads produced ~$29.7B (EUR26.280B) in 2025, up 4.0 percent in euros and 13.9 percent at constant exchange rates.
- Net fees and commissions
about 22% of gross income
Payments, cards, accounts, asset management and insurance distribution produced ~$9.28B (EUR8.215B), with payment fees the fastest growing line.
- Net trading income and other items
about 7% of gross income
Markets activity produced ~$3B (EUR2.656B) in 2025, down 32.1 percent, while other operating income and expenses were negative at ~$250M (EUR221M).
Business model and strategy
American Express
How it makes money
American Express runs a closed-loop payments business: it issues the card, owns the network, underwrites the credit and contracts with the merchant. Visa and Mastercard only move the transaction between an issuing bank and an acquiring bank, so they never see both sides of a purchase.
Growth strategy
Amex's growth strategy is aggressively focused on capturing the next generation of wealthy spenders: Millennials and Gen Z. They have successfully revamped their well-known Platinum and Gold cards with perks tailored specifically for younger demographics (like Uber credits and dining rewards), resulting in rapid growth among younger cohorts.
Competitive advantage
American Express competes on the spending power of its card members rather than on price or ubiquity. Average spending per proprietary basic card member was $25,453 in 2025, which is the argument it makes to merchants who pay a higher discount rate, an average of 2.24 percent of billed business.
BBVA
How it makes money
BBVA runs a universal banking model built on local subsidiaries that fund themselves with local deposits, so a shock in one country does not drain the parent. Customer deposits reached ~$568B (EUR502.5B) at the end of 2025 against ~$534B (EUR472.7B) of gross loans, and net interest income of ~$29.7B (EUR26.280B) provided about 71 percent of gross income.
Growth strategy
After the Banco Sabadell offer lapsed in October 2025, BBVA's growth plan rests on organic lending, digital expansion in Europe and capital returns. Loans and advances to customers grew 11.5 percent in 2025 and customer funds 13.5 percent.
Competitive advantage
BBVA's first advantage is scale in Mexico, where BBVA Mexico is the largest bank in the country and produced ~$5.95B (EUR5.264B) of net attributable profit in 2025, close to half the group total. The second is cost: operating expenses grew 1.0 percent in euros in 2025 while gross income grew 4.1 percent, holding the efficiency ratio at 38.8 percent with a branch network trimmed to 5,642 offices.
Questions about American Express vs BBVA
Which company has higher revenue — American Express Company or Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.?
American Express Company reported $72.2B (FY2025), while Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. reported ~$41.7B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, American Express Company is the larger business, with Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of American Express Company vs Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.?
American Express Company's market capitalisation stands at $205.8B, while Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.'s is $139.7B. American Express Company carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A..
Which is more financially efficient — American Express Company or Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.?
American Express Company generates $940k / employee in revenue per employee, while Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. generates $328k / employee. American Express Company shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do American Express Company and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. make money?
American Express Company and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. American Express Company: American Express runs a closed-loop payments business: it issues the card, owns the network, underwrites the credit and contracts with the merchant. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.: BBVA runs a universal banking model built on local subsidiaries that fund themselves with local deposits, so a shock in one country does not drain the parent.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — American Express Company or Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, American Express Company trades at 2.8x P/S and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. at 3.3x P/S. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to American Express Company. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is American Express Company bigger than Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.?
By last reported revenue, American Express Company ($72.2B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (~$41.7B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the American Express vs BBVA overview