American Express vs Disney: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
American Express reported $72.2B of revenue in FY2025 and $10.8B of net income. Disney reported $94.4B of revenue in FY2025 and $12.4B 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
Disney
- Latest revenue
- $94.4B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $12.4B
- Net margin
- 13.1%
- Revenue growth
- +7.0% a year, FY2017–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.
Disney
Disney's fiscal 2025 (ended September 27, 2025) revenue rose 3% to $94.4 billion, net income was $12.4 billion and adjusted EPS increased 19% to $5.93. Total segment operating income rose 12% to $17.6 billion, led by a record $10.0 billion from Experiences. Streaming became a reliable profit contributor after years of losses. In fiscal Q3 2026 (ended June 27, 2026), revenue grew 7% to $25.25 billion, Experiences revenue rose 10% to $9.97 billion, entertainment streaming revenue rose 11% to $5.53 billion, and adjusted EPS climbed to $2.06 from $1.61. Management guided to $9 billion of fiscal 2026 capital spending, about $24 billion of content investment and at least $9 billion of share repurchases.
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 |
Disney
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $94.4B | $12.4B | 13.1% | +3.4% | Source |
| FY2024 | $91.4B | — | 0.0% | +2.8% | Source |
| FY2023 | $88.9B | — | 0.0% | +7.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | $82.7B | — | 0.0% | +22.7% | Source |
| FY2021 | $67.4B | — | 0.0% | +3.1% | Source |
| FY2020 | $65.4B | — | 0.0% | -6.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | $69.6B | — | 0.0% | +17.1% | Source |
| FY2018 | $59.4B | — | 0.0% | +7.8% | Source |
| FY2017 | $55.1B | — | 0.0% | — | 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.
Disney
- Entertainment~44%
Disney+, Hulu, theatrical films, content licensing, ABC and cable networks: $42.5B FY2025 revenue.
- Experiences~38%
Theme parks, resorts, Disney Cruise Line and consumer products: $36.2B FY2025 revenue.
- Sports~18%
ESPN affiliate fees, advertising and direct-to-consumer subscriptions: $17.7B FY2025 revenue.
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.
Disney
How it makes money
Disney reports three segments. Entertainment ($42.5B FY2025 revenue, $4.7B segment operating income) sells Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions and advertising, releases films theatrically, licenses content and runs ABC and cable networks. Sports ($17.7B revenue, $2.9B operating income) is mainly ESPN, which earns affiliate fees from pay-TV distributors, advertising and direct-to-consumer subscriptions.
Growth strategy
Under CEO Josh D'Amaro, Disney's plan centers on a 'One Disney' push to align its divisions around franchises, plus three investment priorities. First, streaming margins: Disney targeted a 10% operating margin for Entertainment DTC in fiscal 2026 through price increases, advertising tiers, password-sharing limits and the integrated Disney+ and Hulu app.
Competitive advantage
Disney owns a franchise library that few rivals can match, including Mickey Mouse, Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and The Simpsons, and it can monetize the same story through box office, Disney+, parks, cruises and licensing. Its parks are hard to copy because they need decades of land, capital and Imagineering know-how; Walt Disney World alone spans about 25,000 acres.
Questions about American Express vs Disney
Which company has higher revenue — American Express Company or The Walt Disney Company?
American Express Company reported $72.2B (FY2025), while The Walt Disney Company reported $94.4B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, The Walt Disney Company is the larger business, with American Express Company reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of American Express Company vs The Walt Disney Company?
American Express Company's market capitalisation stands at $205.8B, while The Walt Disney Company's is $180.0B. American Express Company carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to The Walt Disney Company.
Which is more financially efficient — American Express Company or The Walt Disney Company?
American Express Company generates $940k / employee in revenue per employee, while The Walt Disney Company generates $409k / 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 The Walt Disney Company make money?
American Express Company and The Walt Disney Company 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. The Walt Disney Company: Disney reports three segments.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — American Express Company or The Walt Disney Company?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, American Express Company trades at 2.8x P/S and The Walt Disney Company at 1.9x P/S. American Express Company commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to The Walt Disney 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 The Walt Disney Company?
By last reported revenue, The Walt Disney Company ($94.4B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to American Express Company ($72.2B (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 Disney overview