American Express vs FedEx: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
American Express reported $72.2B of revenue in FY2025 and $10.8B of net income. FedEx reported $94.7B of revenue in FY2026 and $4.4B 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
FedEx
- Latest revenue
- $94.7B (FY2026)
- Net income
- $4.4B
- Net margin
- 4.7%
- Revenue growth
- +5.1% a year, FY2017–FY2026
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.
FedEx
FedEx's FY2026 results showed steady growth on a lower cost base. Revenue rose to $94.7 billion and GAAP operating income to $5.46 billion (5.8% margin; 7.0% adjusted). The company said it beat its goal of $1 billion in transformation savings for the year, and capital spending fell 6% to $3.8 billion, or 4.0% of revenue, the lowest ratio in its history. Fourth-quarter revenue was $25.0 billion with adjusted EPS of $6.31. Spin-off costs of $2.46 per share and business optimization costs of $1.19 per share explain most of the gap between GAAP and adjusted earnings.
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 |
FedEx
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $94.7B | $4.4B | 4.7% | +7.7% | Source |
| FY2025 | $87.9B | $4.1B | 4.7% | +0.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $87.7B | $4.3B | 4.9% | -2.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | $90.2B | $4B | 4.4% | -3.6% | Source |
| FY2022 | $93.5B | $3.8B | 4.1% | +11.4% | Source |
| FY2021 | $84B | $5.2B | 6.2% | +21.3% | Source |
| FY2020 | $69.2B | $1.3B | 1.9% | -0.7% | Source |
| FY2019 | $69.7B | $540M | 0.8% | +6.5% | Source |
| FY2018 | $65.5B | $4.6B | 7.0% | +8.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | $60.3B | $3B | 5.0% | — | 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.
FedEx
- Package Delivery and Express Services
Largest stream
Domestic and international parcel delivery through the integrated Federal Express air-ground network.
- Fuel Surcharges and Yield Management
Variable stream
Pricing mechanisms tied to fuel, shipment mix, base yields, and service levels.
- Logistics, Customs, and Technology Services
Supporting stream
Brokerage, supply-chain management, e-commerce enablement, tracking, and customer technology services.
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.
FedEx
How it makes money
FedEx earns money by charging shippers to move parcels and freight through a high-fixed-cost network of aircraft, hubs, sort facilities, and delivery routes. Prices depend on weight, dimensions, distance, and speed (overnight, two-day, ground, international priority or economy), plus fuel, residential, and peak surcharges that are updated weekly or seasonally.
Growth strategy
FedEx's growth plan has three parts: lower cost to serve by merging Express and Ground routes and facilities under Network 2.0, shrink and modernize the air fleet to match demand, and push into higher-yield segments such as healthcare cold chain, B2B shipping, small and mid-sized business customers, and cross-border e-commerce.
Competitive advantage
FedEx's moat is physical scale that is very hard to copy: one of the world's largest cargo airlines, the Memphis World Hub that sorts packages overnight, and pickup and delivery coverage in more than 220 countries and territories.
Questions about American Express vs FedEx
Which company has higher revenue — American Express Company or FedEx Corporation?
American Express Company reported $72.2B (FY2025), while FedEx Corporation reported $94.7B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, FedEx Corporation is the larger business, with American Express Company reporting a smaller revenue base. Note: these are from different fiscal years and are not a direct like-for-like comparison.
What is the market cap of American Express Company vs FedEx Corporation?
American Express Company's market capitalisation stands at $205.8B, while FedEx Corporation's is $73.0B. American Express Company carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to FedEx Corporation.
Which is more financially efficient — American Express Company or FedEx Corporation?
American Express Company generates $940k / employee in revenue per employee, while FedEx Corporation generates $179k / 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 FedEx Corporation make money?
American Express Company and FedEx Corporation 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. FedEx Corporation: FedEx earns money by charging shippers to move parcels and freight through a high-fixed-cost network of aircraft, hubs, sort facilities, and delivery routes.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — American Express Company or FedEx Corporation?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, American Express Company trades at 2.8x P/S and FedEx Corporation at 0.8x P/S. American Express Company commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to FedEx Corporation. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is American Express Company bigger than FedEx Corporation?
By last reported revenue, FedEx Corporation ($94.7B (FY2026)) 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 FedEx overview