American Express vs ICICI Bank: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
American Express reported $72.2B of revenue in FY2025 and $10.8B of net income. ICICI Bank reported ~$23B of revenue in FY2026 and ~$6.3B 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
ICICI Bank
- Latest revenue
- ~$23B (FY2026)
- Net income
- ~$6.3B
- Net margin
- 27.4%
- Revenue growth
- +19.0% a year, FY2022–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.
ICICI Bank
ICICI Bank's finances moved from crisis to steady compounding over a decade. Bad corporate loans to infrastructure, power, and steel projects drove a non-performing asset surge between 2015 and 2018. After Sandeep Bakhshi became CEO in October 2018, the bank cut concentrated corporate exposure and rebuilt around granular retail and business lending. Standalone net profit reached Rs 47,227 crore in FY2025 and Rs 50,146.6 crore in FY2026, a 6.2% rise as margins held at 4.32%. Profit growth picked up again in Q1 FY2027 to 15.9% (Rs 14,805 crore), helped by 12.7% net interest income growth, 23.5% fee growth, and lower provisions. Consolidated Q1 FY2027 profit was about Rs 15,440 crore.
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 |
ICICI Bank
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | ~$23B | ~$6.3B | 27.4% | +8.7% | Source |
| FY2025 | ~$21.1B | ~$5.9B | 28.0% | +27.6% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$16.6B | ~$5.1B | 31.0% | +22.1% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$13.6B | ~$3.9B | 29.1% | +18.2% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$11.5B | ~$2.9B | 25.4% | — | 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.
ICICI Bank
- Net interest income and lending spread
Core driver
Interest earned on loans and investments less deposit and borrowing costs.
- Retail banking fees
Major fee stream
Credit cards, payments, wealth products, account services, and retail banking charges.
- Wholesale and business banking
Institutional stream
Corporate loans, trade finance, cash management, treasury services, and business banking.
- Treasury and investments
Market-linked stream
Investment portfolio, derivatives, foreign exchange, and balance-sheet treasury activity.
- Subsidiaries and associates
Diversified contribution
Insurance, asset management, securities, and other financial-services interests.
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.
ICICI Bank
How it makes money
ICICI Bank makes money mainly from net interest income: the gap between what it earns on loans and investments and what it pays on deposits and borrowings. Net interest income was Rs 22,979 crore in Q4 FY2026 alone and Rs 24,384 crore in Q1 FY2027, with a 4.32% FY2026 net interest margin. Fee income from cards, payments, wealth products, trade, and transaction banking is the second engine;
Growth strategy
Management frames its strategy as 'risk-calibrated core operating profit' growth. In FY2026 that meant leaning into segments growing faster than retail: total advances rose 15.8%, business banking 24.4%, and rural lending 25.6%, while retail loans grew 9.5% as the bank slowed unsecured credit. Digital platforms such as iMobile and InstaBIZ are used to cut servicing costs and widen cross-sell.
Competitive advantage
ICICI Bank's edge is a combination of low-cost deposits, strong underwriting data, and distribution. Net NPAs were 0.33% at March 2026 and 0.35% at June 2026, with about Rs 131 billion of contingency provisions held on top of specific provisions. That buffer lets the bank grow loans without the provisioning shocks that hit it in 2015-2018.
Questions about American Express vs ICICI Bank
Which company has higher revenue — American Express Company or ICICI Bank Limited?
American Express Company reported $72.2B (FY2025), while ICICI Bank Limited reported ~$23B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, American Express Company is the larger business, with ICICI Bank Limited 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 ICICI Bank Limited?
American Express Company's market capitalisation stands at $205.8B, while ICICI Bank Limited's is $100.0B. American Express Company carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to ICICI Bank Limited.
Which is more financially efficient — American Express Company or ICICI Bank Limited?
American Express Company generates $940k / employee in revenue per employee, while ICICI Bank Limited generates $185k / 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 ICICI Bank Limited make money?
American Express Company and ICICI Bank Limited 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. ICICI Bank Limited: ICICI Bank makes money mainly from net interest income: the gap between what it earns on loans and investments and what it pays on deposits and borrowings.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — American Express Company or ICICI Bank Limited?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, American Express Company trades at 2.8x P/S and ICICI Bank Limited at 4.4x P/S. ICICI Bank Limited 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 ICICI Bank Limited?
By last reported revenue, American Express Company ($72.2B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to ICICI Bank Limited (~$23B (FY2026)). 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 ICICI Bank overview