Full-Time
Analyst – ICS Acquisition Investment Strategy
A757103 - Acquisition COE, A0029 - ICS - Intl Card Services - A0029
Posted on 11/1/2025
American Express
10,001+ employees
Credit cards and payment services provider
No salary listed
London, UK
Hybrid
Hybrid/onsite/virtual arrangements available depending on role and business need.
 Finance & Banking (3) |
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- Strong analytical skills with experience in interpreting complex datasets and translating them into actionable insights.
- Proficiency in Excel and data visualization tools; ability to build clear, impactful presentations.
- Effective communicator with the ability to simplify complex findings for diverse audiences, including senior stakeholders.
- Collaborative mindset with comfort working in a fast-paced, global environment.
- Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the United Kingdom is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.
- Partner with acquisition, finance, and analytics teams to monitor performance across markets, channels, and products, surfacing growth opportunities and strategic trade-offs.
- Lead the development of performance dashboards and insights for senior leadership during Investment Optimisation (IO) planning cycles.
- Evaluate ongoing investment performance, generating actionable insights and challenging the status quo to improve ROI.
- Synthesise market-level insights to contribute to investment strategy roadmaps and identify unfunded opportunities with high ROI potential.
- Facilitate communication flows between market acquisition teams and central stakeholders to ensure transparency and strategic alignment.
- Prepare executive-level materials for strategic reviews, including fact packs and BUR materials.
- Continuously enhance reporting tools in collaboration with the analytics CoE to support data-driven decision-making.
- Familiarity with marketing investment optimisation and card issuing business dynamics is a strong plus.
American Express provides credit and charge cards for individuals and businesses, along with travel services, gift cards, savings accounts, and insurance products. Card products offer revolving or charge-based spending with rewards, while business solutions help manage cash flow and employee expenses, and merchant services enable merchants to accept Amex payments. It differentiates itself through a strong focus on premium card memberships, a broad ecosystem of travel perks and loyalty rewards, and extensive business payment solutions with a large merchant network. Its goal is to support everyday spending and business payments by growing cardholder membership, transaction volume, and merchant adoption within a trusted payments ecosystem.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
New York City, New York
Founded
1850
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- US credit card payments doubled since 2016 while cash halved, boosting volumes.
- Luxury spending rose 18% in Q1 2026; Gen Z and Millennials drive 60% new acquisitions.
- Record $8.4 billion net card fee revenue in 2024, up 16% year-over-year.
What critics are saying
- Robinhood's $695 Platinum card undercuts Amex's $895 fee, eroding 10-15% premium growth.
- Affirm's BNPL captures Millennial and Gen Z transaction volume through merchant partnerships.
- Hyper AI integration fails by Q3 2026, diverting resources from core card products.
What makes American Express unique
- Amex operates closed-loop network issuing cards and processing payments directly.
- Premium lifestyle brand targets affluent consumers with superior rewards flexibility.
- Acquired Hyper in Q2 2026 for agentic AI expense management in commercial services.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Flexible Work Hours
Hybrid Work Options
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
401(k) Company Match
Bonus incentives
Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits
Generous paid parental leave policies
Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors
Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
Career development and training opportunities
Company News
Bank of America and American Express, two of Warren Buffett's largest financial holdings, delivered strong returns over the past decade. A $1,000 investment in Bank of America 10 years ago would have grown to $4,332, a 333% return, whilst the same investment in American Express would have reached $5,915, a 492% return. Both outperformed the S&P 500's 235% return over the same period. Bank of America's recovery from the financial crisis drove performance, with deposits exceeding $2 trillion and 2025 net income of $30.5 billion, up 12.45% year-on-year. The stock trades at 12 times earnings. American Express capitalized on premium card growth amongst younger consumers, with Gen Z and millennials now representing 60% of new acquisitions. The stock trades at 19 times earnings.
Robinhood has launched a $695-a-year Platinum credit card, challenging established premium cards like the $895 American Express Platinum. The card, made from 99.9% pure platinum, is marketed as invite-only though anyone can request access online. Cash back earned can be redeemed for statement credits or cash that can be reinvested through Robinhood brokerage accounts. The company says the card targets customers who already use its investing platform, which launched in 2013 and caters to younger, newer investors. Credit card experts suggest the Robinhood card's appeal depends on platform usage. Ryan Smith from Upgraded Points noted that whilst Robinhood offers a lower annual fee, American Express provides superior rewards flexibility and perks overall. The card represents Robinhood's attempt to compete in the premium credit card market long dominated by American Express, Chase and Capital One.
American Express completed several large fixed income offerings totaling over $3.5b in recent days. The capital raise coincides with a company focus on premium card growth and a shift in marketing toward higher end and younger customers. Leadership is emphasizing long term premium positioning while seeking to attract younger, high spend clients. American Express (NYSE: AXP) is currently trading at $349.63, with the share price up 11.9% over the past year and 193.2% over the past five years...
Mastercard and American Express reported strong earnings, with Mastercard posting 18% revenue growth and 22% net income growth in the fourth quarter, whilst American Express saw 10% revenue growth and 15% earnings-per-share growth. Both companies guided towards continued double-digit growth in 2026. Despite the robust results, shares of both companies fell on Friday, outpacing broader market declines. The drop appears driven by political anxiety rather than operational concerns, as the White House floats a potential 10% cap on credit card rates. Mastercard reported contained expenses and strong dollar volume growth, particularly in its high-margin services business. American Express highlighted continued spending growth amongst higher-income customers and maintained best-in-class credit metrics despite rising consumer debt levels across the industry.
The first is a famous name in the credit card sphere. The second produces a drink most of us have quaffed many times in our lives. 10 stocks we like better than Berkshire Hathaway › It's hard to believe Warren Buffett is no longer the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) . But with 2026 now underway, Buffett has reduced his role at the conglomerate to chairman of the board. As one of the most celebrated investors in modern market history, his legacy lives on -- not least because many of the holdings in Berkshire's equity portfolio are his ideas. Here's a brief look at two of the better buy-and-hold picks: finance sector titan American Express (NYSE: AXP) and beverage king Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) Amex has been in the news lately, and not for the right reasons (at least, as far as shareholders are concerned). In mid-January, President Trump announced he wants to impose a temporary 10% cap on credit card interest rates. Amex, which is both the issuer of the credit and the processor of transactions on its plastic, might have to comply with this rather significant new rule. This, however, is a big "if." At least on paper, the U.S. president does not have the unilateral authority to impose such a limitation on the credit card industry. Nevertheless, cautious investors sold out of Amex and its fellow card-processing giants after Trump's pronouncement. Given the uncertainty, it creates an instant and compelling buy-on-weakness opportunity for the stock. After all, Amex as a company is unique -- no plastic comes anywhere near the prestige of its legendary Black Card -- and it's both an effective issuer and processor. With that combination, it earns interest on cardholder balances and a small piece of every one of the cardholders' transactions. The numbers tell the tale. In Amex's most recently reported quarter, the company grew revenue by an impressive 11% year over year to $18.4 billion. Headline net income advanced even more aggressively, popping by 16% to $2.9 billion. And that qualified as a typical quarter for this ever-profitable operator. Coca-Cola is, of course, the creator and purveyor of its namesake drink, although this is only one item within a huge portfolio. The company also owns Minute Maid orange juice, the Costa coffee brand, and Dasani water, among many other products. It's hard to find any grocery store, supermarket, or restaurant anywhere in the world that doesn't stock Coca-Cola products. This gives the beverage's maker a near-unparalleled scope and reach among consumers. This, plus the fact that its drinks require little innovation, makes it a cash-generating machine, if not a hotly growing enterprise given its size and reach.