American Express Company (NYSE: AXP), sometimes known as "AmEx" or "Amex", is a diversified global financial services company that is headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best known for its credit card, charge card, and traveler's cheque businesses.

Amex cards account for approximately 24 percent of the total dollar volume of credit card transactions in the US, the highest of any card issuer. BusinessWeek and Interbrand ranked American Express as the 15th most valuable brand in the world, estimating the brand to be worth US$21.94 billion. Fortune listed Amex as one of the top 30 Most Admired Companies in the World.

On November 10, 2008, during the financial crisis of 2008, the company won Federal Reserve System approval to convert to a bank holding company, making it eligible for government help under the Troubled Assets Relief Program. At that time, American Express had total consolidated assets of about $127 billion. In June 2009 the $3.39 billion in TARP funds was repaid to the tax payers plus an additional $74.4 million of dividend payments, and in July 2009 they ended their obligations under TARP by buying back the $340 million in Treasury warrants.

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