AMERICAN EXPRESS CO — Director's Dealing 2010

Nov 9, 2010

SEC Form 4 — Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership

Issuer: AMERICAN EXPRESS CO (AXP)
CIK: 0000004962
Period of Report: 2010-11-05

Reporting Person: PARENT LOUISE M (EVP, General Counsel)

Non-Derivative Transactions

Date	Security	Code	Shares	Price	A/D	Holdings After	Ownership
2010-11-05	Common Stock	M	188496	$31.941	Acquired	432901	Direct
2010-11-05	Common Stock	S	175832	$44.0219	Disposed	257069	Direct
2010-11-05	Common Stock	S	12664	$44.00	Disposed	244405	Direct

Derivative Transactions

Date	Security	Exercise Price	Code	Shares	A/D	Expiration	Underlying	Ownership
2010-11-05	Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$31.941	M	188496	Disposed	2012-01-27	Common Stock (188496)	Direct

Holdings (Non-Derivative)

Security	Shares	Ownership
Common Stock	83	Indirect

Footnotes

F1: Of the 188,496 shares acquired pursuant to the employee stock option exercise reported above, approximately 163,168 shares were sold to cover the cost of exercise and withholding taxes. Ms. Parent retained 50% of the net shares acquired from this option exercise.

F2: The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $44.00 to $44.10. The reporting person undertakes to provide to American Express Company, any security holder of American Express Company, or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within this range.

F3: These shares were originally acquired from previous stock option exercises or restricted stock vestings under registered Company plans or pursuant to dividend reinvestment.

F4: Includes shares acquired pursuant to dividend reinvestment.

F5: Shares held in reporting person's account under the Company's Retirement Savings Plan. This plan uses unit accounting, and the number of shares that a participant is deemed to hold varies with the unit price of the Company pooled stock fund.

F6: These options vested in three equal annual installments beginning on the date shown as "Date Exercisable."