AMERICAN EXPRESS CO — Director's Dealing 2010

Nov 5, 2010

SEC Form 4 — Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership

Issuer: AMERICAN EXPRESS CO (AXP)
CIK: 0000004962
Period of Report: 2010-11-03

Reporting Person: CHENAULT KENNETH I (Director, Chief Executive Officer)

Non-Derivative Transactions

Date	Security	Code	Shares	Price	A/D	Holdings After	Ownership
2010-02-23	Common Stock	G	1044	—	Disposed	986924	Direct
2010-05-21	Common Stock	G	375	—	Disposed	986549	Direct
2010-05-21	Common Stock	G	5000	—	Disposed	981549	Direct
2010-05-21	Common Stock	G	2500	—	Disposed	979049	Direct
2010-05-24	Common Stock	G	1000	—	Disposed	978049	Direct
2010-05-24	Common Stock	G	2080	—	Disposed	975969	Direct
2010-05-24	Common Stock	G	500	—	Disposed	975469	Direct
2010-08-09	Common Stock	G	570	—	Disposed	974899	Direct
2010-11-03	Common Stock	M	228481	$38.922	Acquired	1203380	Direct
2010-11-03	Common Stock	M	571201	$38.922	Acquired	1774581	Direct
2010-11-03	Common Stock	M	616897	$31.941	Acquired	2391478	Direct
2010-11-03	Common Stock	S	1277616	$41.8812	Disposed	1113862	Direct
2010-11-03	Common Stock	S	24641	$41.50	Disposed	1089221	Direct
2010-11-03	Common Stock	S	26600	$41.51	Disposed	1062621	Direct
2010-11-03	Common Stock	S	89000	$42.0222	Disposed	973621	Direct

Derivative Transactions

Date	Security	Exercise Price	Code	Shares	A/D	Expiration	Underlying	Ownership
2010-11-03	Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$38.922	M	228481	Disposed	2011-02-25	Common Stock (228481)	Direct
2010-11-03	Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$38.922	M	571201	Disposed	2011-02-26	Common Stock (571201)	Direct
2010-11-03	Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$31.941	M	616897	Disposed	2012-01-27	Common Stock (616897)	Direct

Holdings (Non-Derivative)

Security	Shares	Ownership
Common Stock	22489	Indirect
Common Stock	85220	Indirect
Common Stock	9843	Indirect

Footnotes

F1: Of the 1,416,579 shares acquired pursuant to the option exercises reported above, approximately 1,307,678 shares were sold to cover the cost of exercise and withholding taxes. Mr. Chenault retained 75% of the net shares acquired from these exercises.

F2: The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $41.58 to $42.53. 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: The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $41.91 to $42.09. 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.

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."