Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Brookfield Finance Inc. 4.625% (BNH) vs American Express Company (AXP) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | AXP | 10.1% revenue growth vs BNH's -10.3% |
| Value | AXP | Lower P/E (17.6x vs 76.7x) |
| Quality / Margins | AXP | 13.7% net margin vs BNH's 0.7% |
| Stability / Safety | BNH | Beta 0.20 vs AXP's 1.35, lower leverage |
| Dividends | BNH | 1.3% yield, 1-year raise streak, vs AXP's 0.9% |
| Momentum (1Y) | AXP | +3.7% vs BNH's -0.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AXP | 3.5% ROA vs BNH's 0.2%, ROIC 12.2% vs 3.4% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Brookfield Finance is a special purpose financing vehicle that issues debt securities to raise capital for its parent company's global investment operations. It generates revenue primarily through interest income from its debt portfolio — essentially borrowing money at one rate and lending it to Brookfield entities at a higher rate. Its key advantage is the backing and credit support from Brookfield Asset Management, which provides investor confidence through the parent company's strong balance sheet and diversified global asset base.
American Express is a global payments and financial services company that issues charge and credit cards to consumers and businesses. It generates revenue primarily from discount fees charged to merchants — typically 2-3% of transaction value — and cardmember fees, with additional income from interest on revolving balances and travel services. Its key competitive advantage is its premium brand positioning and closed-loop network — which allows it to control both card issuance and merchant acceptance while collecting rich transaction data.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
AXP leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). BNH leads in 1 (Risk & Volatility). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
BNH and AXP operate at a comparable scale, with $86.0B and $74.2B in trailing revenue. AXP is the more profitable business, keeping 13.7% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to BNH's 0.7%.
| Metric | BNHBrookfield Financ… | AXPAmerican Express … |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $86.0B | $74.2B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $28.0B | $15.2B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $996M | $10.5B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$2.8B | $18.9B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +21.0% | +81.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +20.9% | +17.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +0.7% | +13.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -4.0% | +16.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +18.6% |
Valuation Metrics
At 22.0x trailing earnings, AXP trades at a 71% valuation discount to BNH's 76.7x P/E.
| Metric | BNHBrookfield Financ… | AXPAmerican Express … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | — | $212.8B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | — | $223.4B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 76.73x | 22.03x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 17.58x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.85x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 15.33x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 2.87x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.23x | 7.28x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 17.53x |
Profitability & Efficiency
AXP delivers a 32.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $33 in annual profit, vs $1 for BNH. BNH carries lower financial leverage with a 1.42x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to AXP's 1.69x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AXP scores 7/9 vs BNH's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | BNHBrookfield Financ… | AXPAmerican Express … |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +0.6% | +32.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +0.2% | +3.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +3.4% | +12.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +4.5% | +11.2% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.42x | 1.69x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $219.7B | $10.5B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $15.1B | $40.6B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $234.8B | $51.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 1.17x | 1.64x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AXP five years ago would be worth $23,155 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $9,352 for BNH. Over the past 12 months, AXP leads with a +3.7% total return vs BNH's -0.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AXP at 22.2% vs BNH's 3.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | BNHBrookfield Financ… | AXPAmerican Express … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -0.4% | -16.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -0.1% | +3.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +11.5% | +82.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -6.5% | +131.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -12.8% | +491.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +3.7% | +22.2% |
Risk & Volatility
BNH is the less volatile stock with a 0.20 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AXP's 1.35 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. BNH currently trades 92.6% from its 52-week high vs AXP's 79.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | BNHBrookfield Financ… | AXPAmerican Express … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.20x | 1.35x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $17.12 | $387.49 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $14.50 | $220.43 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +92.6% | +79.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 50.3 | 42.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 25K | 2.4M |
Analyst Outlook
For income investors, BNH offers the higher dividend yield at 1.31% vs AXP's 0.91%.
| Metric | BNHBrookfield Financ… | AXPAmerican Express … |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $374.58 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 56 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +1.3% | +0.9% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 14 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.21 | $2.80 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | — | +2.8% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Oct 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield Finance … (BNH) | 100 | 63.74 | -36.3% |
| American Express Co… (AXP) | 100 | 377.76 | +277.8% |
American Express Co… (AXP) returned +132% over 5 years vs Brookfield Finance … (BNH)'s -6%. A $10,000 investment in AXP 5 years ago would be worth $23,155 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield Finance … (BNH) | $19.9B | $86.0B | +331.9% |
| American Express Co… (AXP) | $34.4B | $74.2B | +115.8% |
Brookfield Finance Inc. 4.625%'s revenue grew from $19.9B (2015) to $86.0B (2024) — a 17.7% CAGR. American Express Company's revenue grew from $34.4B (2015) to $74.2B (2024) — a 8.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield Finance … (BNH) | 11.8% | 0.7% | -93.7% |
| American Express Co… (AXP) | 15.0% | 13.7% | -9.1% |
Brookfield Finance Inc. 4.625%'s net margin went from 12% (2015) to 1% (2024). American Express Company's net margin went from 15% (2015) to 14% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield Finance … (BNH) | 15.8 | 80.9 | +412.0% |
| American Express Co… (AXP) | 33.4 | 21.2 | -36.5% |
Brookfield Finance Inc. 4.625% has traded in a 16x–81x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~77x. American Express Company has traded in a 12x–33x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~22x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield Finance … (BNH) | 1.01 | 0.21 | -79.5% |
| American Express Co… (AXP) | 5.05 | 14.02 | +177.6% |
Brookfield Finance Inc. 4.625%'s EPS grew from $1.01 (2015) to $0.21 (2024) — a -16% CAGR. American Express Company's EPS grew from $5.05 (2015) to $14.02 (2024) — a 12% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Brookfield Finance Inc. 4.625% generated $-3B FCF in 2024 (-448% vs 2021). American Express Company generated $12B FCF in 2024 (-7% vs 2021).
BNH vs AXP: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is BNH or AXP a better buy right now?
American Express Company (AXP) offers the better valuation at 22.0x trailing P/E (17.6x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate American Express Company (AXP) a "Hold" — based on 56 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — BNH or AXP?
On trailing P/E, American Express Company (AXP) is the cheapest at 22.0x versus Brookfield Finance Inc. 4.625% at 76.7x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — BNH or AXP?
Over the past 5 years, American Express Company (AXP) delivered a total return of +131.5%, compared to -6.5% for Brookfield Finance Inc. 4.625% (BNH). A $10,000 investment in AXP five years ago would be worth approximately $23K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AXP returned +491.2% versus BNH's -12.8%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — BNH or AXP?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Brookfield Finance Inc. 4.625% (BNH) is the lower-risk stock at 0.20β versus American Express Company's 1.35β — meaning AXP is approximately 573% more volatile than BNH relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Brookfield Finance Inc. 4.625% (BNH) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 142% versus 169% for American Express Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — BNH or AXP?
American Express Company (AXP) is the more profitable company, earning 13.7% net margin versus 0.7% for Brookfield Finance Inc. 4.625% — meaning it keeps 13.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: BNH leads at 20.9% versus 17.4% for AXP. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AXP leads at 81.9%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Which pays a better dividend — BNH or AXP?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Brookfield Finance Inc. 4.625% (BNH) offers the highest yield at 1.3%, versus 0.9% for American Express Company (AXP).
07Is BNH or AXP better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Brookfield Finance Inc. 4.625% (BNH) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.20), 1.3% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (BNH: -12.8%, AXP: +491.2%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between BNH and AXP?
Both stocks operate in the Financial Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.