American Express' (NYSE: AXP) stock has rallied nearly 60% over the past three years as the S 500 advanced just over 20%. The financial services giant outperformed the market as it continued generating stable growth in a tough macro environment. But will this blue chip stalwart stay ahead of the market over the next three years? Let's review its business model, growth rates, and valuations to decide.

American Express controls a much smaller slice of the global card processing market than and Mastercard, but it operates a different business model. Visa and Mastercard only operate payment processing networks and don't issue any cards. Banks and other financial institutions issue co-branded cards with Visa and Mastercard, take on the customers' debt, and pay the two companies "swipe fees" for accessing their payment networks.

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Source Fool.com