American Express reported third-quarter billed business of $454 billion, falling short of analysts' expectations of $456.9 billion. The company attributed part of the shortfall to exiting several small business co-brand card partnerships. Concurrently, the company announced a workforce reduction of approximately 5% to enhance efficiency. Despite the pressure on spending, American Express raised its full-year adjusted earnings per share (EPS) guidance to $18.30-$18.60, up from the previous forecast of $17.30-$17.90. As of 7:34 AM ET on Friday, American Express shares were down 2.7% in premarket trading, at $316.33.