American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) had a positive afternoon as the company posted quarterly earnings results that came in ahead of analysts’ expectations.

The credit card company said that its first-quarter earnings were 36% higher on a per-share basis compared to the year-ago quarter, coming in at $1.82. The figure was well ahead of the Wall Street consensus estimate of $1.71 per share, according to data compiled by Thomson Reuters.

Revenue was also a strong point for American Express as the company’s sales climbed nearly 12% compared to the year-ago quarter, reaching $9.72 billion and besting analysts’ expectations of $9.21 billion, according to data compiled by Zacks Investment Research.

The company attributed its strong period to higher spending from cardholders as this metric was up by about 12% compared to the year-ago quarter. Loan loss provisions were also higher for American Express by 35%, reaching $775 million as the company’s portfolio continues to grow, along with rising delinquency rates.

The credit card provider now projects that its fiscal 2018 earnings will be at the high end of its guidance of $6.90 to $7.30 per share. These were its first quarterly earnings figures since new CEO Stephen Squeri was appointed as the boss back in February.

AXP stock gained about 3.7% after the bell Wednesday.