American Express 2001 Annual Report Download - page 79

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axp_77
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
REPORT OF ERNST & YOUNG LLP INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
THE SHAREHOLDERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of American Express Company as of December 31, 2001 and 2000,
and the related consolidated statements of income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period
ended December 31, 2001. These financial statements are the responsibility of the management of American Express Company.
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States. Those standards require
that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material mis-
statement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial state-
ments. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as
evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position
of American Express Company at December 31, 2001 and 2000, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for
each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2001, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States.
New York, New York
January 28, 2002