Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $87.1053.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on SYF shares. Compass Point upgraded shares of Synchrony Financial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $96.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Synchrony Financial from $95.00 to $98.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Barclays cut their target price on Synchrony Financial from $101.00 to $93.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Wall Street Zen lowered Synchrony Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, BTIG Research lowered their price target on Synchrony Financial from $100.00 to $96.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 27th.

Synchrony Financial Price Performance

Synchrony Financial stock opened at $71.29 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $24.78 billion, a PE ratio of 7.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.24 and a quick ratio of 1.24. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $79.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $75.91. Synchrony Financial has a one year low of $40.54 and a one year high of $88.77.

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The financial services provider reported $2.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.02 by $0.16. Synchrony Financial had a return on equity of 23.07% and a net margin of 15.72%.The company had revenue of $3.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.91 EPS. Synchrony Financial’s quarterly revenue was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. Synchrony Financial has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.100-9.500 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Synchrony Financial will post 7.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Synchrony Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 6th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Synchrony Financial’s dividend payout ratio is 12.92%.

Insider Activity at Synchrony Financial

In related news, insider Curtis Howse sold 52,556 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.32, for a total value of $3,800,849.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 94,196 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,812,254.72. This represents a 35.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Arthur W. Coviello, Jr. sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.32, for a total transaction of $289,280.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 32,444 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,346,350.08. The trade was a 10.98% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Synchrony Financial

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Synchrony Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $383,231,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in Synchrony Financial by 34.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 13,595,381 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $907,356,000 after acquiring an additional 3,494,741 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. increased its position in Synchrony Financial by 48.3% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 4,349,059 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $309,001,000 after acquiring an additional 1,416,909 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Synchrony Financial by 149.4% during the third quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 1,803,690 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $127,844,000 after acquiring an additional 1,080,389 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new position in shares of Synchrony Financial during the fourth quarter worth $84,494,000. 96.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Synchrony Financial

Synchrony Financial (NYSE: SYF) is a consumer financial services company that specializes in providing point-of-sale financing and private-label, co-branded and branded credit card programs. The company serves as a payments and lending partner to retailers, digital merchants and service providers, offering consumer financing solutions designed to drive customer engagement and sales. Synchrony also operates a direct bank that offers deposit products, including savings accounts and certificates of deposit, which support its funding and customer-facing product suite.

Its core product set includes private-label and co-branded credit cards, general-purpose credit cards, installment loan programs and promotional financing options that are integrated into merchants’ checkout experiences.