Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 9.100-9.500 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 9.340. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SYF has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Synchrony Financial from $91.00 to $85.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. HSBC upgraded Synchrony Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $73.00 to $81.00 in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Wall Street Zen raised Synchrony Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Compass Point upgraded Synchrony Financial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $96.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of Synchrony Financial from $95.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Synchrony Financial has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $87.47.

Synchrony Financial Trading Up 0.7%

Synchrony Financial stock opened at $73.49 on Thursday. Synchrony Financial has a 12-month low of $40.54 and a 12-month high of $88.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.02, a P/E/G ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.43. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $80.98 and a 200 day moving average of $75.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98.

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

Synchrony Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Investors 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Synchrony Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.10%.

Synchrony Financial announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Wednesday, October 15th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the financial services provider to buy up to 3.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Curtis Howse sold 12,086 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.02, for a total value of $894,605.72. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 108,271 shares in the company, valued at $8,014,219.42. The trade was a 10.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Arthur W. Coviello, Jr. sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.93, for a total value of $591,440.00. Following the sale, the director owned 35,769 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,644,402.17. This represents a 18.28% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 55,075 shares of company stock valued at $4,036,892 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Synchrony Financial

Here are the key news stories impacting Synchrony Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat — SYF reported $2.18 GAAP EPS vs. $2.02 consensus, driven by margin expansion, lower credit costs and buybacks; this outperformance supports near-term valuation. Press Release / Slide Deck
• Positive Sentiment: Record purchase volume and BNPL growth — company reported a record $49B in Q4 purchase volume and said BNPL lifts sales without hurting card usage, signaling continued consumer spending and product diversification. PYMNTS: BNPL Lifts Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Buy-side support — several firms (BTIG, TD Cowen, Compass Point) maintained or raised buy ratings and $95–$96 price targets, arguing near-term expense pressure masks longer-term earnings power. BTIG Reaffirmed Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — board approved a $0.30 quarterly dividend (record Feb. 6), a modest income signal that can support investor sentiment.
• Neutral Sentiment: FY2026 EPS guidance set to $9.10–$9.50 — roughly in line with consensus (9.34) but implies cautious near-term growth as management invests in products and absorbs some margin pressure. Guidance / Slide Deck
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call details available — transcripts and call notes highlight growth levers and risk discussion for 2026; useful for deeper due diligence. MSN Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Restructuring charge and higher costs hit profit — management flagged a restructuring charge and rising expenses that pared Q4 profit and could weigh on near-term margins. Reuters: Profit Hit by Restructuring
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed — Q4 revenue of $3.79B vs. $3.84B expected, reflecting flat loan balances and signaling growth challenges despite volume gains. MSN: Revenue Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple analyst target trims — JPMorgan, RBC and Barclays cut price targets (still showing upside in some cases), reflecting mixed reactions to near-term margin/headwind outlook. Benzinga: Analyst Moves

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Synchrony Financial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Synchrony Financial by 56.1% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,062 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $405,000 after acquiring an additional 2,178 shares in the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC increased its position in Synchrony Financial by 37.1% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 5,549 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $370,000 after purchasing an additional 1,503 shares during the last quarter. Nebula Research & Development LLC bought a new stake in Synchrony Financial in the second quarter worth $365,000. Focus Partners Wealth increased its position in Synchrony Financial by 7.7% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 6,406 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $339,000 after purchasing an additional 459 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP raised its stake in Synchrony Financial by 181.2% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,769 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $126,000 after purchasing an additional 1,140 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.48% of the company’s stock.

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.