Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) Stock Rating Raised to “Hold” at BMO Capital Markets

BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) to a hold rating in a research report released on Thursday morning,Zacks reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Synchrony Financial from $95.00 to $88.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Synchrony Financial from $81.00 to $78.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Synchrony Financial from $86.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Synchrony Financial from $87.00 to $81.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, HSBC upped their target price on Synchrony Financial from $93.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $87.80.

Synchrony Financial Price Performance

Shares of NYSE SYF opened at $72.78 on Thursday. Synchrony Financial has a 52 week low of $63.08 and a 52 week high of $88.77. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $76.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $74.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The firm has a market cap of $23.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.46, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.35.

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.59 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.45. The business had revenue of $3.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.72 billion. Synchrony Financial had a net margin of 15.44% and a return on equity of 23.09%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.50 EPS. Synchrony Financial has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.250-9.500 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Synchrony Financial will post 9.40 earnings per share for the current year.

Synchrony Financial Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 5th were issued a $0.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 5th. This is a positive change from Synchrony Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. Synchrony Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 13.93%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Synchrony Financial

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SYF. GK Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Synchrony Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Riversedge Advisors LLC grew its stake in Synchrony Financial by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. Riversedge Advisors LLC now owns 5,022 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $356,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the period. Wedmont Private Capital raised its position in Synchrony Financial by 4.6% during the third quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 10,689 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $788,000 after acquiring an additional 467 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Synchrony Financial by 7.0% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 20,306 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,441,000 after acquiring an additional 1,325 shares during the period. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Synchrony Financial by 54.8% during the third quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 780 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 276 shares in the last quarter. 96.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Synchrony Financial Company Profile

Synchrony Financial (NYSE: SYF) is a consumer financial services company that provides credit products and related services through partnerships with retailers, manufacturers, healthcare providers and other businesses. The company is best known for private-label credit cards and dual-use credit cards that allow consumers to finance purchases with participating brands.

Synchrony’s offerings also include promotional financing, installment loans and other consumer payment solutions. Its products support spending across areas such as retail, home improvement, consumer electronics, healthcare, automotive and lifestyle purchases.