Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd Boosts Stock Holdings in Synchrony Financial $SYF

Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its position in shares of Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) by 2,758.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 139,846 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 134,954 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd’s holdings in Synchrony Financial were worth $11,667,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Advisors Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Synchrony Financial during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac purchased a new position in Synchrony Financial during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Synchrony Financial during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Synchrony Financial during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Colonial Trust Co SC grew its position in Synchrony Financial by 40.2% during the third quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 474 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the period. 96.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Synchrony Financial Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE SYF opened at $73.36 on Friday. Synchrony Financial has a 1 year low of $59.46 and a 1 year high of $88.77. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $72.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $74.60. The firm has a market cap of $24.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.24.

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.13. Synchrony Financial had a net margin of 15.80% and a return on equity of 23.41%. The firm had revenue of $3.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.89 earnings per share. Synchrony Financial’s revenue was down 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Synchrony Financial has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.100-9.500 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Synchrony Financial will post 9.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Synchrony Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 5th were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 5th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Synchrony Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.41%.

Synchrony Financial declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, April 21st that authorizes the company to buyback $0.00 in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on SYF shares. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Synchrony Financial from $82.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. BTIG Research lowered shares of Synchrony Financial from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Synchrony Financial from $84.00 to $73.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Synchrony Financial from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Loop Capital started coverage on shares of Synchrony Financial in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. They set a “hold” rating and a $81.00 target price on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $86.05.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Synchrony Financial news, insider Jonathan S. Mothner sold 51,258 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.23, for a total transaction of $3,651,107.34. Following the transaction, the insider owned 132,664 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,449,656.72. This trade represents a 27.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Synchrony Financial Profile

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.