Handelsbanken Fonder AB Buys 32,047 Shares of Synchrony Financial $SYF

Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its stake in Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) by 24.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 163,596 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 32,047 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Synchrony Financial were worth $12,441,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of SYF. FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Synchrony Financial during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac acquired a new stake in shares of Synchrony Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Synchrony Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Synchrony Financial during the third quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Reflection Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Synchrony Financial during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Institutional investors own 96.48% of the company’s stock.

Synchrony Financial Trading Up 0.8%

NYSE SYF opened at $80.02 on Friday. Synchrony Financial has a 12 month low of $63.08 and a 12 month high of $88.77. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $75.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $72.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The company has a market capitalization of $26.04 billion, a PE ratio of 8.20, a P/E/G ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.32.

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.45. The firm had revenue of $3.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.72 billion. Synchrony Financial had a return on equity of 23.09% and a net margin of 15.44%.During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.50 earnings per share. Synchrony Financial has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.250-9.500 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Synchrony Financial will post 9.37 EPS for the current year.

Synchrony Financial Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.34 per share. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 5th. This is a positive change from Synchrony Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. Synchrony Financial’s payout ratio is 13.93%.

Synchrony Financial announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, April 21st that permits the company to repurchase $0.00 in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the financial services provider to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Synchrony Financial from $81.00 to $78.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 13th. Loop Capital initiated 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. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Synchrony Financial from $85.00 to $80.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Synchrony Financial in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Synchrony Financial from $86.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Synchrony Financial currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $87.89.

Synchrony Financial Company 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.