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

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, twelve have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $87.0526.

A number of research firms have weighed in on SYF. TD Cowen raised their price target on Synchrony Financial from $91.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of Synchrony Financial from $95.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Synchrony Financial in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wolfe Research started coverage on Synchrony Financial in a research report on Monday, December 8th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $92.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Synchrony Financial from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th.

Synchrony Financial News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised several near-term and FY2026 estimates, including FY2026 EPS to $9.29 (from $8.94), Q1 2026 to $2.30 (from $2.04), Q2 2026 to $2.27 (from $2.14), and Q4 2026 to $2.22 (from $2.19). These upward revisions signal stronger near-term earnings expectations.
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell materially in January — down ~27% vs. Jan 15 to ~13.14M shares (3.7% of float), implying reduced bearish positioning and a lower short-squeeze risk.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management presented at the UBS Financial Services Conference; the transcript is available for investors reviewing management commentary and strategic color. UBS Conference Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed several 2026–2027 quarter and full?year forecasts: Q4 2027 to $2.52 (from $2.63), Q3 2027 to $2.75 (from $2.79), Q1 2027 to $2.14 (from $2.33), Q3 2026 to $2.50 (from $2.57), and cut FY2027 to $10.02 (from $10.16). Those downward revisions to 2027 estimates likely weigh on forward-growth sentiment.

Insider Activity at Synchrony Financial

In other news, insider Jonathan S. Mothner sold 32,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.80, for a total transaction of $2,329,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 127,100 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,252,880. The trade was a 20.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Curtis Howse sold 52,556 shares of Synchrony Financial stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the insider owned 94,196 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,812,254.72. The trade was a 35.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 88,556 shares of company stock valued at $6,419,730 over the last 90 days. 0.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Synchrony Financial

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac acquired a new position in Synchrony Financial during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Synchrony Financial by 100.0% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 358 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares in the last quarter. FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Synchrony Financial in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Investors Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Spolka Akcyjna purchased a new position in shares of Synchrony Financial in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Synchrony Financial during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.48% of the company’s stock.

Synchrony Financial Stock Performance

Shares of SYF opened at $72.92 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $80.44 and a 200 day moving average of $75.87. The company has a market capitalization of $25.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.85, a PEG ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 1.43. Synchrony Financial has a 12 month low of $40.54 and a 12 month high of $88.77. 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 announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The financial services provider reported $2.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $3.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.84 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.91 EPS. The business’s revenue was down .2% 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 forecast that Synchrony Financial will post 7.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Synchrony Financial declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Wednesday, October 15th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to purchase up to 3.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Synchrony Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 6th. Synchrony Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.92%.

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.