Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 65,078 Shares of Synchrony Financial $SYF

Principal Financial Group Inc. reduced its position in shares of Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) by 13.2% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 429,653 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 65,078 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Synchrony Financial were worth $29,225,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in Synchrony Financial by 8.9% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 8,302 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $439,000 after purchasing an additional 679 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP lifted its position in Synchrony Financial by 36.2% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 35,582 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,884,000 after purchasing an additional 9,460 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth grew its stake in shares of Synchrony Financial by 7.7% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 6,406 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $339,000 after buying an additional 459 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Synchrony Financial by 337.0% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 590 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 455 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Synchrony Financial by 56.1% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,062 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $405,000 after buying an additional 2,178 shares during the last quarter. 96.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Synchrony Financial News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its estimates for Synchrony’s Q2 2028 earnings, reflecting a slightly more optimistic longer-term outlook for the company. Synchrony Financial analyst estimate update
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts also increased FY2028 EPS estimates, suggesting continued confidence in Synchrony’s earnings power over the next few years. Synchrony Financial analyst estimate update
• Neutral Sentiment: Another pre-earnings note highlighted potential support from stronger purchase volumes and a wider net interest margin, which could help Synchrony beat Q2 expectations. Will Higher Purchase Volumes Fuel Synchrony’s Q2 Earnings Beat?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also watching the company’s July 21 earnings release closely, with market focus centered on whether key operating metrics will support a beat. Countdown to Synchrony (SYF) Q2 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed several near- to medium-term EPS estimates, including Q3 2026, Q4 2026, Q1 2027, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, and FY2027, which can pressure the stock by signaling softer expected profitability ahead. Synchrony Financial analyst estimate update

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on SYF shares. Loop Capital began 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. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Synchrony Financial from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Synchrony Financial from $81.00 to $78.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 13th. BTIG Research downgraded Synchrony Financial from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, HSBC raised their price objective on Synchrony Financial from $93.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $87.32.

Synchrony Financial Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of SYF opened at $73.74 on Monday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $73.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $73.38. The company has a market cap of $24.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.63, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. Synchrony Financial has a twelve month low of $63.08 and a twelve month high of $88.77.

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $3.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.81 billion. Synchrony Financial had a net margin of 15.80% and a return on equity of 23.41%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.89 EPS. Synchrony Financial has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.100-9.500 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Synchrony Financial will post 9.34 EPS for the current year.

Synchrony Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 5th were given a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 5th. Synchrony Financial’s payout ratio is 12.41%.

Synchrony Financial declared that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, April 21st that allows the company to buyback $0.00 in shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Jonathan S. Mothner sold 51,258 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was 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 approximately $9,449,656.72. This represents a 27.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.