Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) Upgraded at Robert W. Baird

Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report published on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has $83.00 price target on the financial services provider’s stock.

SYF has been the subject of a number of other reports. Wolfe Research began coverage on Synchrony Financial in a research report on Monday, December 8th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $92.00 target price for the company. Compass Point raised Synchrony Financial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $96.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Synchrony Financial from $91.00 to $85.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Synchrony Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, BTIG Research lowered their price objective on shares of Synchrony Financial from $100.00 to $96.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $87.11.

Synchrony Financial Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of Synchrony Financial stock opened at $71.29 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $80.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $75.89. The stock has a market cap of $24.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.67, a PEG ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.43. Synchrony Financial has a 12-month low of $40.54 and a 12-month high of $88.77.

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The financial services provider reported $2.18 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.02 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $3.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.84 billion. Synchrony Financial had a net margin of 15.72% and a return on equity of 23.07%. Synchrony Financial’s quarterly revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.91 earnings per share. Synchrony Financial has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.100-9.500 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Synchrony Financial will post 7.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Synchrony Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 6th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Synchrony Financial’s payout ratio is presently 12.92%.

Insider Transactions at Synchrony Financial

In related news, insider Curtis Howse sold 52,556 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.32, for a total transaction of $3,800,849.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 94,196 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,812,254.72. This represents a 35.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Arthur W. Coviello, Jr. sold 4,000 shares of Synchrony Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.32, for a total value of $289,280.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 32,444 shares in the company, valued at $2,346,350.08. This represents a 10.98% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Synchrony Financial

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

More Synchrony Financial News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird upgraded SYF from Neutral to Outperform and set an $83 price target (≈16% upside vs. the current level), a clear catalyst for buying interest. Baird upgrades Synchrony Financial (SYF)
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst lifted Q1 EPS estimates for Synchrony, supporting the view that near-term earnings will remain strong and backing multiple analyst upgrades. Q1 EPS Estimate for Synchrony Financial Lifted by Analyst
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research published a long-term FY2028 EPS projection (~$11.11), well above current consensus, which can buoy investor sentiment around structural earnings potential (note: this is an analyst projection, not company guidance).
• Neutral Sentiment: Synchrony released its monthly credit-performance statistics — useful for monitoring asset quality and loss trends but not an immediate directional catalyst unless figures diverge materially from expectations. Synchrony Financial Reports Monthly Credit Performance Statistics
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces on how Synchrony competes among large S&P companies provide context on strategy and partnerships; informative for longer-term positioning but not an immediate price driver. How Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) Competes Among Top S&P 500 Companies
• Negative Sentiment: Comparative analysis (COF vs SYF) highlights Capital One’s recent acquisitions and rising net interest income, suggesting peers may offer faster upside — a relative-risk factor investors will watch. COF vs. SYF: Which Credit Card Lender Offers More Upside?

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.