MUFG Securities EMEA plc Acquires 70,544 Shares of Synchrony Financial $SYF

MUFG Securities EMEA plc raised its holdings in shares of Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) by 990.6% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 77,665 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 70,544 shares during the quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc’s holdings in Synchrony Financial were worth $6,480,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of SYF. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in Synchrony Financial by 8.9% during 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 during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its position in Synchrony Financial by 36.2% during the 1st 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 raised its position in Synchrony Financial by 7.7% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 6,406 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $339,000 after purchasing an additional 459 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 455 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in 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 valued at $405,000 after purchasing an additional 2,178 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.48% of the company’s stock.

Synchrony Financial Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:SYF opened at $71.44 on Monday. Synchrony Financial has a 52-week low of $56.51 and a 52-week high of $88.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.39, a P/E/G ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.33. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $71.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $74.76. 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 the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.13. Synchrony Financial had a return on equity of 23.41% and a net margin of 15.80%.The firm had revenue of $3.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.89 EPS. The business’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, equities research analysts anticipate that Synchrony Financial will post 9.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Synchrony Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 5th were paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 5th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Synchrony Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.41%.

Synchrony Financial announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, April 21st that authorizes the company to repurchase $0.00 in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the financial services provider to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Truist Financial upped their price target on Synchrony Financial from $71.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Loop Capital started coverage on Synchrony Financial in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $81.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Synchrony Financial from $84.00 to $73.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Synchrony Financial in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Synchrony Financial from $82.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $86.05.

Insider Activity at Synchrony Financial

In related 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 value of $3,651,107.34. Following the sale, the insider owned 132,664 shares in the company, valued at $9,449,656.72. This represents a 27.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Brian J. Sr. Wenzel sold 47,112 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.16, for a total value of $3,164,041.92. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 64,221 shares in the company, valued at $4,313,082.36. The trade was a 42.32% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

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.