Synchrony Financial $SYF Shares Purchased by Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund increased its position in shares of Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) by 98.6% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 139,451 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 69,250 shares during the quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund’s holdings in Synchrony Financial were worth $9,485,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in SYF. FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Synchrony Financial in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac acquired a new position in shares of Synchrony Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Synchrony Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Synchrony Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Reflection Asset Management purchased a new stake in Synchrony Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.48% of the company’s stock.

Synchrony Financial Stock Performance

NYSE SYF opened at $76.20 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The business’s 50 day moving average is $73.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $74.24. Synchrony Financial has a 12-month low of $63.08 and a 12-month high of $88.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.88, a PEG ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.32.

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

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

Synchrony Financial Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Synchrony Financial news, insider Jonathan S. Mothner sold 51,258 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the insider owned 132,664 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,449,656.72. This trade represents a 27.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. BTIG Research cut shares of Synchrony Financial from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Synchrony Financial from $71.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Synchrony Financial from $84.00 to $73.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Synchrony Financial from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Synchrony Financial in a report on Monday, April 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $86.47.

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.