CSM Advisors LLC Decreases Stake in Synchrony Financial $SYF

Key Points

• CSM Advisors trimmed its stake in Synchrony Financial by 4.6% in Q3, leaving it with 448,629 shares valued at about $31.87 million (roughly 0.12% of SYF and the firm's 28th largest holding); institutional investors now own 96.48% of the stock.
• Company insiders have been net sellers recently — insiders sold 379,928 shares worth about $26.17 million over the last three months, including large dispositions by Brian D. Doubles and Brian J. Sr. Wenzel.
• Analysts are broadly positive with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a $87.11 target, and Synchrony reported a Q1 beat ($2.18 EPS vs. $2.02 est.) and set FY2026 guidance of 9.10–9.50 EPS.

CSM Advisors LLC lessened its position in shares of Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF - Free Report) by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 448,629 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 21,695 shares during the quarter. Synchrony Financial comprises 0.9% of CSM Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. CSM Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.12% of Synchrony Financial worth $31,869,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in SYF. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Synchrony Financial by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 358 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Investors Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Spolka Akcyjna bought a new position in Synchrony Financial during the second quarter valued at $26,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its stake in shares of Synchrony Financial by 54.9% in the 3rd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 412 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 146 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, Colonial Trust Co SC increased its holdings in shares of Synchrony Financial by 40.2% in the 3rd quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 474 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.48% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on SYF shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Synchrony Financial in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and set a $96.00 price objective on shares of Synchrony Financial in a research report on Wednesday. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Synchrony Financial from $91.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Synchrony Financial from $86.00 to $84.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Synchrony Financial from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $87.11.

Insider Activity

In other Synchrony Financial news, insider Brian D. Doubles sold 217,554 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.68, for a total value of $14,941,608.72. Following the sale, the insider owned 829,222 shares in the company, valued at $56,950,966.96. This trade represents a 20.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Brian J. Sr. Wenzel sold 47,112 shares of Synchrony Financial stock in a transaction 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 sale, the insider owned 64,221 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,313,082.36. This trade represents a 42.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 379,928 shares of company stock worth $26,170,764 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.32% of the company's stock.

Synchrony Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SYF opened at $63.79 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $22.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.87, a PEG ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 1.42. Synchrony Financial has a 12 month low of $40.54 and a 12 month high of $88.77. The firm's 50-day moving average is $74.15 and its 200 day moving average is $75.60. 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 - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The financial services provider reported $2.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.02 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $3.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.84 billion. Synchrony Financial had a net margin of 15.72% and a return on equity of 23.07%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.91 EPS. Synchrony Financial has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.100-9.500 EPS. Research analysts predict that Synchrony Financial will post 7.67 EPS for the current year.

Synchrony Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th were issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 6th. Synchrony Financial's dividend payout ratio is presently 12.92%.

Synchrony Financial Profile

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.

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