Novem Group Invests $1.22 Million in Synchrony Financial $SYF

Key Points

• Novem Group purchased a new stake of 14,591 shares in Synchrony Financial in Q4, valued at about $1.22 million, adding to heavy institutional ownership (approximately 96.48% of shares).
• Company insiders have been significant net sellers recently — notably Darrell Owens and Brian D. Doubles — with insiders offloading 379,928 shares worth about $26.17 million in the last 90 days and now owning just 0.33% of the stock.
• Synchrony beat quarterly EPS estimates ($2.26 vs. $2.14), trades at a P/E of 8.48 with a market cap near $27.4 billion, and holds a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a ~$85 target and a 1.5% dividend yield.

Novem Group purchased a new stake in shares of Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 14,591 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,217,000.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of SYF. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted 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 acquiring an additional 679 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP lifted 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 acquiring an additional 9,460 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth lifted 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 acquiring an additional 459 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted 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 acquiring an additional 455 shares during the period. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted 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 acquiring an additional 2,178 shares during the period. 96.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Synchrony Financial

In other Synchrony Financial news, insider Darrell Owens sold 3,865 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.71, for a total transaction of $261,699.15. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 17,432 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,180,320.72. This trade represents a 18.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Brian D. Doubles sold 217,554 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.68, for a total transaction of $14,941,608.72. Following the sale, the insider owned 829,222 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $56,950,966.96. This represents a 20.78% 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 90 days. Insiders own 0.33% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on SYF shares. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Synchrony Financial from $91.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Synchrony Financial from $84.00 to $73.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and set a $96.00 price target on shares of Synchrony Financial in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of Synchrony Financial from $84.00 to $71.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Synchrony Financial from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Synchrony Financial presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $85.00.

Synchrony Financial Stock Up 0.6%

NYSE:SYF opened at $78.79 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $27.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.48, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.24. Synchrony Financial has a fifty-two week low of $46.13 and a fifty-two week high of $88.77. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $69.70 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $74.63.

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The financial services provider reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $3.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.81 billion. Synchrony Financial had a net margin of 15.72% and a return on equity of 23.07%. Analysts predict that Synchrony Financial will post 9.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Synchrony Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 6th were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 6th. Synchrony Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 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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