Synchrony Financial $SYF Holdings Lowered by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Key Points

• Assenagon Asset Management cut its Synchrony Financial stake by 88.5% in the third quarter, selling 723,936 shares and retaining 93,670 shares worth approximately $6.65 million. Institutional investors collectively own 96.48% of the company.
• Synchrony reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.68 on $3.82 billion in revenue, while purchase volume rose 8% year over year to a record $49.7 billion and credit metrics improved.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an $88.18 price target; the company also declared a $0.34 quarterly dividend. However, net income declined year over year and high customer payment rates may limit loan-balance growth.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lowered its stake in shares of Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF - Free Report) by 88.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 93,670 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 723,936 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.'s holdings in Synchrony Financial were worth $6,648,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Synchrony Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,349,452,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of Synchrony Financial during the second quarter worth about $1,122,961,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Synchrony Financial by 6.4% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,039,753 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $410,760,000 after purchasing an additional 365,353 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in Synchrony Financial by 5.6% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 5,338,110 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $363,098,000 after purchasing an additional 281,451 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. grew its stake in Synchrony Financial by 0.9% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 4,338,604 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $295,112,000 after purchasing an additional 37,114 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.48% of the company's stock.

Synchrony Financial News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted earnings were $2.68 per share, above the approximately $2.42–$2.48 analyst consensus, while revenue of $3.82 billion was essentially in line to slightly ahead of expectations. Management guided toward the high end of its prior full-year outlook, at approximately $9.50 in diluted EPS. Synchrony Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Purchase volume rose 8% year over year to a record $49.7 billion, supported by growth in Diversified & Value and Home & Auto spending. Stronger activity among younger consumers suggests demand remains resilient despite inflation and elevated interest rates. Synchrony: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Credit performance improved: net charge-offs fell to roughly 4.79%, while 30-day and 90-day delinquency rates stabilized or declined. This reduced the immediate risk of a broad consumer-credit deterioration. Synchrony Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Improved Purchase Volume
• Positive Sentiment: Synchrony declared a quarterly dividend of $0.34 per share and repurchased approximately $1.1 billion of stock, supporting shareholder returns and future EPS growth.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company is investing in digital checkout, AI-enabled shopping tools and CareCredit integrations. These initiatives could strengthen its long-term competitive position, but they are currently adding to expenses.
• Negative Sentiment: Net income fell to $892 million from $1.1 billion a year earlier, or $2.86 per share, as higher costs weighed on results. Net interest margin also narrowed, partly because healthier payment behavior reduced late-fee revenue. Synchrony Financial Profit Falls on Higher Costs but Credit Trends Improve
• Negative Sentiment: A high customer payment rate is limiting the conversion of purchase volume into interest-bearing loan balances, creating a potential near-term constraint on loan growth.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SYF has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Synchrony Financial from $86.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $103.00 target price on shares of Synchrony Financial in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings raised Synchrony Financial from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Synchrony Financial from $78.00 to $74.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Wolfe Research boosted their price target on Synchrony Financial from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Synchrony Financial currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $88.18.

Synchrony Financial Stock Performance

Shares of SYF stock opened at $73.44 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The business has a 50 day moving average of $75.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $74.63. The company has a market cap of $23.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.52, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.35. Synchrony Financial has a 52 week low of $63.08 and a 52 week high of $88.77.

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The financial services provider reported $2.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.42 by $0.26. Synchrony Financial had a return on equity of 23.09% and a net margin of 15.44%. The business had revenue of $3.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.86 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Synchrony Financial will post 9.40 EPS for the current year.

Synchrony Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.34 per share. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 5th. Synchrony Financial's dividend payout ratio is presently 13.93%.

Synchrony Financial Company Profile

Synchrony Financial NYSE: SYF is a consumer financial services company that provides private-label credit cards, co-branded credit cards and promotional financing programs. Its financing products are offered through retailers, manufacturers, healthcare providers and other businesses, helping consumers pay for purchases over time.

The company serves a range of industries, including digital commerce, home improvement, furniture, automotive, healthcare, jewelry, apparel, electronics and specialty retail.

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