Synchrony Financial (SYF)
Synchrony Financial is a major US consumer bank that specialises in store-branded credit cards and high-yield savings accounts.
Is Synchrony Financial a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Strong profit margins compared to many other financial institutions. Worth weighing: High sensitivity to economic downturns which can lead to unpaid debts.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does Synchrony Financial do?
Synchrony partners with big retailers to offer store credit cards, helping shoppers finance their purchases while earning interest on the balances. They make money primarily from the interest paid by customers and the fees charged to retailers for processing these transactions. The figure that matters most is how well their customers keep up with debt, since economic shifts can quickly swing how many people fall behind on payments.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and income, and weakest on growth.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 1.7% a year
- ✓Very profitable - turns about 36% of sales into profit
- ·Low P/E of 8 vs last year's earnings
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 21%)
- Value screens high
- Income screens high
- Growth screens low
Does Synchrony Financial pay a dividend?
Yes - Synchrony Financial currently pays a dividend of about 1.7% a year, which is £17 a year for every £1,000 invested (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it. An ISA doesn't shelter the US tax on this one →
What do the numbers say about Synchrony Financial's dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
Most recent ex-dividend date: 5 Aug 2026. To receive a dividend you must already own the shares before the ex-dividend date; become a holder on or after it and the previous owner keeps that payment. Why the price usually falls that morning →
What do Synchrony Financial's numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Synchrony Financial actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Synchrony Financial fell as much as −38% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does Synchrony Financial make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
When does Synchrony Financial report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Synchrony Financial is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-14 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-21 | $2.13 | $2.59 | Beat +22% |
| 2026-04-21 | $2.16 | $2.27 | Beat +5% |
| 2026-01-27 | $2.02 | $2.18 | Beat +8% |
| 2025-10-15 | $2.21 | $2.86 | Beat +29% |
| 2025-07-22 | $1.79 | $2.50 | Beat +39% |
| 2025-04-22 | $1.65 | $1.89 | Beat +15% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Synchrony Financial came in ahead of what analysts expected 6 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for Synchrony Financial?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
Successful expansion into new digital banking products and services.
Increased competition from fintech firms eroding profit margins.
What are the pros and cons of Synchrony Financial?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Strong profit margins compared to many other financial institutions.
- High return on equity: How much profit the company makes for each £1 shareholders have put in. Higher usually means a more efficient business. suggests efficient use of shareholder capital.
- Established partnerships with major retail brands provide a steady customer base.
- High sensitivity to economic downturns which can lead to unpaid debts.
- Business model relies heavily on the health of the retail sector.
- Higher volatility than the average stock, which may not suit all temperaments.
- Rising levels of customer defaults could hurt profitability.
- Regulatory changes in the credit card industry could impact fee structures.
- Increased competition from digital-first banks and payment providers.
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sustained period of rising unemployment that forces a change in lending strategy.
- The loss of a major retail partnership that accounts for a large portion of revenue.
Common questions about Synchrony Financial
Does Synchrony Financial pay a dividend?
Yes - Synchrony Financial currently pays a dividend of about 1.7% a year. Dividends are a share of profit paid to holders; the yield moves with the price and payouts can be cut.
When does Synchrony Financial report earnings next?
Synchrony Financial is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-10-14. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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Fifth Third BancorpBuilt from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.