Investors Purchase Large Volume of Synchrony Financial Call Options (NYSE:SYF)

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Monday. Traders acquired 5,027 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 168% compared to the typical volume of 1,877 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on SYF shares. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on Synchrony Financial in a research note on Friday, October 9th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $81.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group decreased their target price on Synchrony Financial from $81.00 to $80.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Evercore cut Synchrony Financial from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $78.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings upgraded Synchrony Financial from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $103.00 price target on shares of Synchrony Financial in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Synchrony Financial currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $87.78.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Synchrony Financial

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Pension & Wealth Management Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Synchrony Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in Synchrony Financial during the second quarter worth $29,000. GK Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Synchrony Financial during the third quarter worth $31,000. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Synchrony Financial in the third quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Center for Financial Planning Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Synchrony Financial by 242.9% in the first quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 480 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. 96.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Synchrony Financial Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of SYF stock traded down $0.73 on Tuesday, reaching $76.09. 305,826 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,878,444. The company has a market cap of $23.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.94, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a 50-day moving average of $74.97 and a 200-day moving average of $73.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.23. Synchrony Financial has a one year low of $63.08 and a one year high of $88.77.

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The financial services provider reported $2.68 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.42 by $0.26. Synchrony Financial had a return on equity of 22.26% and a net margin of 14.59%. The company had revenue of $3.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.81 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.86 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Synchrony Financial will post 9.60 earnings per share for the current year.

Synchrony Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 5th will be paid a $0.34 dividend. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 5th. Synchrony Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.20%.

About Synchrony Financial

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.