Synchrony Financial Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:SYF)

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) saw unusually large options trading on Monday. Stock investors purchased 5,027 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 168% compared to the average volume of 1,877 call options.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in SYF. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Synchrony Financial in the second quarter worth approximately $2,349,452,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Synchrony Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,122,961,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Synchrony Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at $209,305,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Synchrony Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at $193,684,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in Synchrony Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at $186,973,000. 96.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Synchrony Financial Stock Up 1.7%

NYSE:SYF traded up $1.28 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $76.63. 1,131,328 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,874,521. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $75.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $73.64. Synchrony Financial has a one year low of $63.08 and a one year high of $88.77. The company has a market cap of $23.86 billion, a PE ratio of 7.99, a PEG ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.35.

Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) last issued 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 net margin of 14.59% and a return on equity of 22.26%. The company had revenue of $3.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.81 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.86 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Synchrony Financial will post 9.60 earnings per share for the current year.

Synchrony Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 5th will be given a $0.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 5th. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. Synchrony Financial’s payout ratio is 14.20%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Synchrony Financial from $84.00 to $83.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating on shares of Synchrony Financial in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Synchrony Financial from $90.00 to $86.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Synchrony Financial from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of Synchrony Financial from $93.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $87.83.

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.