Financial Performance & Strategy - Synovus is focused on long-term shareholder value creation[9] - Synovus completed the transition from multiple legacy banking platforms to a singularly branded Synovus name and platform[6] - Synovus launched Synovus Forward to further optimize revenue and reduce expenses[6] - Synovus is implementing a 4-pillar execution strategy[6] Loan Portfolio & Credit Quality - Synovus has a highly diverse loan mix as of 9/30/23, with Middle Market and Commercial loans comprising 29% of the portfolio[33, 34] - The company's total C&I portfolio was $228 billion as of 3Q23[62] - The CRE portfolio totaled $124 billion in 3Q23[70] - The consumer loan portfolio totaled $85 billion in 3Q23[80] 2024 Outlook & Guidance - Synovus anticipates NIM expansion of approximately +20 bps from 4Q23 to 4Q24[38] - The company expects adjusted non-interest expense to be relatively flat in 2024, excluding the impact of the 4Q23 FDIC special assessment[38, 41] - Synovus projects core deposit growth of 2%-6% for 2024[40]

Financial Performance & Growth - Middle market banker team grew by 7% YTD[18] - Middle Market, CIB and Specialty Lines generated 8% annualized loan growth[18] - Treasury and Payments Solutions revenue increased by 9% YTD[18] - CET1 Ratio increased by 38 bps to 1060% from 12/31/2023[18] Loan & Deposit Portfolio - Wholesale Bank core deposits increased by $257 million in "Go for the Gold" campaign[18] - Variable loans represent approximately 62% (~$26 billion) of the total loan portfolio as of June 30, 2024[21] - Non-Interest Bearing Deposits account for 23% of the total deposit portfolio as of June 30, 2024[21] Credit Quality & Risk Management - Net charge-offs/average loans contained at 036% YTD (annualized)[18] - Allowance for Credit Losses (ACL) increased modestly to 125% of loans from YE 2023[18] - Office Loans account for 42% of Total Loans[40] Guidance - Adjusted revenue is expected to be $555 - $560 million in 3Q24[49] - Adjusted non-interest revenue is projected to be $115 – $120 million in 3Q24[49] - Adjusted non-interest expense is guided to be $305 - $310 million in 3Q24[49]

Synovus' Transformation and Growth - Synovus has undergone a multi-year transformation, enhancing its ability to succeed [6] - The company is capitalizing on growth tailwinds with stronger loan growth, balanced core deposit growth, and continued healthy non-interest revenue growth [11, 21] - Synovus is focused on long-term shareholder value creation [14] Financial Performance and Guidance - The Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio decreased by 440 bps from 3Q22 [13] - Allowance For Credit Losses increased by 112 bps from 3Q22 [13] - Wholesale Funding/Assets increased by 11 bps from 3Q22 [13] - The company projects 3%-6% loan growth and 3%-6% core deposit growth for 2025 [35] - Synovus anticipates 3%-7% adjusted revenue growth and 3%-7% adjusted non-interest expense growth in 2025 [35] Strategic Initiatives - Synovus is targeting a 20-30% expansion of relationship managers over the next 3 years [26] - Strategic growth segments include Middle Market, Specialty Lending, and CIB [22]

Key Takeaways Synovus is expanding commercial and middle-market banking across South Carolina with seasoned hires. SNV plans a 20-30% hiring boost from 2025-2027 to grow loans, core deposits, and fee income. SNV is enhancing client relationships with talent focused on personalized, community-based banking.Synovus Financial (SNV) is reinforcing its presence in South Carolina by expanding its commercial and middle-market banking operations. The company is prioritizing relationship-driven banking, bringing i ...

Core Viewpoint - Synovus Financial (SNV) has received an upgrade to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook driven by an upward trend in earnings estimates [1][3]. Earnings Estimates and Stock Price Impact - The Zacks rating system emphasizes the importance of changing earnings estimates as a key factor influencing stock prices, with a strong correlation between earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock movements [4][6]. - Rising earnings estimates for Synovus suggest an improvement in the company's underlying business, which could lead to increased buying pressure and a higher stock price [5][10]. Zacks Rating System - The Zacks Rank system classifies stocks into five groups based on earnings estimates, with Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) stocks historically generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988 [7]. - Only the top 20% of Zacks-covered stocks receive a 'Strong Buy' or 'Buy' rating, indicating superior earnings estimate revision features [9][10]. Specific Earnings Estimates for Synovus - For the fiscal year ending December 2025, Synovus is expected to earn $5.07 per share, reflecting a 14.5% increase from the previous year [8]. - Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Synovus has increased by 5%, indicating positive sentiment among analysts [8].

Core Viewpoint - Investors are encouraged to consider Synovus Financial (SNV) due to solid improvements in earnings estimates and positive short-term price momentum [1] Group 1: Earnings Estimates - The upward trend in earnings estimate revisions reflects growing analyst optimism regarding Synovus's earnings prospects, which is expected to positively impact its stock price [2] - The earnings estimate for the current quarter is $1.25 per share, representing a +7.76% change from the previous year, with a 5.69% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate over the last 30 days [4] - For the full year, the earnings estimate is $5.06 per share, indicating a +14.22% change from the year-ago figure, with a 5.06% increase in the consensus estimate and eight upward revisions in the past month [5] Group 2: Zacks Rank and Performance - Synovus has achieved a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating promising estimate revisions that suggest potential outperformance compared to the S&P 500 [6] - Stocks rated Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) and 2 (Buy) have historically outperformed the S&P 500, with Zacks 1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 2008 [3][6] Group 3: Stock Performance - Synovus shares have increased by 18.4% over the past four weeks, indicating strong investor confidence in its earnings growth prospects [7]

Synovus Financial (SNV) closed the last trading session at $44.10, gaining 10% over the past four weeks, but there could be plenty of upside left in the stock if short-term price targets set by Wall Street analysts are any guide. The mean price target of $55.56 indicates a 26% upside potential.The mean estimate comprises 16 short-term price targets with a standard deviation of $5.85. While the lowest estimate of $46 indicates a 4.3% increase from the current price level, the most optimistic analyst expects ...

Financial Performance - Net income available to common shareholders for Q1 2025 was $183.7 million, or $1.30 per diluted share, a 60% increase from $114.8 million, or $0.78 per diluted share, in Q1 2024[157]. - Total revenue for Q1 2025 was $570.9 million, a 6% increase from $537.7 million in Q1 2024[156]. - The adjusted net income available to common shareholders for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $184.38 million, compared to $115.97 million for the same period in 2024[262]. - Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $194,872,000, compared to $124,070,000 for the same period in 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 56.7%[263]. - Adjusted net income available to common shareholders for Q1 2025 was $184,380,000, up from $115,973,000 in Q1 2024, reflecting a growth of 58.9%[263]. Revenue and Income Sources - Non-interest revenue for Q1 2025 was $116.5 million, a decrease of $2.4 million, or 2%, compared to Q1 2024, primarily due to lower commercial sponsorship income and brokerage revenue[159]. - The company’s total non-interest revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $116.47 million, down from $118.89 million for the same period in 2024[261]. Interest Income and Margin - Net interest income for Q1 2025 was $454.4 million, an 8% increase from $418.8 million in Q1 2024, driven by lower funding costs[156]. - The net interest margin increased by 31 basis points to 3.35% compared to the same period in 2024, supported by effective deposit repricing and investment securities repositioning[158]. - Net interest income for Q1 2025 was $454.38 million, compared to $418.85 million for the same period in 2024[262]. Expenses and Efficiency - Non-interest expense decreased by 5% to $308.0 million compared to $322.7 million in the same period last year[156]. - The efficiency ratio improved to 53.81% from 59.87% in the prior year, indicating better cost management[156]. - Total non-interest expense for the first quarter of 2025 was $308.0 million, a decrease of $14.7 million, or 5%, compared to the same period in 2024, primarily due to a reduction in FDIC special assessment accrual[204]. Asset Quality and Credit Losses - Provision for credit losses decreased significantly to $10.9 million from $54.0 million in the prior year, reflecting improved credit performance[156]. - Non-performing assets ratio improved to 0.67% from 0.73% year-over-year, indicating better asset quality[156]. - The net charge-off ratio for Q1 2025 was 20 bps annualized, with net charge-offs totaling $21.4 million[162]. - As of March 31, 2025, non-performing loans (NPLs) were $286.6 million, representing 0.67% of total loans, a decrease from 0.81% a year earlier[217][215]. Capital and Ratios - The CET1 ratio as of March 31, 2025, was 10.77%, a decline of 7 bps from December 31, 2024, due to share repurchases offsetting organic earnings[164]. - The allowance for credit losses (ACL) was $528.9 million at March 31, 2025, down from $539.3 million at December 31, 2024, with an ACL to loans coverage ratio of 1.24%[221][225]. - Tangible common equity ratio improved to 7.26% in Q1 2025 from 6.67% in Q1 2024, demonstrating stronger capital efficiency[264]. Loans and Deposits - Total loans as of March 31, 2025, were $42.65 billion, an increase of $39.7 million from December 31, 2024, with C&I loans representing 52.3% of total loans[161]. - Total deposits as of March 31, 2025, were $50.8 billion, a slight decrease from $51.1 billion at the end of 2024[156]. - Total period-end deposits decreased by $252.3 million compared to December 31, 2024, primarily due to a decrease in time deposits[163]. Projections and Future Outlook - The company expects end-of-period loan growth of 3% to 5% and adjusted revenue growth of 3% to 6% for 2025[171]. - Synovus projects net interest income to increase by 3.7% and 1.8% if interest rates rise by 200 bps and 100 bps, respectively, and to decrease by 1.8% and 3.5% if rates fall by 100 bps and 200 bps, respectively[246].

Core Viewpoint - In times of market volatility, value investing becomes a preferred strategy as investors seek to buy undervalued stocks when others are selling at lower prices [1][2]. Value Investing Strategy - Value investors capitalize on market uncertainty by purchasing stocks at discounted prices when other investors sell [1]. - The strategy can lead to "value traps" if not understood properly, where stocks underperform due to persistent issues rather than temporary problems [3]. Importance of PEG Ratio - The PEG ratio, defined as (Price/Earnings)/Earnings Growth Rate, is a crucial metric for value investors, as a low PEG ratio indicates better value [5]. - Unlike P/E alone, the PEG ratio helps identify a stock's intrinsic value, although it has limitations regarding changing growth rates [5]. Screening Criteria for Value Stocks - Effective screening for value stocks includes criteria such as: - PEG Ratio less than industry median - P/E Ratio less than industry median - Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) - Market Capitalization greater than $1 billion - Average 20-Day Volume greater than 50,000 - Percentage Change in F1 Earnings Estimate Revisions greater than 5% - Value Score of A or B combined with a Zacks Rank of 1, 2, or 3 [6]. Selected Stocks - **Barrick Gold (GOLD)**: A leading gold mining company with 3.9 million ounces of gold and 195,000 tons of copper produced in 2024, holding 89 million ounces of proven and probable gold reserves. It has a Zacks Rank 2 and a Value Score of A, with a five-year expected growth rate of 33.5% [8][9]. - **StoneCo (STNE)**: A financial technology company in Brazil providing various financial services. It has a Zacks Rank 1 and a Value Score of B, with a long-term expected growth rate of 26.3% [9][10]. - **Synovus Financial (SNV)**: A diverse financial services company with a Zacks Rank 2 and a Value Score of A, boasting a five-year expected growth rate of 10.2% [11][12]. - **BGC Group, Inc. (BGC)**: A financial brokerage and technology company with a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 24.7%, holding a Value Score of B and a Zacks Rank of 1 [12][13].

Company Overview - Synovus Financial (SNV) is headquartered in Columbus and operates in the Finance sector [3] - The stock has experienced a price decline of 18.88% since the beginning of the year [3] Dividend Information - Synovus Financial currently pays a dividend of $0.39 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.75% [3] - The average dividend yield for the Banks - Southeast industry is 2.5%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.69% [3] - The company's annualized dividend of $1.56 has increased by 2.6% from the previous year [4] - Over the last 5 years, Synovus Financial has raised its dividend 3 times year-over-year, with an average annual increase of 4.37% [4] - The current payout ratio is 32%, indicating that 32% of its trailing 12-month EPS is distributed as dividends [4] Earnings Expectations - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Synovus Financial's earnings in 2025 is $5.02 per share, reflecting an expected increase of 13.32% from the previous year [5] Investment Appeal - Synovus Financial is considered an attractive dividend play and a compelling investment opportunity, holding a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [7]