Key Takeaways Bank stocks fell Monday after President Donald Trump said over the weekend that credit card interest rates should be capped at 10% for at least a year.How a cap would be put in place and why for only a year remains unclear. A number of banking and financial stocks slumped Monday morning after President Donald Trump over the weekend suggested capping credit card interest rates. Trump posted on social media late Friday that Americans are being "ripped off" by interest rates of 20% to 30%, a ...

Core Insights - Zacks Premium provides tools for investors to enhance their stock market engagement and confidence, including daily updates, research reports, and stock screens [1][2] Zacks Style Scores - The Zacks Style Scores are indicators that rate stocks based on value, growth, and momentum, helping investors identify stocks likely to outperform the market in the next 30 days [3] - Stocks are rated from A to F, with A indicating the highest potential for outperformance [4] Value Score - The Value Style Score focuses on identifying undervalued stocks using financial ratios such as P/E, PEG, and Price/Cash Flow [4] Growth Score - The Growth Style Score assesses a company's financial health and future outlook based on projected and historical earnings, sales, and cash flow [5] Momentum Score - The Momentum Style Score identifies optimal times to invest based on price trends and earnings estimate changes [6] VGM Score - The VGM Score combines the three Style Scores to highlight stocks with attractive value, strong growth potential, and positive momentum [7] Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that uses earnings estimate revisions to guide investors, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks achieving an average annual return of +23.9% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [8] - There are over 800 stocks rated 1 or 2, making it essential for investors to utilize Style Scores to narrow down choices [9] Stock to Watch: Synchrony Financial (SYF) - Synchrony Financial is a leading consumer financial services company offering various credit products [12] - SYF holds a 3 (Hold) rating on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A and a Momentum Style Score of A, having increased by 3.2% in the past four weeks [13] - Recent earnings estimates for SYF have been revised upward, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate rising by $0.04 to $9.19 per share, and an average earnings surprise of +22.7% [13][14]

The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1% from its all-time high as U.S. stocks drifted through mixed morning trading, while prices for gold and other investments that tend to do well when investors are nervous rose. The value of the U.S. dollar also dipped against the euro and other currencies amid concerns that the Fed may have less independence in setting The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 179 points, or 0.4%, as of 10 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was nearly unchanged.Some of the market's sha ...

Core Viewpoint - President Trump's proposal to cap credit card fees at 10% has led to significant declines in the stock prices of major credit card lenders, raising concerns about the potential impact on their earnings and the broader financial industry [1][4]. Group 1: Market Reaction - Shares of Capital One and Synchrony Financial fell as much as 9% in premarket trading, while American Express and Citigroup saw declines of about 4%, and JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America were down closer to 2% [1]. Group 2: Proposal Details - Trump announced a one-year cap on credit card interest rates of 10%, effective January 20, 2026, but the method of implementing this cap without Congressional legislation remains unclear [2][3]. Group 3: Financial Impact - The proposed cap could reduce large bank earnings before tax by an estimated 5%-18%, potentially wiping out earnings for lenders focused solely on credit cards, such as Capital One and Synchrony Financial [4]. Group 4: Industry Context - Credit card interest rates have significantly increased, with the average rate reaching 22.30%, up from 16.28% in 2020, indicating a growing concern over high fees in the industry [5]. Group 5: Political Support and Opposition - The proposal has garnered attention from politicians across the spectrum, with some expressing support for limitations on high fees, while banking industry trade groups have warned against the negative consequences of such a cap [6][7][8].

Core Viewpoint - Trump's proposal to cap credit card interest rates at 10% has led to a significant decline in the stock prices of credit card issuers and related companies, raising concerns about the potential impact on their profitability and the credit market overall [1][2]. Group 1: Market Reaction - Following Trump's announcement, stocks of credit card companies such as Synchrony Financial and Bread Financial fell nearly 10%, while American Express and Citigroup dropped over 4% [1]. - Barclays experienced a significant intraday drop of 4.8%, marking its largest decline since October 17 of the previous year, highlighting the vulnerability of its U.S. retail banking segment, which heavily relies on credit card operations [3]. Group 2: Implications of the Proposal - If implemented, the proposed interest rate cap would result in the lowest credit card rates since 1994, with current average rates at 19.65% for general credit cards and 30.14% for store cards [2]. - Major banking associations have opposed the proposal, arguing it could push consumers towards less regulated and more expensive alternatives, potentially reducing access to credit for lower-income individuals [2]. - A study indicated that a similar interest rate cap in Illinois led to a 38% reduction in loans issued to subprime borrowers within six months, suggesting significant negative effects on credit availability [2]. Group 3: Company-Specific Insights - Barclays' U.S. retail banking division is projected to generate £3.6 billion in revenue by 2025, with credit card operations being a crucial component, contributing significantly to its income despite lower profit margins [3]. - Analysts suggest that any regulatory cap on credit card rates would have a pronounced impact on Barclays compared to European banks, emphasizing the importance of the U.S. market for its credit card business [3].

Core Insights - JPMorgan Chase is taking over the Apple Card from Goldman Sachs, marking a significant shift in the management of Apple's credit card portfolio valued at approximately $20 billion [1][11] - The transition is expected to take about two years, with JPMorgan planning to move the card balances to its retail banking platform, pending regulatory approvals [2][11] - The deal concludes over a year of speculation regarding which financial institution would assume control of Apple's credit card business [4][11] Company and Industry Analysis - Apple has maintained its focus on consumer-oriented financial services, with its digital wallet services leading the market, despite fluctuations in its card portfolio since 2023 [3] - The Apple Card portfolio is estimated to represent around $21 billion in receivables and could generate about $100 billion in payment volume, which is roughly 1% of Mastercard's volume and 75 basis points of Visa's volume [8] - JPMorgan is preparing for potential credit losses by logging a $2.2 billion provision in the fourth quarter of 2025, following a $3.4 billion provision in the third quarter, which included $600 million related to card services [7][11] - The Apple Card has shown impressive growth, with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 53% from 2019 to 2021, and a subsequent CAGR between 31% and 42%, significantly outpacing the top 10 credit card issuers [10] - Nearly 40% of Apple Card owners had an annual income of $100,000 or more in 2023, indicating a customer base with substantial spending power [12] - JPMorgan's card business has been expanding steadily, adding 10 million new accounts annually from 2022 to 2024, with a 12% increase in net revenue from card services in the third quarter compared to the previous year [13]

Group 1 - Goldman Sachs raised the price target on Synchrony (SYF) to $98 from $85 while maintaining a Buy rating on the shares [1] - Regional banks underperformed the market by 200-300 basis points in 2025 due to macro concerns and credit worries, although stocks rallied 13% late in the year [1] - Looking ahead to 2026, factors such as solid loan growth, net interest income momentum, positive operating leverage, and improving returns indicate continued multi-year fundamental improvement, with credit risk being the main wildcard [1]

This Week’s Deep-Value LandscapeThis week’s Acquirer’s Multiple® Large-Cap Screen reinforces a persistent and increasingly concentrated theme: extreme value continues to cluster in cash-rich Financials and select Industrials and Cyclicals, while Communication Services and Technology-linked businesses quietly enter the deep-value conversation.Despite resilient operating income and aggressive capital returns, the market continues to price many large-cap businesses as though current cash flows are unsustainabl ...

This Week’s Deep-Value LandscapeThis week’s Acquirer’s Multiple® Large-Cap Screen continues to surface a familiar—but evolving—theme: extreme value is clustering in cash-generative Financials and cyclically exposed Industrials and Materials, while Energy takes a relative pause at the very top of the rankings.The common thread remains unchanged—the market is heavily discounting durable free-cash-flow producers despite strong operating results and shareholder returns.Financials Reassert Leadership in Deep Val ...

Core Viewpoint - Synchrony Financial (SYF) is a leading consumer financial services company with a market cap of $30.9 billion, providing a comprehensive suite of digitally enabled credit products [1] Financial Performance - Analysts expect SYF to report a profit of $1.95 per share for Q4 2025, a 2.1% increase from $1.91 per share in the same quarter last year [2] - For the full year, EPS is projected to be $9.19, reflecting a 39.5% increase from $6.59 in fiscal 2024, with a further expected rise to $9.29 in fiscal 2026 [3] Stock Performance - SYF stock has increased by 30.7% over the past 52 weeks, outperforming the S&P 500 Index's 15.7% gains and the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund's 14.5% gains [4] - The stock is currently trading above its mean price target of $85.38, with a Street-high price target of $101 indicating an upside potential of 18% [7] Growth Drivers - The company's growth is attributed to a renewed partnership with Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC U.S. LLC, strong credit performance, and a 2% increase in purchase volume [5] - New product launches, including the Walmart credit card and Pay Later options at Amazon, along with strategic partnerships, are contributing to growth [5] Recent Results - On October 15, SYF reported Q3 results with an EPS of $2.86, surpassing Wall Street expectations of $2.22, and adjusted revenue of $4.72 billion, exceeding forecasts of $4.69 billion [6]