Synchrony Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Improved Purchase Volume

Core Insights - Synchrony Financial (SYF) reported third-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.86, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 28.8% and reflecting a year-over-year increase of 47.4% [1][10] - Net interest income reached $4.7 billion, growing 2.4% year over year and surpassing the consensus mark by 0.6% [1][4] Financial Performance - The strong quarterly results were driven by improved purchase volume, net interest margin, increased interest and fees on loans, and a better efficiency ratio [2] - Total loan receivables decreased by 2% year over year to $100.2 billion, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $100.3 billion [3] - Total deposits fell 2% year over year to $79.9 billion, below the estimate of $83 billion [4] - Provision for credit losses was $1.1 billion, down 28.2% year over year, lower than the estimate of $1.5 billion [4] Purchase Volume and Loan Metrics - Synchrony's purchase volume increased by 2.3% year over year to $46 billion, driven by improved consumer spending [4] - Interest and fees on loans totaled $5.5 billion, slightly down 0.2% year over year, missing the estimate by 0.4% [5] - Average active accounts decreased by 3% year over year to 68.3 million, below the estimates [6] Segment Performance - Home & Auto loan receivables decreased by 6.3% year over year, with purchase volume down 1.4% [7] - Digital loan receivables rose by 1.5% year over year, with purchase volume increasing by 5.2% [8] - Diversified & Value loan receivables inched up 0.2% year over year, with purchase volume rising by 2.8% [9] Financial Position - As of September 30, 2025, cash and equivalents stood at $16.2 billion, up from $14.7 billion at the end of 2024 [12] - Total assets decreased to $117 billion from $119.5 billion at the end of 2024 [12] - Total equity increased to $17.1 billion from $16.6 billion at the end of 2024 [12] Capital Deployment - Synchrony returned $861 million through share buybacks and paid $110 million in common stock dividends during the third quarter [14] - The company approved an increase to its share repurchase authorization of $1 billion through June 30, 2026, with approximately $2.1 billion remaining under the authorization [14] Guidance - The company anticipates flat period-end loan receivables and expects net revenues to be between $15 billion and $15.1 billion, lower than the previous guidance [15] - Management projects net charge-offs to be between 5.6% and 5.7%, with an efficiency ratio expected to remain between 33% and 33.5% [16]