Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish on Synchrony Financial Stock?

Company Overview - Synchrony Financial (SYF) is valued at a market cap of $26.8 billion and offers a variety of consumer financial services, including credit cards, consumer installment loans, and deposit products. The company collaborates with major retailers across sectors like healthcare, retail, and automotive to provide tailored financing solutions [1]. Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, SYF shares have returned 30.9%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index's 17.5% gain. However, year-to-date, SYF is up 14.4%, trailing behind the S&P 500's 15.6% increase. Additionally, SYF has outperformed the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF), which rose 12.6% during the same period [2]. Financial Results - In Q3 2025, Synchrony Financial reported earnings per share (EPS) of $2.86 and net interest income of $4.72 billion, exceeding expectations. However, the stock fell 2.9% the following day due to a reduction in full-year net revenue guidance from $15.15 billion to $15.05 billion, indicating softer growth momentum attributed to higher payment rates affecting interest income [3]. Earnings Forecast - Analysts project SYF's EPS to grow 34.6% year-over-year to $8.87 for the fiscal year ending December 2025. The company has a strong earnings surprise history, having beaten consensus estimates in the last four quarters. The consensus rating among 25 analysts is a "Moderate Buy," with 13 "Strong Buy" ratings, one "Moderate Buy," and 11 "Holds" [4]. Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - The current analyst configuration shows a slight decrease in bullish sentiment compared to three months ago, with 14 "Strong Buy" ratings. Truist recently lowered its price target for SYF to $78 while maintaining a "Hold" rating. The mean price target of $81.79 suggests a nearly 10% premium to current levels, while the highest price target of $100 indicates a potential upside of 34.5% [5].