Goldman Sachs maintains Buy on Synchrony Financial, target at $82

Published 28/01/2025, 15:48
Goldman Sachs maintains Buy on Synchrony Financial, target at $82

On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs reaffirmed its Buy rating on Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) with a steady price target of $82.00, well above the current stock price of $65.57. Analyst Ryan Nash provided an assessment of the company’s recent quarterly performance and guidance, noting a mix of results. The net revenues did not meet expectations due to a slight miss in net interest income (NII) and higher rewards sharing agreements (RSA), despite expenses being better than anticipated. Provisions were slightly higher than expected, with non-charge-offs (NCOs) and a higher reserve rate contributing to this outcome. According to InvestingPro, the company maintains a GREAT financial health score of 3.31, with particularly strong marks in profit and price momentum metrics.

The guidance provided by Synchrony Financial appeared to align with market expectations, with projected revenues being relatively consistent. Factors such as softer loan growth were counterbalanced by a marginally higher implied margin and reduced RSA. The company also indicated lower than expected implied expenses and NCOs. Despite this, Synchrony Financial’s stock experienced a decline in pre-market trading from its near 52-week high of $70.93. Investors had anticipated a more robust revenue guide, especially considering the company’s liability sensitivity and expected upward margin trajectory, along with the projected positive impact of PPPCs on net interest income. The stock has shown remarkable strength with an 80.64% return over the past year, and InvestingPro analysis indicates the stock is currently slightly overvalued based on their proprietary Fair Value model.

Nash highlighted certain positive aspects of the guidance, such as an improved credit outlook, a lower RSA, and reduced expenses and efficiency. While there are several variables affecting the consensus, Nash suggested that Synchrony Financial’s bottom-line earnings could surpass $8 per share, building on its current trailing twelve-month EPS of $7.72. Trading at an attractive P/E ratio of 8.96 and offering a steady dividend yield of 1.43%, the stock presents interesting value metrics. However, he indicated that the composition of these earnings might differ from investor expectations, with lower provisions and RSA potentially driving the beat against consensus rather than the anticipated factors. For deeper insights into Synchrony Financial’s valuation and growth prospects, investors can access the comprehensive Pro Research Report available on InvestingPro, which covers over 1,400 US stocks with detailed analysis and actionable intelligence.

In other recent news, Synchrony Financial reported robust Q4 earnings, exceeding analyst expectations. The company posted adjusted earnings per share of $1.91, surpassing the consensus of $1.89, while revenue for the quarter was slightly below the estimated $3.84 billion at $3.8 billion. Net earnings for the quarter saw a significant leap of 76% to $774 million, compared to $440 million in the same quarter of the previous year.

This positive outcome was attributed to a 3% increase in interest and fees on loans, reaching $5.5 billion, primarily driven by growth in average loan receivables. Synchrony’s fourth quarter also saw a decrease in the company’s provision for credit losses by $243 million to $1.6 billion.

Among other developments, Synchrony highlighted its business achievements, including the addition or renewal of nearly 30 programs and extended collaborations with significant partners like Sam’s Club and JCPenney. Other income increased by $57 million to $128 million, while other expenses decreased by $49 million, or 4%, to $1.3 billion due to prior year restructuring costs and lower operational losses in the current year. These recent developments reflect the resilience and growth of Synchrony Financial.

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