Research Alert: CFRA Lowers Opinion On Shares Of Synchrony Financial To Hold From Buy
CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We lower our 12-month target price by $24 to $79, applying a forward P/E of 7.6x our 2027 EPS estimate, below the peer average of 10.4x given SYF's lower FICO score customer base. We decrease our 2026 adjusted EPS estimate to $9.33 from $9.55 and reduce 2027's to $10.46 from $10.70. We lower our outlook due to concerns about credit quality, as real wage growth has turned negative. While SYF has delivered strong recent performance, with net charge-offs declining Y/Y for four consecutive quarters, we believe this trend may now reverse given SYF's exposure to middle-income consumers and inflation reaching three-year highs. However, two factors provide some offset. First, SYF's retailer share agreements are structured to adjust based on credit performance, meaning the company's costs should decline if credit quality worsens, providing a natural hedge. Second, the recently recaptured Walmart partnership remains a compelling long-term growth driver, and we expect it to become one of SYF's top partnerships.