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Synchrony FinancialSYF +0.83%76 Debt-to-Equity is 1.00 as of Mar. 2026, which is 12% below its 10-year median of 1.14. GuruFocus rates SYF with a GF Score™ of 76/100 and a GF Value™ of $68.16 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 456 Credit Services companies, Synchrony Financial ranks better than 54.39% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for Synchrony Financial's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
SYF'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.85 Med: 1.14 Max: 1.7
Current: 1
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Synchrony Financial was 1.70. The lowest was 0.85. And the median was 1.14.
SYF's Debt-to-Equity is ranked better than 54.39% of 456
companies
in the Credit Services industry
Industry Median: 1.235
vs SYF: 1.00
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
Synchrony Financial Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Synchrony Financial Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Synchrony Financial's Debt-to-Equity can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
SYF vs AFRM, SOFI, ALLY: Debt-to-Equity Comparison
For the Credit Services subindustry, Synchrony Financial's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Synchrony Financial Debt-to-Equity vs Credit Services Industry
For the Credit Services industry and Financial Services sector, Synchrony Financial's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Synchrony Financial's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Synchrony Financial (SYF) has a Debt-to-Equity of 1.00 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Synchrony Financial and its competitors. This is 12% below median its historical median of 1.14. Over the past decade, Synchrony Financial's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.85 to 1.70. According to the industry distribution chart, Synchrony Financial ranks #208 out of 456 companies in the Credit Services industry, placing it in the top 45.6%.
Is Synchrony Financial's Debt-to-Equity too high?
Synchrony Financial's current Debt-to-Equity of 1.00 is 12% below median its 10-year median of 1.14. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.85 to a high of 1.70. The Credit Services industry median Debt-to-Equity is 1.24. Synchrony Financial's value of 1.00 is 19% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Synchrony Financial ranks #208 out of 456 companies in the Credit Services industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Synchrony Financial has a GF Score™ of 76/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Synchrony Financial's Debt-to-Equity compare to AFRM and SOFI?
According to the Credit Services industry distribution chart, Synchrony Financial ranks #208 out of 456 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This puts Synchrony Financial in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 1.24. Synchrony Financial's value of 1.00 is 19% below this benchmark. Historically, Synchrony Financial's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.85 to 1.70 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 1.14 vs. the industry median of 1.24, Synchrony Financial has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for a Credit Services company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Credit Services companies is 1.24, based on 456 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Synchrony Financial's current Debt-to-Equity of 1.00 is 19% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Synchrony Financial and its competitors. For the Credit Services industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 1.24 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Synchrony Financial's current Debt-to-Equity is 1.00, which is 12% below median its own 10-year median of 1.14. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Synchrony Financial stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Synchrony Financial (SYF) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $68.16, compared to a current price of $72.81 — trading 6.8% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 1.00, which is 12% below median its 10-year median of 1.14 and 19% below the Credit Services industry median of 1.24. Synchrony Financial's overall GF Score™ is 76/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Synchrony Financial (SYF), the current Debt-to-Equity is 1.00 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Synchrony Financial (SYF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Synchrony Financial stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $72.81 is trading 6.8% above its estimated GF Value™ of $68.16.
GuruFocus considers Synchrony Financial to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for SYF:
Debt-to-Equity: 1.00 (12% below median its 10-year median of 1.14)
GF Value™: $68.16 vs. price of $72.81 (6.8% above fair value)
Industry Position: 19% below the Credit Services median (#208 of 456)
No single metric tells the full story. See the SYF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Synchrony Financial, originally a spinoff of GE Capital's retail financing business, is the largest provider of private-label credit cards in the United States by both outstanding receivables and purchasing volume. Synchrony partners with other firms to market its credit products in their physical stores as well as on their websites and mobile applications. Synchrony operates through three segments: retail card (private-label and co-branded general-purpose credit cards), payment solutions (promotional financing for large ticket purchases), and CareCredit (financing for elective healthcare procedures).
76GF Score
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