The business behind the dividend
| Measure | SYF | Median | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 21.2% | 10.6% | Net income ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Return on capital employed | — | — | Operating income ÷ (equity + total debt) |
| Owner earnings | — | — | Net income + depreciation & amortisation − capital expenditure |
| Free cash flow | — | — | Operating cash flow − capital expenditure |
| Operating margin | — | — | Operating income ÷ revenue |
| Net margin | — | — | Net income ÷ revenue |
| Debt to equity | — | — | Total debt ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Interest cover | — | — | Operating income ÷ interest expense |
| Current ratio | — | — | Current assets ÷ current liabilities |
| Long-term debt to working capital | — | — | Long-term debt ÷ (current assets − current liabilities) |
| Cash conversion | — | — | Operating cash flow ÷ net income |
| Accruals | -5.3% | -3.1% | (Net income − operating cash flow) ÷ total assets |
Not computed here: Cash conversion, Current ratio, Debt to equity, Long-term debt to working capital, Free cash flow, Interest cover, Net margin, Operating margin, Owner earnings, Return on capital employed — why a blank is not a zero.
Ten years of it
The same measures, for every year the filings support. One year is a fact; a row is a business.
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 21.2% | 21.1% | 16.1% | 23.4% | 30.9% | 10.9% | 24.8% | 19.0% | 13.6% | 15.9% | 19.0% |
How it compares in banks & insurers
Among the 377 banks & insurers companies here measured on GAAP earnings, Synchrony Financial pays out less than 338 of them. The median for that group is 30.6%, against this company’s 12.4%.
Closest on GAAP earnings
- Esquire Financial Holdings (ESQ) 11.9%
- Universal Insurance Holdings (UVE) 12.2%
- Nicolet Bankshares (NIC) 12.7%
- Capital Bancorp (CBNK) 12.9%
Same sector and same denominator, so the figures are comparable. All 377 in banks & insurers →