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Is Synchrony Financial (SYF) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

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Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.

Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.

Synchrony Financial (SYF - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. SYF is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 9.55, while its industry has an average P/E of 15.47. SYF's Forward P/E has been as high as 9.55 and as low as 5.20, with a median of 7.31, all within the past year.

Another notable valuation metric for SYF is its P/B ratio of 1.57. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. SYF's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 3.09. Over the past 12 months, SYF's P/B has been as high as 1.57 and as low as 0.87, with a median of 1.25.

Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's sales. This is a prefered metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. SYF has a P/S ratio of 0.99. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 2.04.

Finally, we should also recognize that SYF has a P/CF ratio of 6.56. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 16.54. SYF's P/CF has been as high as 6.69 and as low as 4.07, with a median of 5.54, all within the past year.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Synchrony Financial's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, SYF looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.


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