Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

Synchrony Financial (SYF)

953 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in SYF. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Fetching live quote...
Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↓ -29
Streak
1Q ▼
Buyers last Q
47%

Smart Money Signals — SYF

Based on 961 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📉

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row

last 6Q
For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their SYF positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (97% of max)

97% of all-time peak
961 hedge funds hold SYF right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
📶

Steady growth — +12% more funds vs a year ago

fund count last 6Q
+100 new funds entered over the past year (+12% YoY). Gradual, steady growth in institutional ownership is generally a healthy signal — not a speculative rush, but consistent conviction.
🟠

More sellers than buyers — 47% buying

476 buying535 selling
Last quarter: 535 funds reduced or exited vs 476 that bought or added. When more than half of active funds are selling, it's a caution flag — especially if the stock price hasn't moved down yet.
⚠️

Fewer new buyers each quarter (-49 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening this position for the first time: 121 → 131 → 173 → 124. Each quarter fewer new institutions are entering. This usually means most funds that wanted in are already in — the stock is well-known but the pool of potential new buyers is shrinking.
🔒

59% of holders stayed for 2+ years

59% conviction (2yr+) 22% medium 19% new
567 out of 961 hedge funds have held SYF for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💎

Buying through price weakness — shares -5%, value -25%

Value
-24%
Shares
-5%
Last quarter: funds added -5% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -25%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
📈

Growing discovery — still being found

112 → 121 → 131 → 173 → 124 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 121 → 131 → 173 → 124. A growing number of institutions are discovering SYF each quarter. The narrative is still spreading — leaving room for ongoing capital accumulation.
🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 64% veterans vs 23% newcomers

64% veterans 13% 1-2yr 23% new
Entry-cohort mix of 993 holders: 636 (64%) are 2+ year veterans, 126 entered 1–2 years ago, and 231 (23%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.
🏆

Elite ownership — 51% AUM from top-100 funds

51% from top-100 AUM funds
64 of 959 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 51% of total institutional value in SYF. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.
3.7
out of 10
Low Exit Risk
Exit risk score 3.7/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — SYF

In 2026 Q1, 476 hedge funds were net buyers of SYF (124 opened a new position, 352 added to an existing one), while 535 reduced or exited (382 trimmed, 153 sold completely) — a 47% buyer ratio, indicating roughly balanced activity. 51% of total institutional value in SYF is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting elite-tier ownership quality. Net fund flow last quarter: -29 funds (more exits than new entries). Total institutional holders: 961.

Hedge Fund Ownership: SYF

How many hedge funds hold SYF — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of SYF vs. share price

Market Analysis: SYF

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: SYF

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy Synchrony Financial (SYF) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much SYF has moved relative to its sector benchmark (XLF) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 82d ago
SYF
+10.6%
XLF
+8.5%

SYF outperformed XLF by +2.1% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 37d ago
SYF
+5.4%
XLF
+4.8%

Since the filing became public, SYF outperformed XLF by +0.6% .

Interpretation: The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Broad Consensus, Selective Conviction

Many quality funds hold this stock, but top-tier positions remain relatively small.

60 top-rated funds 6 high-conviction
Consensus
7.8
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
3.5
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: SYF
953 + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in SYF. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 953 990 -3.74%
13F Shares 347M 367M -5.46%
Total Value $22.96B $30.46B -24.62%
New Positions 122 173 -51
Increased Positions 337 361 -24
Closed Positions 159 99 +60
Reduced Positions 375 336 +39
Total Calls 16 22 -27.27%
Total Puts 18 22 -18.18%
PUT/CALL Ratio 1.12 1.0 Neutral

Statistics: SYF

View More

Valuation Measures Data as of: --

Market Cap --
Enterprise Value --
Trailing P/E --
Forward P/E --
PEG Ratio (5yr expected) --
Price/Sales (ttm) --
Price/Book (mrq) --
Enterprise Value/Revenue --
Enterprise Value/EBITDA --
Beta (5Y Monthly) --
Short Ratio (Days to Cover) --
Short % of Float --

Financial Highlights

Profitability
Profit Margin --
Return on Assets (ttm) --
Return on Equity (ttm) --
Income Statement & Cash Flow
Revenue (ttm) --
Net Income Avi to Common (ttm) --
Diluted EPS (ttm) --
Total Cash (mrq) --
Total Debt/Equity (mrq) --
Levered Free Cash Flow (ttm) --

Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

953 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in SYF. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 SYF holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 Par Capital Management Inc 15.00% 7,612,137 $517.8M
2 Solel Partners LP 10.75% 739,000 $50.3M
3 Chou Associates Management Inc. 7.22% 223,202 $15.2M
4 PARUS FINANCE (UK) Ltd 6.63% 325,787 $22.2M
5 Factorial Partners, LLC 4.44% 90,000 $6.1M
6 English Capital Management LLC 4.44% 111,407 $7.6M
7 Twin Lions Management LLC 3.45% 83,962 $5.7M
8 Round Hill Asset Management 3.33% 74,682 $5.1M
9 Khrom Capital Management LLC 3.20% 515,023 $35.0M
10 Cambridge Financial Group, Inc. 2.62% 103,177 $7.0M
11 Kerusso Capital Management LLC 2.21% 64,808 $4.4M
12 Hosking Partners LLP 1.76% 721,195 $49.1M
13 Virtus Family Office LLC 1.43% 24,714 $1.7M
14 Board of the Pension Protection Fund 1.42% 22,700 $1.5M
15 Helix Partners Management LP 1.40% 77,000 $5.2M
16 Black Maple Capital Management LP 1.19% 31,500 $2.1M
17 Basswood Capital Management, L.L.C. 1.18% 368,106 $25.0M
18 Wincap Financial LLC 1.14% 25,102 $1.7M
19 AustralianSuper Pty Ltd 1.03% 2,893,228 $196.8M
20 Center For Asset Management LLC 0.77% 22,897 $1.6M
21 City National Bank of Florida /Msd 0.72% 17,744 $1.2M
22 L2 Asset Management, LLC 0.72% 110,998 $7.6M
23 WealthTrust Asset Management, LLC 0.71% 17,452 $1.2M
24 Wright Investors Service Inc 0.66% 30,898 $2.1M
25 Sanchez Gaunt Capital Management, LLC 0.66% 15,503 $1.1M
Investor Ownership
History
% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Synchrony Financial (SYF)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for SYF?

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row: For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their SYF positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.

What is the institutional breadth score for SYF?

More sellers than buyers — 47% buying: Last quarter: 535 funds reduced or exited vs 476 that bought or added. When more than half of active funds are selling, it's a caution flag — especially if the stock price hasn't moved down yet.

What is the fund quality score for SYF holders?

Elite ownership — 51% AUM from top-100 funds: 64 of 959 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 51% of total institutional value in SYF. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.

How long have hedge funds held SYF?

59% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 567 out of 961 hedge funds have held SYF for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy Synchrony Financial (SYF) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, SYF has moved +5.4% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +4.8% for the XLF sector ETF — an outperformance of +0.6%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), SYF has gained +10.6% vs +8.5% for XLF. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

Full history →