LPLA vs. SYF: LPL Financial vs. Synchrony Financial Stock Comparison

Company Profile

LPL Financial (LPLA) and Synchrony Financial (SYF) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but LPLA is classified in Capital Markets while SYF is classified in Consumer Finance.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Synchrony Financial (SYF) has an aggressive beta of 1.40, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while LPL Financial (LPLA) is defensive at 0.52 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

LPL Financial (LPLA) at 25.66% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 19.83% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for LPLA.

Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 34.07% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of LPL Financial (LPLA) at 6.97%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 49.84% runs core operations around its industry’s norm, while LPL Financial (LPLA) at 10.85% operates in the bottom quartile.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

LPL Financial (LPLA) at 37.18% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Synchrony Financial (SYF) at -0.50% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.

Both LPL Financial (LPLA) at -22.17% and Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 8.54% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: LPL Financial (LPLA) in Financial Services and Synchrony Financial (SYF) in Financial Services both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.

debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: LPL Financial (LPLA) in Financial Services and Synchrony Financial (SYF) in Financial Services run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Both LPL Financial (LPLA) at 0.40% and Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 1.67% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

Both LPL Financial (LPLA) at 6.88% and Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 12.94% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 7.70 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while LPL Financial (LPLA) at 16.93 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for SYF, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

LPL Financial (LPLA) at 1.15 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 2.45 prices around its industry’s middle — LPLA costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 1.55 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while LPL Financial (LPLA) at 3.98 carries an above-peer premium to book — LPLA is pricier on assets.

Valuation Metrics