MA vs. SYF: Mastercard vs. Synchrony Financial Stock Comparison
How do Mastercard (MA) and Synchrony Financial (SYF) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Mastercard (MA) and Synchrony Financial (SYF) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but MA is classified in Financial Services while SYF is classified in Consumer Finance.
| Profile Item | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Mastercard Inc. Class A Common Stock | Synchrony Financial |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Financial Services | Consumer Finance |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Transaction & Payment Processing Services | Consumer Finance |
| Market Capitalization | 568.62 billion USD | 23.99 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | May 25, 2006 | July 31, 2014 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 20.00% | 2.84% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 19.98% | 39.02% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 14.49% | 10.89% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 23.57% | 31.32% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.76 | 1.40 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -28.25% | -44.60% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.98M | 3.37M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.67 | -0.05 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.00 | -0.06 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Mastercard (MA) at 231.37% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 19.83%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
MA
Financial Services industry group
231.37%
- MA
- 231.37%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
SYF
Financial Services industry group
19.83%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- SYF
- 19.83%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
For every dollar of sales, both Mastercard (MA) at 46.73% and Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 34.07% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.
MA
Financial Services industry group
46.73%
- Max
- 62.84%
- MA
- 46.73%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
SYF
Financial Services industry group
34.07%
- Max
- 62.84%
- SYF
- 34.07%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Mastercard (MA) at 60.53% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 49.84%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
MA
Financial Services industry group
60.53%
- Max
- 107.33%
- MA
- 60.53%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
SYF
Financial Services industry group
49.84%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- SYF
- 49.84%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 231.37% | 19.83% |
| ROA (TTM) | 24.45% | 2.78% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 46.73% | 34.07% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 60.53% | 49.84% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Mastercard (MA) at 16.42% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Synchrony Financial (SYF) at -0.50% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.
EPS Growth
Both Mastercard (MA) at 18.93% 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
| Metric | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 16.42% | -0.50% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 13.82% | 8.67% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 18.93% | 8.54% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 17.36% | 14.70% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Mastercard (MA) 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 / Equity (MRQ)
debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Mastercard (MA) 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
| Metric | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Mastercard (MA) at 0.53% and Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 1.67% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
MA
Financial Services industry group
0.53%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- MA
- 0.53%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SYF
Financial Services industry group
1.67%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- SYF
- 1.67%
- Median
- 1.09%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Mastercard (MA) at 17.63% 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.
MA
Financial Services industry group
17.63%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- MA
- 17.63%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SYF
Financial Services industry group
12.94%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- SYF
- 12.94%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.53% | 1.67% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 17.63% | 12.94% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 7.70 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Mastercard (MA) at 34.15 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.
MA
Financial Services industry group
34.15
- Max
- 45.85
- MA
- 34.15
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
SYF
Financial Services industry group
7.70
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- SYF
- 7.70
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 2.45 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Mastercard (MA) at 15.67 clears its benchmark range — MA looks notably rich on sales.
MA
Financial Services industry group
15.67
- MA
- 15.67
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
SYF
Financial Services industry group
2.45
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- SYF
- 2.45
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 1.55 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Mastercard (MA) at 84.30 prices above its benchmark range — MA looks rich relative to book.
MA
Financial Services industry group
84.30
- MA
- 84.30
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
SYF
Financial Services industry group
1.55
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- SYF
- 1.55
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 34.15 | 7.70 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 15.67 | 2.45 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 84.30 | 1.55 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |