MCO vs. SYF: Moody's vs. Synchrony Financial Stock Comparison
How do Moody's (MCO) 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
Moody's (MCO) and Synchrony Financial (SYF) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but MCO is classified in Capital Markets while SYF is classified in Consumer Finance.
| Profile Item | MCO | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Moody's Corporation | Synchrony Financial |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Capital Markets | Consumer Finance |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Financial Exchanges & Data | Consumer Finance |
| Market Capitalization | 87.19 billion USD | 23.99 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | October 31, 1994 | July 31, 2014 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | MCO | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 5.02% | 2.84% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 15.27% | 39.02% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 6.21% | 10.89% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | MCO | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 28.61% | 31.32% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.28 | 1.40 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -40.93% | -44.60% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 817.57K | 3.37M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | MCO | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.03 | -0.05 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.04 | -0.06 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Moody's (MCO) at 76.74% 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.
MCO
Financial Services industry group
76.74%
- MCO
- 76.74%
- 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 Moody's (MCO) at 35.26% 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.
MCO
Financial Services industry group
35.26%
- Max
- 62.84%
- MCO
- 35.26%
- 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)
Both Moody's (MCO) at 46.27% and Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 49.84% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
MCO
Financial Services industry group
46.27%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- MCO
- 46.27%
- 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 | MCO | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 76.74% | 19.83% |
| ROA (TTM) | 15.56% | 2.78% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 35.26% | 34.07% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 46.27% | 49.84% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Moody's (MCO) at 8.89% 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 Moody's (MCO) at 21.40% 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 | MCO | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 8.89% | -0.50% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 12.17% | 8.67% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 21.40% | 8.54% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 22.48% | 14.70% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Moody's (MCO) 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: Moody's (MCO) 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 | MCO | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Moody's (MCO) at 0.78% and Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 1.67% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
MCO
Financial Services industry group
0.78%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- MCO
- 0.78%
- 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 Moody's (MCO) at 24.59% 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.
MCO
Financial Services industry group
24.59%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- MCO
- 24.59%
- 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 | MCO | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.78% | 1.67% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 24.59% | 12.94% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 7.70 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Moody's (MCO) at 30.85 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.
MCO
Financial Services industry group
30.85
- Max
- 45.85
- MCO
- 30.85
- 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 Moody's (MCO) at 10.66 clears its benchmark range — MCO looks notably rich on sales.
MCO
Financial Services industry group
10.66
- MCO
- 10.66
- 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 Moody's (MCO) at 26.68 prices above its benchmark range — MCO looks rich relative to book.
MCO
Financial Services industry group
26.68
- MCO
- 26.68
- 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 | MCO | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 30.85 | 7.70 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 10.66 | 2.45 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 26.68 | 1.55 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |