SYF vs. UNM: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 24, 2025

Here’s a clear look at SYF and UNM, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Symbol	SYF	UNM
Company Name	Synchrony Financial	Unum Group
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Financials	Financials
GICS Industry	Consumer Finance	Insurance
Market Capitalization	26.63 billion USD	11.83 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	July 31, 2014	November 6, 1986
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of SYF and UNM by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

SYF vs. UNM: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	SYF	UNM
5-Day Price Return	-1.72%	-2.03%
13-Week Price Return	19.20%	-15.47%
26-Week Price Return	11.70%	-7.94%
52-Week Price Return	50.28%	27.38%
Month-to-Date Return	2.74%	-3.29%
Year-to-Date Return	10.12%	-4.90%
10-Day Avg. Volume	2.96M	1.29M
3-Month Avg. Volume	3.65M	1.35M
3-Month Volatility	26.80%	31.72%
Beta	1.54	0.37

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

SYF

19.89%

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 32.87%
Q3: 20.39%
Median: 14.14%
Q1: 7.64%
Min: -10.63%

SYF’s Return on Equity of 19.89% is on par with the norm for the Consumer Finance industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

UNM

13.67%

Insurance Industry

Max: 29.03%
Q3: 18.11%
Median: 13.90%
Q1: 10.42%
Min: -0.64%

UNM’s Return on Equity of 13.67% is on par with the norm for the Insurance industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

SYF vs. UNM: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

SYF

14.06%

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 19.68%
Q3: 15.94%
Median: 13.37%
Q1: 9.73%
Min: 3.66%

SYF’s Net Profit Margin of 14.06% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Consumer Finance industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

UNM

11.77%

Insurance Industry

Max: 26.78%
Q3: 14.06%
Median: 9.15%
Q1: 5.48%
Min: -7.05%

UNM’s Net Profit Margin of 11.77% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Insurance industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

SYF vs. UNM: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

SYF

18.39%

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 50.11%
Q3: 29.38%
Median: 18.31%
Q1: 14.26%
Min: -5.45%

SYF’s Operating Profit Margin of 18.39% is around the midpoint for the Consumer Finance industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

UNM

16.48%

Insurance Industry

Max: 35.49%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 14.35%
Q1: 8.53%
Min: -5.25%

In the Insurance industry, Operating Profit Margin is often not the primary measure of operational efficiency.

SYF vs. UNM: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	SYF	UNM
Return on Equity (TTM)	19.89%	13.67%
Return on Assets (TTM)	2.73%	2.42%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	14.06%	11.77%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	18.39%	16.48%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	--	--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

SYF

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 5.34
Q3: 4.21
Median: 2.67
Q1: 0.71
Min: 0.20

For the Consumer Finance industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

UNM

Insurance Industry

Max: 2.97
Q3: 1.33
Median: 0.55
Q1: 0.15
Min: 0.00

For the Insurance industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

SYF vs. UNM: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Consumer Finance and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

SYF

0.94

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 6.63
Q3: 3.39
Median: 2.21
Q1: 0.94
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Consumer Finance industry.

UNM

0.33

Insurance Industry

Max: 1.25
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.34
Q1: 0.22
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Insurance industry.

SYF vs. UNM: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Consumer Finance and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

SYF

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 49.63
Q3: 39.33
Median: 4.56
Q1: 2.97
Min: -15.69

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Consumer Finance industry.

UNM

12.19

Insurance Industry

Max: 43.68
Q3: 20.84
Median: 9.56
Q1: 3.34
Min: -5.73

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Insurance industry.

SYF vs. UNM: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	SYF	UNM
Current Ratio (MRQ)	--	--
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	--	--
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.94	0.33
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	--	12.19

Growth

Revenue Growth

SYF vs. UNM: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

SYF vs. UNM: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

SYF

1.84%

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 8.31%
Q3: 3.93%
Median: 2.51%
Q1: 0.84%
Min: 0.00%

SYF’s Dividend Yield of 1.84% is consistent with its peers in the Consumer Finance industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

UNM

2.58%

Insurance Industry

Max: 8.23%
Q3: 4.54%
Median: 3.42%
Q1: 1.97%
Min: 0.00%

UNM’s Dividend Yield of 2.58% is consistent with its peers in the Insurance industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

SYF vs. UNM: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

SYF

14.94%

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 145.89%
Q3: 88.53%
Median: 23.79%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

SYF’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 14.94% is within the typical range for the Consumer Finance industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

UNM

20.11%

Insurance Industry

Max: 168.02%
Q3: 85.57%
Median: 50.71%
Q1: 22.04%
Min: 0.00%

UNM’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 20.11% is in the lower quartile for the Insurance industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.

SYF vs. UNM: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	SYF	UNM
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.84%	2.58%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	14.94%	20.11%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

SYF

8.10

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 34.39
Q3: 20.36
Median: 13.05
Q1: 9.29
Min: 4.74

In the lower quartile for the Consumer Finance industry, SYF’s P/E Ratio of 8.10 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.

UNM

7.79

Insurance Industry

Max: 28.91
Q3: 17.76
Median: 13.63
Q1: 10.02
Min: 2.89

In the lower quartile for the Insurance industry, UNM’s P/E Ratio of 7.79 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.

SYF vs. UNM: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

SYF

0.73

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 4.28
Q3: 2.67
Median: 1.88
Q1: 1.15
Min: 0.55

In the lower quartile for the Consumer Finance industry, SYF’s P/S Ratio of 0.73 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.

UNM

0.92

Insurance Industry

Max: 3.72
Q3: 1.98
Median: 1.23
Q1: 0.81
Min: 0.23

UNM’s P/S Ratio of 0.92 aligns with the market consensus for the Insurance industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

SYF vs. UNM: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Consumer Finance and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

SYF

1.50

Consumer Finance Industry

Max: 3.63
Q3: 2.40
Median: 1.96
Q1: 1.16
Min: 0.26

SYF’s P/B Ratio of 1.50 is within the conventional range for the Consumer Finance industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

UNM

1.24

Insurance Industry

Max: 4.37
Q3: 2.48
Median: 1.68
Q1: 1.19
Min: 0.19

UNM’s P/B Ratio of 1.24 is within the conventional range for the Insurance industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

SYF vs. UNM: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Consumer Finance and Insurance industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	SYF	UNM
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	8.10	7.79
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	0.73	0.92
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	1.50	1.24
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	2.70	8.19