SYF vs. VIRT: Synchrony Financial vs. Virtu Financial Stock Comparison
How do Synchrony Financial (SYF) and Virtu Financial (VIRT) 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
Synchrony Financial (SYF) and Virtu Financial (VIRT) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but SYF is classified in Consumer Finance while VIRT is classified in Capital Markets.
| Profile Item | SYF | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Synchrony Financial | Virtu Financial Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Consumer Finance | Capital Markets |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Consumer Finance | Investment Banking & Brokerage |
| Market Capitalization | 23.99 billion USD | 11.67 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | July 31, 2014 | April 16, 2015 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | SYF | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 2.84% | 57.98% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 39.02% | 51.24% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 10.89% | 19.25% |
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 Virtu Financial (VIRT) is defensive at 0.69 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | SYF | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 31.32% | 37.43% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.40 | 0.69 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -44.60% | -54.52% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.37M | 1.26M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | SYF | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.05 | 1.43 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.06 | 2.27 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 57.03% 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.
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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
57.03%
- VIRT
- 57.03%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 34.07% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 17.96%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
17.96%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- VIRT
- 17.96%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 49.84% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 36.32% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
36.32%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- VIRT
- 36.32%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | SYF | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 19.83% | 57.03% |
| ROA (TTM) | 2.78% | 5.01% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 34.07% | 17.96% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 49.84% | 36.32% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 26.25% 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
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 72.73% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 8.54% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for VIRT.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | SYF | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -0.50% | 26.25% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 8.67% | 15.38% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 8.54% | 72.73% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 14.70% | 28.11% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Synchrony Financial (SYF) in Financial Services and Virtu Financial (VIRT) 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: Synchrony Financial (SYF) in Financial Services and Virtu Financial (VIRT) 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 | SYF | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 1.67% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 1.78% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
1.78%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- VIRT
- 1.78%
- Median
- 1.09%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 12.94% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 15.95% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
15.95%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- VIRT
- 15.95%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | SYF | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.67% | 1.78% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 12.94% | 15.95% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 7.70 and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 7.92 sit in the cheaper earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, with the market paying less for a dollar of trailing earnings than it pays for typical peers.
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
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
7.92
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- VIRT
- 7.92
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 2.45 and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 3.35 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
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
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
3.35
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- VIRT
- 3.35
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Synchrony Financial (SYF) at 1.55 and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 1.92 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
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
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
1.92
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- VIRT
- 1.92
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | SYF | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 7.70 | 7.92 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.45 | 3.35 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.55 | 1.92 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |