MA vs SYF Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Compare Mastercard's global network toll-taking model against Synchrony's private-label credit card lending and the consumer credit risk that comes with it.
Use this Mastercard vs Synchrony Financial comparison to evaluate the key differences across valuation, growth, profitability, and risk before making an investment decision.
SYF holds the edge across 4 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. SYF leads on both 1-year return (-1.95%) and forward P/E quality (7.43x vs 25.85x for MA), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. MA leads on both revenue growth (14.10%) and operating margin (61.11%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies similar upside for both: +12.46% for MA and +14.42% for SYF.
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
| Metric | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 51.3 | 51.5 |
| AI ranki | #461 | #450 |
| Latest closei | $565.24 | $75.04 |
| 1M returni | -1.48% | -5.75% |
| 6M returni | +15.09% | +14.55% |
| 1Y returni | -3.55% | -1.95% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $9.64K (-3.6%) started 2025-09-18 | $9.81K (-1.9%) started 2025-09-18 |
| 5Y ago | $17.39K (+73.9%) started 2021-09-20 | $19.09K (+90.9%) started 2021-09-20 |
| 10Y ago | $62.89K (+528.9%) started 2016-09-19 | $43.55K (+335.5%) started 2016-09-19 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $521.49B | $25.4B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 32.78 | 8.01 |
| Forward P/Ei | 25.85 | 7.43 |
| Price/Salesi | 18.43 | 2.59 |
| EV/Revenuei | 15.24 | 2.76 |
| Analyst targeti | $669.46 | $89.30 |
| Target upsidei | +12.46% | +14.42% |
| Metric | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 14.10% | 0.60% |
| Earnings growthi | 22.10% | 3.60% |
| EPS growthi | +22.10% | +3.60% |
| FCF margini | +48.35% | N/A |
| Operating margini | 61.11% | 50.22% |
| Profit margini | 46.34% | 35.51% |
| ROIC proxyi | 241.20% | 20.79% |
| Return on equityi | 241.20% | 20.79% |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.58% | 1.74% |
| Payout ratioi | 17.93% | 12.31% |
| Dividend growth streaki | No increase yet | No increase yet |
| Betai | 0.73 | 1.31 |
| Debt/equityi | 439.58 | N/A |
| Current ratioi | 1.06 | N/A |
| Quick ratioi | 0.67 | N/A |
Over the past year, MA and SYF have moved weakly in the same direction (correlation of 0.39), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | -3.55% | -1.95% |
| CAGRi | -3.55% | -1.95% | |
| Volatilityi | 22.29% | 31.47% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.25 | -0.05 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.36 | -0.06 | |
| Max drawdowni | 19.54% | 27.91% | |
| Current drawdowni | 5.77% | 15.18% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 8.45% | 12.41% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 9.95% | 14.50% | |
| Max daily dropi | 5.77% | 9.61% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 6.45% | 11.77% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +70.10% | +73.72% |
| CAGRi | +11.22% | +11.69% | |
| Volatilityi | 23.96% | 36.80% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.38 | 0.36 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.54 | 0.52 | |
| Max drawdowni | 28.25% | 46.65% | |
| Current drawdowni | 5.77% | 15.18% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 7.15% | 19.65% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 9.38% | 23.92% | |
| Max daily dropi | 7.69% | 15.42% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 13.28% | 18.86% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +496.88% | +243.25% |
| CAGRi | +19.57% | +13.13% | |
| Volatilityi | 26.96% | 39.47% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.63 | 0.40 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.91 | 0.56 | |
| Max drawdowni | 41.00% | 66.37% | |
| Current drawdowni | 5.77% | 15.18% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 6.30% | 17.87% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 8.87% | 22.51% | |
| Max daily dropi | 12.73% | 26.03% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 21.70% | 44.43% |
| Category | MA | SYF |
|---|---|---|
| Company | MA | SYF |
| Sector | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| Industry | Credit Services | Credit Services |
| Core business | Mastercard Incorporated, a technology company, provides transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the United States and internationally. | Synchrony Financial, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer financial services company in the United States. |
Want deeper AI forecasts?
This comparison page is public and free forever. Subscribers can unlock saved watchlists, full AI rankings, detailed forecasts, and interactive analysis tools.
Full valuation workup with AI Score, Monte Carlo forecast, and bull/bear case — free preview, premium data from $3.99.