Latest news with #BrianDoubles
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Forbes Daily: Rising Cocoa Prices Lead Hershey To Raise Candy Prices
Americans are in more debt than ever, but so far, borrowers are holding up fine, Synchrony's financial results show. Inflation threatens to derail that. The financial performance of the Connecticut-based bank offers a window into the health of U.S. consumers, since the firm says one in every four American adults has a Synchrony card—it offers co-branded credit cards and point-of-sale loans for customers like Sam's Club, Lowe's and PayPal. After the pandemic caused a spike in default rates, the bank's CEO Brian Doubles said more customers are now paying back their loans than expected. But while Doubles was optimistic about growth this year, one analyst says the bank's customers are particularly vulnerable to inflation because many have below-average credit Trump Organization has not announced any deals in Abu Dhabi yet, but there have been plenty of signs to suggest it has plans to make a move in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It's part of a slew of recent overseas Trump projects, all of which represent an about-face for the president, who hung onto ownership of his assets during his first term but stuck them in a trust and promised to launch no new ventures abroad. 'It's gone so far as to be whatever is the direct opposite of government ethics—I suppose we'd call that corruption,' said Walter Shaub, who led the Office of Government Ethics in President Donald Trump's first term before stepping down and speaking out. Columbia University on Wednesday announced that it has agreed to pay $221 million to settle multiple civil rights investigations opened by the Trump Administration, which accused the university of failing to combat antisemitism on campus. The university said the agreement 'preserves Columbia's autonomy and authority over faculty hiring, admissions, and academic decision-making,' while President Trump praised the university for 'agreeing to do what is right.' Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images Tesla reported its worst revenue decline in more than a decade Wednesday, as Elon Musk's political activities continue to weigh on the company's bottom line. The EV maker attributed the downturn to a 13% decline in vehicle deliveries in the second quarter and less cash from selling regulatory credits, though analysts have expressed some optimism after the company's limited robotaxi rollout in Austin, Texas. It was harder to sell a small business last quarter, data from online marketplace BizBuySell shows, as buyers were cautious about higher interest rates, tougher loan rules and overall economic stability. The median sale price also fell by 6% on a year-over-year basis, but some sectors were more impacted than others: Service-oriented businesses like healthcare and construction continue to attract buyers, while manufacturing took a sharp hit. Record high home prices and elevated mortgage rates are tamping down real estate demand, as sales of existing homes fell 2.7% in June, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. The median existing-home price reached an all-time high of $435,000, and NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said years of undersupply are driving the record prices. TECH + INNOVATION Vanta cofounder and CEO Christina Cacioppo Katie Thompson Security and compliance software company Vanta said Wednesday it raised $150 million, valuing the startup at $4.15 billion. The firm, cofounded by CEO Christina Cacioppo, who is on Forbes' list of America's Richest Self-Made Women, seeks to automate businesses' security compliance processes, through both continuous monitoring and real-time reports with the help of AI. Google parent company Alphabet exceeded expectations for its second-quarter earnings, spurred by its cloud and search business, though shares remain relatively flat for the year. Experts have mixed expectations for the company's stock ahead of a looming antitrust ruling that could force a sale of its Chrome browser. MONEY + POLITICS U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi Photo byIn the latest update to a quickly escalating crisis for the White House, the Wall Street Journal reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi told President Donald Trump he was named multiple times in the Epstein files at a routine briefing in May. Officials reportedly told Trump the files contained rumors about him and other high-profile figures who socialized with Epstein in the past. Trump had a long association with the disgraced financier before Epstein pleaded guilty to sex crimes in 2008. In a 2-1 ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that blocked President Donald Trump's order seeking to end birthright citizenship, deeming it unconstitutional. In its majority opinion, the court said that the executive order 'contradicts the plain language of the Fourteenth Amendment's grant of citizenship to 'all persons born in the United States.'' Wednesday's ruling will likely set up a future hearing by the Supreme Court. TRENDS + EXPLAINERS President Donald Trump's battle with universities has focused on elite private schools, but the impacts on higher education as a whole have been sweeping: In the first six months of the Trump Administration, federal agencies—primarily the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation—canceled more than 4,000 grant awards worth an estimated $7 billion at over 600 colleges and universities. Among the 10 states that have lost the most funding per student, four are red and six are blue, a new report from the left-leaning think tank Center for American Progress shows. DAILY COVER STORY Former Citigroup Chair Sandy Weill's New $100 Million Gift To Harness AI For A West Coast Cancer Hub Philanthropists Joan and Sandy Weill Walter Zarnowitz/UCSF Sanford 'Sandy' Weill, the former CEO and chairman of banking giant Citigroup, and his wife Joan have been big donors to medical research on both coasts of the U.S. Now, the couple are taking it up a notch. On Wednesday, two Bay Area universities—University of California, San Francisco and Stanford University—announced a $100 million gift over 10 years from the Weill Family Foundation for a new cancer hub that is designed to advance cancer research and treatment via four specific projects. The gift, a matching grant, has the goal of raising an additional $100 million for the new initiative, called the Weill Cancer Hub West. A quarter of the matching funds have already been raised, the universities said. Sandy Weill, who retired as Citigroup CEO in 2003 and as chairman in 2006 and dropped off Forbes' billionaires list in 2022 as a result of his charitable giving, is now 92 years old and devoting most of his time to philanthropy via he and Joan's $425 million (assets) charitable foundation. Though the death rate from cancer has fallen by about a third in the past quarter century, cancer is still on the rise, with almost 20 million new cases annually and about 10 million deaths globally each year. The Weill Cancer Hub West will harness recent promising developments to tackle cancer. One project will use the gene editing tool CRISPR to engineer immune cells inside the body by injecting the CRISPR machinery into a patient, deliver it to a patient's immune cells, and reprogram those cells to go after the cancer. Another project, in the area of cellular therapy, aims to build weaponized cells that are personalized to each patient to go after solid tumors—like breast cancer or pancreatic cancer. WHY IT MATTERS 'This donation comes at a time when funding for more than 1,000 grants from the National Institutes of Health has reported to have been cut off and a debate continues on dramatically reducing their budget,' says Forbes assistant managing editor Kerry Dolan. 'Though extraordinary progress in cancer treatment has been made in recent decades, there's still much to accomplish. Plus, private funding like the grant from the Weills' foundation enables the two universities to take more risk than they would likely be able to with government funding.' MORE How This New Biotech Billionaire Outmaneuvered Merck In China FACTS + COMMENTS Prices on a number of Hershey's candy products will soon increase due to a surge in cocoa prices. The iconic American chocolate company will also adjust each container's weight and quantity: From the low teens to 20%: The size of the price hikes, which will vary 90 days: The amount of time it typically takes higher prices to materialize at retailers, according to a spokesperson $15 million to $20 million: The hit Hershey expects to take from President Donald Trump's wide-ranging tariff policies this year STRATEGY + SUCCESS Modern society places an emphasis on perseverance, but sometimes it's better to know when to walk away. Don't stick with something just because you invested time and money into it—if you spend time on something, it takes away from doing something else that you may be more passionate about. Quitting may be another path to self-improvement. VIDEO QUIZ An upcoming film from Amazon MGM Studios will feature portrayals of several billionaires. Who is actor Ike Barinholtz in talks to play in the comedy-drama Artificial ? A. Bill Gates B. Sam Altman C. Jeff Bezos D. Elon Musk Check your answer. Thanks for reading! This edition of Forbes Daily was edited by Sarah Whitmire and Chris Dobstaff.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Synchrony Reports Second Quarter 2025 Results; Company also Announces Quarterly Common Stock Dividend of $0.30 Per Share
Company also declares preferred stock dividends STAMFORD, Conn., July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Synchrony Financial (NYSE: SYF) today announced second quarter 2025 results for the period ending June 30, 2025. The Earnings Release and presentation can be found on the company's Investor Relations website at Today at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time, Brian Doubles, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Brian Wenzel Sr., Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will host a conference call to review the financial results and outlook for certain business drivers. The conference call can be accessed via an audio webcast through the Investor Relations website at under Events and Presentations. A replay will also be available on the website. The Company also announced that its Board of Directors (the "Board") declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.30 per share of common stock, payable on August 15, 2025 to holders of record at the close of business on August 5, 2025. The Board also declared a quarterly cash dividend on the outstanding shares of its 5.625% Fixed Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A (the "Series A Preferred Stock") and 8.250% Fixed Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series B (the "Series B Preferred Stock"). Each outstanding share of the Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock is represented by depositary shares, each representing a 1/40th interest in a share. The dividends of approximately $14.06 per share on the Series A Preferred Stock (equivalent to $0.351563 per outstanding depositary share) and approximately $20.63 per share on the Series B Preferred Stock (equivalent to $0.515625 per outstanding depositary share) are payable on August 15, 2025 to holders of record at the close of business on August 5, 2025. About Synchrony Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) is a leading consumer financing company at the heart of American commerce and opportunity. From health to home, auto to retail, our Synchrony products have been serving the needs of people and businesses for nearly 100 years. We provide responsible access to credit and banking products to support healthier financial lives for tens of millions of people, enabling them to access the things that matter to them. Additionally, through our innovative products and experiences, we support the growth and operations of some of the country's most respected brands, as well as more than 400,000 small and midsize businesses and health and wellness providers that Americans rely on. Synchrony is proud to be ranked as the country's #2 Best Company to Work For® by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work®. For more information, visit Contact Investor RelationsKathryn Miller(203) Media RelationsTyler Allen(551) View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Synchrony Financial Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Walmart's OnePay partners Synchrony for credit card programme
Walmart-backed consumer fintech firm OnePay has joined forces with Synchrony to exclusively launch a new credit card programme for Walmart. Scheduled for release in the upcoming fall, the programme will be accessible through the OnePay app and supported by Mastercard's payment network, targeting Walmart's US customers. This initiative, in partnership with Synchrony and Mastercard, will provide customers with a financial management tool, encompassing saving, spending, borrowing, and investing. The programme will feature two types of cards - a general-purpose card accepted wherever Mastercard is used, and a private label card exclusive to Walmart purchases. Both cards will be integrated into the OnePay app, enabling access to OnePay's financial services. OnePay CEO Omer Ismail said: "Our goal with this credit card programme is to deliver an experience for consumers that's transparent, rewarding, and easy to use. We're excited to be partnering with Synchrony to launch a programme at Walmart that checks each of those boxes and will help serve millions of people." Synchrony CEO and president Brian Doubles stated: "We are proud to be selected by OnePay to further our mission of helping people live better and build healthier financial futures with Walmart. Together, we aim to drive even greater innovation and new credit experiences to better serve customers while driving long-term, high-quality growth." This partnership signifies Walmart's return to Synchrony, which had previously issued Walmart-branded credit cards until 2018, before losing the contract to Capital One, as reported by Reuters. Walmart's decision to part ways with Capital One in 2024 was influenced by operational concerns, including delayed transaction updates and the prolonged issuance of replacement cards. In March, OnePay collaborated with Klarna to provide exclusive instalment loans to Walmart shoppers in the US. "Walmart's OnePay partners Synchrony for credit card programme " was originally created and published by Electronic Payments International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OnePay and Synchrony to Launch New Industry-Leading Credit Card Program With Walmart; Credit Card to Be Powered by Mastercard and Set to Go Live This Fall
Synchrony to become exclusive issuer of OnePay credit cards at Walmart, with the credit card experience embedded inside the OnePay app The program will add credit cards to OnePay's growing portfolio of financial services products, helping consumers save, spend, borrow, and grow their money — all in one place NEW YORK and STAMFORD, Conn., June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- OnePay, a leading consumer fintech, and Synchrony (NYSE: SYF), a premier consumer financial services company, today announced a strategic partnership to exclusively power a new industry-leading credit card program with Walmart (NYSE: WMT). The credit card program is expected to launch this fall, with the experience embedded inside the OnePay app and powered by Mastercard's global payments network, and will be made available to millions of Walmart customers and to consumers across the U.S. OnePay, the consumer fintech backed by Walmart and Ribbit Capital, today serves millions of customers nationwide and offers a suite of banking, credit, and payments products — including cashback debit, high-yield savings, installment loans, a digital wallet, and domestic and international peer-to-peer payments. In partnering with Synchrony and Mastercard, OnePay will add credit cards to its growing portfolio as part of its vision to help people save, spend, borrow, and grow their money with a simplified way to holistically manage their financial lives. As part of the program, OnePay and Synchrony will introduce both a general-purpose card, which will serve as the program's signature card and be available to use anywhere Mastercard is accepted, and a private label card, which will be exclusively for Walmart purchases. The credit card functionality will be embedded inside the OnePay app, offering millions of Walmart's U.S. customers a sleek, intuitive digital experience and the ability to access OnePay's suite of financial services products. "Our goal with this credit card program is to deliver an experience for consumers that's transparent, rewarding, and easy to use," said Omer Ismail, Chief Executive Officer, OnePay. "We're excited to be partnering with Synchrony to launch a program at Walmart that checks each of those boxes and will help serve millions of people." Synchrony will leverage its deep lending expertise and innovative digital capabilities to deliver financial flexibility through a seamless experience. Following the initial launch and reserve costs, the program is expected to drive loyalty and sales at attractive risk-adjusted returns and be accretive to the company's long-term financial performance. "We are proud to be selected by OnePay to further our mission of helping people live better and build healthier financial futures with Walmart," said Brian Doubles, President and Chief Executive Officer, Synchrony. "Together, we aim to drive even greater innovation and new credit experiences to better serve customers while driving long-term, high-quality growth." "Walmart is always seeking innovative ways to help customers save money and live better," said John David Rainey, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Walmart Inc. "Today's announcement represents one more way we're serving our customers the way they want to be served, providing an upgraded digital financial services experience with even greater choice and value." "Consumers today expect financial products that are simple, secure, and built around how they live and shop," said Linda Kirkpatrick, President, Americas at Mastercard. "Our partnership with OnePay and Synchrony brings together deep retail expertise, trusted credit capabilities, and the scale, security, and reliability of Mastercard's global payments network to deliver a seamless, rewarding experience for Walmart customers — whenever and wherever they choose to pay." About OnePayOnePay is a leading consumer fintech on a mission to help people achieve financial progress. The company is backed by Walmart and Ribbit Capital and partners with other financial institutions to offer digital financial services that empower consumers to save, spend, borrow, and grow their money — all in one place. OnePay is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Coastal Community Bank and Lead Bank, Members FDIC and loans through OneProgress Services LLC. OnePay debit and credit cards are issued by partner banks pursuant to licensing by MastercardⓇ International. To learn more about OnePay, please visit About SynchronySynchrony (NYSE: SYF) is a leading consumer financing company at the heart of American commerce and opportunity. From health to home, auto to retail, our Synchrony products have been serving the needs of people and businesses for nearly 100 years. We provide responsible access to credit and banking products to support healthier financial lives for tens of millions of people, enabling them to access the things that matter to them. Additionally, through our innovative products and experiences, we support the growth and operations of some of the country's most respected brands, as well as more than 400,000 small and midsize businesses and health and wellness providers that Americans rely on. Synchrony is proud to be ranked as the country's #2 Best Company to Work For® by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work®. For more information, visit Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "will," "aim," "expect," or words of similar meaning. The forward-looking statements convey expectations related to the strategic partnership between Synchrony and OnePay, which are based on assumptions and subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes that are difficult to predict. As a result, actual results could differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. For the reasons described above, we caution you against relying on any forward-looking statements, which should also be read in conjunction with Synchrony's public filings, including under the heading "Risk Factors Relating to Our Business" and "Risk Factors Relating to Regulation" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as filed on February 7, 2025. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as otherwise may be required by law. Media Contacts: SynchronyTyler OnePayKoji View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Synchrony Financial Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
NBC News
07-05-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Banks are keeping credit card rates high even after the CFPB rule they blamed for high APRs was killed
Last year, banks quickly raised interest rates to record levels and added new monthly fees on credit cards when a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule threatened a key revenue source for the industry. Now, they're far more reluctant to reverse those steps, even after bank trade groups succeeded in killing the CFPB rule in federal court last month. Synchrony and Bread Financial, two of the biggest players in the business of issuing branded credit cards for the likes of Amazon, Lowe's and Wayfair, are keeping the higher rates in place, executives said in recent conference calls. 'We feel pretty comfortable that the rule has been vacated,' Synchrony CEO Brian Doubles said on April 22. 'With that said, we don't currently have plans to roll anything back in terms of the changes that we made.' His counterpart at Bread, CEO Ralph Andretta, echoed that sentiment, 'At this point, we're not intending to roll back those changes, and we've talked to the partners about that.' The CEOs celebrated the end of a proposed CFPB regulation that was meant to limit what Americans would pay in credit card late fees, an effort that the industry called a misguided and unlawful example of regulatory overreach. Under previous Director Rohit Chopra, the CFPB estimated that its rule would save families $10 billion annually. Instead, it inadvertently saddled borrowers with higher rates and fees for receiving paper statements as credit card companies sought to offset the expected revenue hit. Retail cards hit a record high average interest rate of 30.5% last year, according to a Bankrate survey, and rates have stayed close to those levels this year. 'The companies have made a windfall,' said David Silberman, a veteran banking attorney who lectures at Yale Law School. 'They didn't think they needed this revenue before except for [the CFPB rule], and they're now keeping it, which is coming directly out of the consumer's pocket.' Synchrony and Bread both easily topped expectations for first-quarter profit, and analysts covering the companies have raised estimates for what they will earn this year, despite concerns about a looming U.S. economic slowdown. Retailer lifeline While store cards occupy a relatively small corner of the overall credit card universe, Americans who are struggling financially are more likely to rely on them, and they are a crucial profit generator for popular American retailers. There were more than 160 million open retail card accounts last year, the CFPB said in a report from December that highlighted risks to users of the high-interest cards. More than half of the 100 biggest U.S. retailers offer store cards, and brands including Nordstrom and Macy's relied on them to generate roughly 8% of gross profits in recent years, the CFPB said. Banks may be taking advantage of the fact that some users of retail cards don't have the credit profiles to qualify for general-purpose cards from JPMorgan Chase or American Express, for example, said senior Bankrate analyst Ted Rossman. Nearly half of all retail card applications are submitted by people with subprime or no credit scores, and the card companies behind them approve applications at a higher rate than for general-purpose cards, the CFPB said. 'Companies like Bread or Synchrony, they rely a lot more on people who carry balances or who pay late fees,' Rossman said. Rates on retail cards have fallen by less than 1% on average since hitting their 2024 peak, and they are typically about 10 percentage points higher than the rates for general-purpose cards, Rossman said. That means it's unlikely that other large players in the retail card sector, including Citigroup and Barclays, have rolled back their rate increases in the wake of the CFPB rule's demise. The most recent published APR on the Macy's card, issued by Citigroup, is 33.49%, for instance. Citigroup and Barclays representatives declined to comment for this article. Debt spirals Synchrony's CEO gave some clues as to why banks aren't eager to roll back the hikes: borrowers either didn't seem to notice the higher rates, or didn't feel like they had a choice. Retail cards are typically advertised online or at the checkout of brick-and-mortar retailers, and often lure users with promotional discounts or rewards points. 'We didn't see a big reduction in accounts or spend related to the actions' they took last year, Doubles told analysts. 'We did a lot of test and control around that.' Synchrony will discuss future possible changes to its card program with its brand partners, according to a spokeswoman for the Stamford, Connecticut-based bank. That could include bumping up promotional offers at specific retailers, Doubles said during the April conference call. 'Our goal remains to provide access to financial solutions that provide flexibility, utility, and meaningful value to the diverse range of customers, partners, providers, and small and midsized businesses we serve,' Synchrony said in a statement. A Bread spokesperson declined to comment for this article. Alaina Fingal, a New Orleans-based financial coach, said she often advises people who've been trapped in a debt spiral from using retail credit cards. Some have to take on side gigs, like driving for Uber Eats, to work down the balances, she said. 'They do not understand the terms, and there are a lot of promotional offers that may have deferred interest clauses that are in there,' Fingal said. 'It's extremely predatory.'
