synchrony financials earnings fell in the fourth quarter as the company provisioned more than twice as much for potential credit losses as it did in the same period a year ago the stamford connbased company logged fourthquarter net income of 577 million down from 813 million in the same period a year earlier pershare earnings were 126 compared with 148 a share a year earlier analysts surveyed by factset were expecting earnings of 112 a share net interest income rose 7 to 411 billion mainly due to higher interest and fees on loans the company said average active accounts fell 1 from a year earlier to 684 million synchronys provision for credit losses was 12 billion in the quarter up from 561 million in the yearago period as anticipated credit trends continued to normalize across our portfolio as consumers worked through excess savings and payment behavior migrated toward prepandemic levels chief financial officer brian wenzel said write to will feuer at willfeuerwsjcom