SLM Co. (NASDAQ:SLM) Shares Acquired by International Assets Investment Management LLC

International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of SLM Co. (NASDAQ:SLM) by 1,812.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 55,391 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 52,494 shares during the quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC’s holdings in SLM were worth $1,059,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in SLM by 81.4% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,328 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 596 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its stake in SLM by 10.4% in the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 9,033 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $123,000 after purchasing an additional 851 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its position in SLM by 1.9% during the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 62,111 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $846,000 after buying an additional 1,140 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association boosted its stake in SLM by 12.3% in the 3rd quarter. United Services Automobile Association now owns 16,894 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $230,000 after buying an additional 1,845 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC grew its holdings in SLM by 51.9% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 5,632 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $77,000 after buying an additional 1,925 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.94% of the company’s stock.

SLM Stock Up 1.1 %

NASDAQ SLM opened at $21.32 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $4.70 billion, a PE ratio of 8.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.16. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $20.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $18.06. SLM Co. has a fifty-two week low of $12.26 and a fifty-two week high of $21.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.21.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.15). SLM had a net margin of 20.65% and a return on equity of 36.86%. The firm had revenue of $725.66 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $379.20 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.33) earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that SLM Co. will post 2.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

SLM Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 6th will be paid a $0.11 dividend. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.06%. SLM’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.33%.

SLM declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, January 24th that authorizes the company to buyback $650.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the credit services provider to purchase up to 14.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. TheStreet raised shares of SLM from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on SLM in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on SLM from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on SLM from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on SLM from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $20.32.

Insider Activity at SLM

In other news, EVP Donna F. Vieira sold 12,308 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.27, for a total transaction of $249,483.16. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 126,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,564,155. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, EVP Donna F. Vieira sold 12,308 shares of SLM stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.27, for a total value of $249,483.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 126,500 shares in the company, valued at $2,564,155. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Jonathan Boyles sold 94,078 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.72, for a total value of $1,949,296.16. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 52,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,093,000.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.91% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

SLM Company Profile

SLM Corporation, through its subsidiaries, originates and services private education loans to students and their families to finance the cost of their education in the United States. It is also involved in the provision of retail deposit accounts, including certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and high-yield savings accounts; and interest-bearing omnibus accounts.