SLM Corporation (NASDAQ:SLM) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

SLM Corporation (NASDAQ:SLM) has received an average rating of “Hold” from the twelve research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $31.60.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $40.00 price target on shares of SLM in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of SLM in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on SLM from $30.00 to $29.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Compass Point cut SLM from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $35.00 to $23.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $25.00 price target (down from $29.00) on shares of SLM in a research note on Monday, January 12th.

SLM Stock Performance

NASDAQ SLM opened at $18.74 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $3.71 billion, a PE ratio of 5.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.44, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.28. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $25.99 and a 200-day moving average of $27.51. SLM has a 52-week low of $18.71 and a 52-week high of $34.97.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The credit services provider reported $1.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.17. SLM had a net margin of 26.04% and a return on equity of 34.79%. The firm had revenue of $1.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $383.43 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.50 EPS. SLM has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700-2.800 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that SLM will post 3.07 EPS for the current year.

SLM Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be given a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 5th. SLM’s payout ratio is currently 14.99%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of SLM. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in SLM during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $69,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of SLM by 118.2% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,995 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $131,000 after purchasing an additional 2,164 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of SLM in the third quarter worth $118,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in SLM by 9.6% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,649 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $207,000 after purchasing an additional 669 shares during the period. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors raised its position in SLM by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 8,315 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $230,000 after purchasing an additional 853 shares during the last quarter. 98.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

SLM Company Profile

SLM Corporation, operating as Sallie Mae Bank, is a leading U.S.-based consumer banking company specializing in education financing and related banking products. The company provides a range of private student loans for undergraduate and graduate studies, Parent PLUS loans, and specialized financing for career and certificate programs. In addition to its core lending services, Sallie Mae offers deposit products including savings accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and credit cards tailored to students and young adults.

Founded in 1972 as the Student Loan Marketing Association—a government-sponsored enterprise—Sallie Mae was privatized in 2004 and has since focused on expanding its private education loan offerings and digital banking solutions.