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

SLM Corporation (NASDAQ:SLM) has been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the twelve ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $31.70.

A number of research firms have recently commented on SLM. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $40.00 price target on shares of SLM in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of SLM from $40.00 to $31.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 17th. Zacks Research cut shares of SLM from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, January 1st. Wall Street Zen raised SLM from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 25th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of SLM in a research report on Friday, December 5th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SLM

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Amalgamated Bank lifted its holdings in SLM by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 96,570 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $3,167,000 after purchasing an additional 326 shares during the last quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management increased its position in SLM by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management now owns 16,780 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $550,000 after buying an additional 464 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of SLM by 9.6% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,649 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $207,000 after buying an additional 669 shares in the last quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors boosted its position in shares of SLM by 11.4% in the third quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 8,315 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $230,000 after acquiring an additional 853 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of SLM by 6.6% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,350 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $627,000 after acquiring an additional 1,319 shares in the last quarter. 98.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

SLM News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting SLM this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CFO Pete Graham will speak at the Bank of America Securities 2026 Financial Services Conference on Feb. 10; management’s remarks and Q&A could provide updated visibility into credit performance, guidance and capital priorities. Sallie Mae CFO to Speak at Bank of America Securities 2026 Financial Services Conference
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP filed a class action against SLM and certain officers in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey (captioned Zappia v. SLM), alleging securities law violations for the period July 25, 2025–Aug 14, 2025. A filed complaint increases legal risk, potential defense costs and settlement uncertainty. Pomerantz Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Class Action Against SLM Corporation and Certain Officers – SLM
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple plaintiff firms (Rosen, Levi & Korsinsky, Faruqi & Faruqi, Robbins Geller, The Gross Law Firm, Bronstein Gewirtz & Grossman, Portnoy, Frank R. Cruz, etc.) have issued investor notices seeking lead plaintiffs and reminding investors of a Feb. 17, 2026 deadline to join or lead the securities‑fraud litigation. Widespread solicitations suggest coordinated litigation activity and heighten headline risk. SLM DEADLINE: ROSEN, A LEADING LAW FIRM, Encourages SLM Corporation a/k/a Sallie Mae Investors to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – SLM

SLM Price Performance

NASDAQ SLM opened at $27.85 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $5.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.10 and a beta of 1.14. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $27.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.57. SLM has a fifty-two week low of $23.81 and a fifty-two week high of $34.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.44, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.24.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The credit services provider reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.17. SLM had a return on equity of 34.79% and a net margin of 26.04%.The business had revenue of $656.82 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $383.43 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.50 EPS. SLM has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700-2.800 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that SLM will post 3.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

SLM Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be given a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 5th. SLM’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.99%.

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.