Zacks Research Upgrades SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) to Hold

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on SLM. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of SLM in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of SLM in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Compass Point downgraded SLM from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $35.00 to $23.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on SLM from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $25.00 price target (down previously from $29.00) on shares of SLM in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $31.70.

SLM Price Performance

SLM stock opened at $26.92 on Monday. SLM has a 12-month low of $23.81 and a 12-month high of $34.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.44. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $27.42 and a 200-day moving average price of $28.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.47 billion, a PE ratio of 7.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.02 and a beta of 1.14.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The credit services provider reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $656.82 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $383.43 million. SLM had a net margin of 26.04% and a return on equity of 34.79%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.50 EPS. SLM has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700-2.800 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that SLM will post 3.07 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in SLM. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of SLM during the 3rd quarter worth $69,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position 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 valued at $131,000 after buying an additional 2,164 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of SLM during the third quarter valued at about $118,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of SLM by 9.6% in the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors grew its position in shares of SLM by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 8,315 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $230,000 after buying an additional 853 shares during the last quarter. 98.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key SLM News

Here are the key news stories impacting SLM this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Recent operating/financial strength: SLM reported an earnings beat and raised FY‑2026 guidance (2.70–2.80 EPS), with strong ROE and margins — factors that likely support the stock’s modest uptick despite the lawsuit headlines.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple plaintiff firms have filed or are soliciting lead plaintiffs in a securities class action alleging violations related to purchases between July 25, 2025 and August 14, 2025; the lead‑plaintiff deadline is Feb. 17, 2026. This cluster of notices increases the chance of consolidated litigation, potential discovery costs, management distraction and, ultimately, settlement risk that could weigh on the share price. SLM INVESTOR DEADLINE APPROACHING: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Reminds SLM Corporation (SLM) Investors of Securities Class Action Deadline on February 17, 2026 Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC Urges SLM Investors to Act

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.