SLM Corporation (NASDAQ:SLM) Receives $31.60 Consensus PT from Brokerages

SLM Corporation (NASDAQ:SLM) has been given an average rating of “Hold” by the twelve ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have given a hold recommendation and six have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $31.60.

SLM has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of SLM in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Zacks Research upgraded SLM from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Compass Point cut shares of SLM from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $35.00 to $23.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Weiss Ratings cut SLM from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on SLM from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd.

SLM Trading Up 2.3%

Shares of SLM stock opened at $19.64 on Monday. 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 stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $25.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $27.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.89 billion, a PE ratio of 5.66, a PEG ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.18. SLM has a 52-week low of $17.77 and a 52-week high of $34.97.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. SLM had a return on equity of 34.79% and a net margin of 26.04%.The business had revenue of $1.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $383.43 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.50 earnings per share. SLM has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700-2.800 EPS. On average, analysts predict that SLM will post 3.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

SLM Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 5th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. SLM’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.99%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SLM

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of SLM by 33.4% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 547,724 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $16,087,000 after purchasing an additional 137,285 shares during the period. Entropy Technologies LP raised its position in SLM by 616.6% during the 3rd quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 109,485 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $3,031,000 after purchasing an additional 94,207 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of SLM by 139.5% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 160,272 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $4,337,000 after buying an additional 93,364 shares during the period. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of SLM in the 3rd quarter worth $1,131,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of SLM during the 3rd quarter worth $951,000. 98.94% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.