SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) Announces Earnings Results

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The credit services provider reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.44 by ($0.15), FiscalAI reports. SLM had a return on equity of 34.80% and a net margin of 26.42%.The company had revenue of $401.11 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $409.22 million. SLM updated its FY 2026 guidance to 3.100-3.200 EPS.

SLM Trading Down 4.1%

SLM stock traded down $1.04 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $24.18. 5,666,820 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,364,038. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59. The firm has a market cap of $4.56 billion, a PE ratio of 6.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $23.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $23.34. SLM has a 12-month low of $17.77 and a 12-month high of $33.49.

SLM Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, September 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. SLM’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.40%.

SLM News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting SLM this week:

• Negative Sentiment: SLM reported second-quarter EPS of $0.29, missing analyst estimates of $0.44, and revenue of $401.1 million, also below expectations of $409.2 million. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company updated FY 2026 EPS guidance to $3.10-$3.20, which is roughly in line with the $3.15 consensus and suggests management still expects full-year earnings to remain stable.
• Neutral Sentiment: SLM also announced its regular quarterly dividend of $0.13 per share, signaling continued capital returns to shareholders. Article Title

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SLM

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SLM. Entropy Technologies LP grew its stake in SLM by 616.6% during the 3rd quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 109,485 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $3,031,000 after purchasing an additional 94,207 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in SLM by 33.4% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 547,724 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $16,087,000 after acquiring an additional 137,285 shares during the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its position in shares of SLM by 31.3% in the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 53,673 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,452,000 after purchasing an additional 12,793 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of SLM in the 1st quarter valued at $263,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of SLM by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,350 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $627,000 after purchasing an additional 1,319 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.94% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on SLM shares. Zacks Research cut SLM from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of SLM from $32.00 to $29.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of SLM from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Compass Point upgraded SLM from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $23.00 to $22.00 in a report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on SLM from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $29.90.

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.