SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.700-2.800 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.840. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $30.00 price objective on shares of SLM in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Zacks Research lowered SLM from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 1st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on SLM from $31.00 to $29.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $25.00 price objective (down previously from $29.00) on shares of SLM in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on SLM from $43.00 to $35.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $31.20.

SLM Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:SLM traded up $0.27 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $26.70. The stock had a trading volume of 2,585,676 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,224,742. The company’s 50 day moving average is $27.74 and its 200-day moving average is $29.00. The company has a market cap of $5.42 billion, a PE ratio of 9.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.12. SLM has a 12-month low of $23.81 and a 12-month high of $34.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.37.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The credit services provider reported $1.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.14. SLM had a return on equity of 30.13% and a net margin of 21.76%.The company had revenue of $656.82 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $383.43 million. SLM has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700-2.800 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that SLM will post 3.07 EPS for the current year.

SLM Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 5th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. SLM’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.25%.

Trending Headlines about SLM

Here are the key news stories impacting SLM this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results materially beat expectations — SLM reported $1.12 EPS vs. $0.98 consensus and revenue of $656.8M vs. $383.4M; the company posted a strong net margin (~21.8%) and ROE (~30%), which supports valuation and explains upward price momentum. Sallie Mae Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.13 per share (payable March 16; ex-dividend March 5), supporting income-oriented investors and signaling confidence in cash generation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management made earnings materials and an investor presentation available and hosted an earnings call to discuss results and outlook, providing more detail for analysts and investors to model future performance. View Press Release View Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: FY 2026 EPS guidance of $2.70–2.80 was slightly below the consensus (~$2.84), a dampener on the beat/bullish headline — investors will watch management commentary for drivers (credit performance, originations, buybacks) and whether outlook revisions persist.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple securities-law firms and a class-action complaint were filed/announced related to SLM (covering purchases between July 25, 2025 and August 14, 2025). These notices (Pomerantz, Berger Montague, Faruqi, Gross, Rosen, Levi & Korsinsky, others) create legal overhang and potential future costs or settlements that can pressure sentiment. Representative filing notice: Pomerantz class action announcement

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SLM

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in SLM by 33.4% during the 1st 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 increased its position in SLM by 616.6% in the 3rd quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 109,485 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $3,031,000 after buying an additional 94,207 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of SLM by 6.1% during the second quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 36,889 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $1,210,000 after buying an additional 2,109 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of SLM by 6.6% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,350 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $627,000 after buying an additional 1,319 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in shares of SLM in the first quarter valued at approximately $263,000. 98.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.