SLM Corporation (NASDAQ:SLM) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Posted by Brian Himes on Aug 24th, 2026

SLM Corporation (NASDAQ:SLM – Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the twelve brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have given a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $29.80.

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $26.00 price target (down from $30.00) on shares of SLM in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on SLM from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Zacks Research downgraded SLM from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded SLM from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, July 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on SLM from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th.

Read Our Latest Research Report on SLM

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Allworth Financial LP bought a new stake in SLM in the second quarter worth about $55,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in SLM by 19.4% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,081 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 501 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of SLM during the 3rd quarter valued at about $69,000. Nykredit A S bought a new position in shares of SLM during the 2nd quarter valued at about $77,000. Finally, Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of SLM in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $231,000. 98.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

SLM Stock Performance

SLM stock opened at $26.46 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.39, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $25.48 and a 200 day simple moving average of $23.26. SLM has a fifty-two week low of $17.77 and a fifty-two week high of $32.07. The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.63.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The credit services provider reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.46 by ($0.17). The company had revenue of $401.11 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $409.22 million. SLM had a net margin of 26.09% and a return on equity of 33.81%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.32 EPS. SLM has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.100-3.200 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that SLM will post 3.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

SLM Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be issued a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. SLM’s dividend payout ratio is 14.53%.

About SLM

(Get Free Report)

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.