SLM (NASDAQ:SLM – Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.950-2.050 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 3.120.
SLM Price Performance
NASDAQ SLM traded down $1.97 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $19.79. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 5,539,568 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,054,076. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.96. The company’s 50-day moving average is $24.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $24.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.63, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 1.32. SLM has a 1-year low of $17.77 and a 1-year high of $31.06.
SLM (NASDAQ:SLM – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The credit services provider reported ($0.19) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.17 by ($0.36). The business had revenue of $375.47 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $453.34 million. SLM had a net margin of 26.09% and a return on equity of 33.81%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 31.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.63 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that SLM will post 3.12 EPS for the current year.
SLM Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 4th will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 4th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. SLM’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.53%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of SLM from $28.00 to $24.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of SLM from $25.00 to $22.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of SLM in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of SLM from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, July 25th. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of SLM from $32.00 to $27.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, SLM currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $26.67.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on SLM
More SLM News
Here are the key news stories impacting SLM this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive despite lowering their targets. Royal Bank of Canada reduced its target from $28 to $26 while maintaining an “outperform” rating, and TD Cowen cut its target from $32 to $27 while retaining a “buy” rating. Both targets imply substantial upside from recent levels. Royal Bank of Canada analyst rating TD Cowen analyst rating
- Positive Sentiment: Private education loan originations increased 15% year over year to $3.4 billion, with graduate-loan originations rising 119%. Sixth Street also committed to purchase $1.5 billion of student loans annually, potentially supporting future loan volume and funding. SLM long-term investor takeaways
- Neutral Sentiment: SLM repurchased 5.1 million shares for $132.2 million during the quarter and announced a fourth-quarter dividend payable December 15, providing shareholder returns despite the weaker operating results. SLM dividend announcement
- Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter results were substantially below expectations: SLM reported a $0.19 per-share loss versus consensus for $0.17 of earnings, while revenue fell 31.3% year over year to $375.5 million, below the $453.3 million estimate. SLM third-quarter financial results
- Negative Sentiment: Higher credit costs drove the deterioration. Third-quarter provisions for credit losses totaled $213.7 million, net charge-offs reached $90 million, and delinquencies were 4.2% of loans in repayment. SLM now expects 2026 EPS of $1.95–$2.05, down from prior guidance of $3.10–$3.20 and below the roughly $3.12 analyst consensus. SLM cuts full-year guidance
About SLM
SLM Corp., commonly known as Sallie Mae, is a financial services company focused on helping students and families finance higher education. Its primary business is the origination and servicing of private education loans, which can help cover tuition, fees, books, housing and other eligible education-related expenses not fully covered by federal student aid.
The company offers private student loans for undergraduate and graduate education, as well as loans for career-training programs and other education needs.
Read More
- Five stocks we like better than SLM
- Palantir’s Next Big Test Isn’t a Partnership—It’s the Numbers
- Kinder Morgan’s $4.7 Billion Pipeline Bet Could Be Bigger Than Its Earnings Beat
- Capital One Earnings: After a Double Beat the Rally Is On
- Tractor Supply’s Q3 Beat Plants the Seeds for a Stock Rebound
Receive News & Ratings for SLM Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SLM and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
