SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) Shares Pass Above 50-Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Posted by Geri Gentry on Jun 5th, 2026

SLM Corporation (NASDAQ:SLM – Get Free Report)’s share price crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $22.04 and traded as high as $22.64. SLM shares last traded at $22.28, with a volume of 3,506,390 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on SLM. Morgan Stanley set a $27.00 price objective on SLM in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Compass Point raised shares of SLM from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $23.00 to $22.00 in a research note on Monday, March 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of SLM from $26.00 to $22.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Zacks Research cut shares of SLM from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of SLM from $32.00 to $29.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $29.80.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on SLM

SLM Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $4.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.98. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $22.04 and its 200 day moving average is $24.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.30.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The credit services provider reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.14 by $0.40. The company had revenue of $559.99 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $486.05 million. SLM had a net margin of 26.42% and a return on equity of 34.80%. The firm’s revenue was down 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.40 EPS. SLM has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.100-3.200 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that SLM Corporation will post 3.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

SLM Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 4th will be given a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. SLM’s payout ratio is 14.40%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SLM

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of SLM by 19.4% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,081 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 501 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of SLM by 9.6% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,649 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $207,000 after purchasing an additional 669 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position 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 purchasing an additional 1,319 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its position 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 purchasing an additional 2,109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of SLM during the third quarter worth $69,000. 98.94% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

SLM Company Profile

(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.