SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) Upgraded to “Neutral” at Compass Point

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) was upgraded by stock analysts at Compass Point from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report released on Monday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage presently has a $22.00 price target on the credit services provider’s stock, down from their prior price target of $23.00. Compass Point’s target price indicates a potential upside of 8.06% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also recently commented on SLM. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $40.00 target price on shares of SLM in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on SLM from $30.00 to $29.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on SLM from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an “underweight” rating and set a $25.00 target price (down from $29.00) on shares of SLM in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of SLM in a report on Friday, December 5th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $31.50.

SLM Price Performance

SLM stock opened at $20.36 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.44. SLM has a 52-week low of $17.77 and a 52-week high of $34.97. The firm has a market cap of $4.03 billion, a PE ratio of 5.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.19. The company’s 50 day moving average is $23.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $25.95.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The credit services provider reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $1.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $383.43 million. SLM had a net margin of 26.04% and a return on equity of 34.79%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.50 earnings per share. SLM has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700-2.800 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that SLM will post 3.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SLM

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its stake in SLM by 31.3% in the fourth 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. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of SLM by 139.5% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 160,272 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $4,337,000 after buying an additional 93,364 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of SLM by 9.6% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,649 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $207,000 after buying an additional 669 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of SLM in the 3rd quarter valued at $69,000. Finally, Entropy Technologies LP grew its position in shares of SLM by 616.6% in the 3rd quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 109,485 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $3,031,000 after buying an additional 94,207 shares during the last quarter. 98.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About SLM

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.