SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) Rating Increased to Hold at Zacks Research

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on SLM. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on SLM from $40.00 to $31.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of SLM in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Compass Point cut shares of SLM from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $35.00 to $23.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of SLM from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of SLM from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $31.70.

SLM Stock Performance

SLM stock opened at $26.92 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $27.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.38. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.44. SLM has a 12-month low of $23.81 and a 12-month high of $34.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.47 billion, a PE ratio of 7.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.02 and a beta of 1.14.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The credit services provider reported $1.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.17. SLM had a return on equity of 34.79% and a net margin of 26.04%.The firm had revenue of $656.82 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $383.43 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.50 earnings per share. SLM has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700-2.800 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that SLM will post 3.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of SLM in the third quarter worth about $69,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of SLM by 118.2% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,995 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $131,000 after acquiring an additional 2,164 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC bought a new stake in SLM in the third quarter worth $118,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in SLM by 9.6% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,649 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $207,000 after purchasing an additional 669 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors grew its stake in shares of SLM by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 8,315 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $230,000 after buying an additional 853 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.94% of the company’s stock.

Key SLM News

Here are the key news stories impacting SLM this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Recent operating/financial strength: SLM reported an earnings beat and raised FY‑2026 guidance (2.70–2.80 EPS), with strong ROE and margins — factors that likely support the stock’s modest uptick despite the lawsuit headlines.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple plaintiff firms have filed or are soliciting lead plaintiffs in a securities class action alleging violations related to purchases between July 25, 2025 and August 14, 2025; the lead‑plaintiff deadline is Feb. 17, 2026. This cluster of notices increases the chance of consolidated litigation, potential discovery costs, management distraction and, ultimately, settlement risk that could weigh on the share price. SLM INVESTOR DEADLINE APPROACHING: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Reminds SLM Corporation (SLM) Investors of Securities Class Action Deadline on February 17, 2026 Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC Urges SLM Investors to Act

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.