Helix Partners Management LP Sells 200,000 Shares of SLM Corporation $SLM

Key Points

• Helix Partners Management LP has reduced its stake in SLM Corporation by 40%, now holding 300,000 shares, which amount to approximately $8.81 million.
• Despite the stake reduction by some investors, PEAK6 LLC increased its position in SLM by 77.1%, demonstrating continued interest in the company from other institutional investors.
• SLM Corporation's latest quarterly earnings report revealed $0.32 EPS, missing analysts' estimates of $0.49, while the company also announced a quarterly $0.13 dividend with a yield of 1.6%.

Helix Partners Management LP decreased its position in SLM Corporation (NASDAQ:SLM - Free Report) by 40.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 300,000 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 200,000 shares during the quarter. SLM comprises approximately 2.6% of Helix Partners Management LP's holdings, making the stock its 5th largest position. Helix Partners Management LP owned approximately 0.14% of SLM worth $8,811,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of SLM in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S purchased a new position in SLM in the 1st quarter worth about $45,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in SLM by 37.7% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,714 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 469 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in SLM by 355.4% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,899 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 1,482 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in SLM in the 1st quarter worth about $62,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.94% of the company's stock.

SLM Stock Down 0.1%

SLM stock traded down $0.03 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $31.28. The stock had a trading volume of 1,709,494 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,834,459. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.02. SLM Corporation has a 1-year low of $19.64 and a 1-year high of $34.97. The company has a fifty day moving average of $32.35 and a 200 day moving average of $30.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.72, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.11.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The credit services provider reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.49 by ($0.17). SLM had a return on equity of 21.93% and a net margin of 15.46%.The firm had revenue of $403.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $370.26 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.11 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 21.4% on a year-over-year basis. SLM has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.000-3.100 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that SLM Corporation will post 3.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

SLM Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 4th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. SLM's dividend payout ratio is currently 26.13%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on SLM. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on SLM from $33.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on SLM in a research note on Monday, August 25th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $38.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised SLM from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $29.00 to $38.00 in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $40.00 price objective (up from $33.00) on shares of SLM in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of SLM in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $35.00.

Insider Activity at SLM

In other news, EVP Kerri A. Palmer sold 55,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.21, for a total transaction of $1,771,550.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 119,253 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,841,139.13. This represents a 31.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

About SLM

SLM Corporation, through its subsidiaries, originates and services private education loans to students and their families to finance the cost of their education in the United States. It is also involved in the provision of retail deposit accounts, including certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and high-yield savings accounts; and interest-bearing omnibus accounts.