SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) Earns "Hold (C)" Rating from Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) has received a "Hold (C)" rating from Weiss Ratings, while several other firms have given mixed ratings and adjusted their target prices for the stock.
• The company's latest quarterly earnings reported an EPS of $0.32, which missed analysts' estimates of $0.49, despite a revenue of $403.6 million exceeding expectations.
• Insider trading was noted as EVP Kerri A. Palmer sold 55,000 shares of SLM stock, which amounted to a 31.56% decrease in their ownership of the company.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold (c)" rating restated by research analysts at Weiss Ratings in a research note issued on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

SLM has been the topic of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $29.00 target price (down previously from $38.00) on shares of SLM in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of SLM in a report on Monday, August 25th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $38.00 target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of SLM from $33.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating on shares of SLM in a report on Monday, July 14th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on shares of SLM from $37.00 to $31.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $33.89.

SLM Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:SLM opened at $26.57 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $5.54 billion, a PE ratio of 13.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.11. The firm's fifty day moving average is $29.94 and its 200-day moving average is $30.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.02, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.35. SLM has a 52 week low of $21.10 and a 52 week high of $34.97.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other SLM news, EVP Kerri A. Palmer sold 55,000 shares of SLM stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.21, for a total value of $1,771,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 119,253 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,841,139.13. The trade was a 31.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SLM

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in SLM in the first quarter valued at $607,000. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. bought a new stake in shares of SLM during the first quarter worth about $216,000. Informed Momentum Co LLC bought a new stake in shares of SLM during the first quarter worth about $4,190,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of SLM by 24.2% during the first quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 207,129 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $6,083,000 after acquiring an additional 40,378 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of SLM by 19.2% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 8,034 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $236,000 after acquiring an additional 1,294 shares in the last quarter. 98.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

SLM Company Profile

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.

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