SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) Price Target Lowered to $29.00 at Wells Fargo & Company

Key Points

• Wells Fargo cut SLM's target price from $32.00 to $29.00 while maintaining an "overweight" rating, implying about a 34.5% upside from the prior close.
• Analysts are mixed—several recent downgrades and target cuts leave SLM with a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target of $30.40.
• SLM recently reported a quarterly beat (EPS $1.12 vs. $0.95 est.) and set FY2026 guidance of 2.70–2.80 EPS, yet the stock is trading around $21.56, well below analyst targets.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM - Get Free Report) had its target price cut by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $32.00 to $29.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "overweight" rating on the credit services provider's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's target price suggests a potential upside of 34.49% from the stock's previous close.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on SLM. Weiss Ratings cut SLM from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of SLM from $35.00 to $27.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Zacks Research raised shares of SLM from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Compass Point upgraded shares of SLM from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $23.00 to $22.00 in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of SLM from $30.00 to $29.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $30.40.

SLM Price Performance

SLM stock traded down $0.08 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $21.56. The company had a trading volume of 119,652 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,759,977. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.44, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.24. SLM has a 12-month low of $17.77 and a 12-month high of $34.97. The company has a market capitalization of $4.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.04. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $22.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $25.59.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $1.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $383.43 million. SLM had a return on equity of 34.79% and a net margin of 26.04%.During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.50 EPS. SLM has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.700-2.800 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that SLM will post 3.07 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SLM. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of SLM during the 3rd quarter valued at about $69,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in SLM by 118.2% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,995 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $131,000 after purchasing an additional 2,164 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in SLM during the third quarter worth about $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 worth $207,000 after purchasing an additional 669 shares during the period. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors boosted its holdings in SLM by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 8,315 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $230,000 after purchasing an additional 853 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.94% of the company's stock.

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.

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