SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) Stock Passes Above 50 Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• SLM stock moved above its 50‑day moving average ($21.17) on Wednesday, trading as high as $22.90 and last at $22.53 on about 1.58 million shares.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed-to-positive with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a $29.80 consensus target, reflecting divergent notes such as Morgan Stanley ($27), Deutsche Bank ($40) and Barclays raising its target to $30 while Weiss downgraded to hold.
• Company fundamentals were strong: SLM beat Q results (EPS $1.54 vs. $1.14 est., revenue $559.99M vs. $486.05M), set FY2026 guidance of 3.10–3.20 EPS, declared a $0.13 quarterly dividend (2.3% yield), and trades at a P/E of 6.24 with a ~$4.25B market cap.

SLM Corporation (NASDAQ:SLM - Get Free Report)'s stock price passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $21.17 and traded as high as $22.90. SLM shares last traded at $22.53, with a volume of 1,584,244 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on SLM shares. Morgan Stanley set a $27.00 price target on SLM in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of SLM in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded SLM from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of SLM from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of SLM from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, SLM currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $29.80.

SLM Stock Down 0.0%

The stock has a market cap of $4.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.01. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $21.17 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.01. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The credit services provider reported $1.54 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.14 by $0.40. SLM had a return on equity of 34.80% and a net margin of 26.42%.The company had revenue of $559.99 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $486.05 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.40 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. SLM has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.100-3.200 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that SLM Corporation will post 3.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

SLM Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 4th will be issued a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. SLM's dividend payout ratio is currently 14.40%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SLM

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of SLM by 33.4% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 547,724 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $16,087,000 after buying an additional 137,285 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in SLM by 63.1% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 261,392 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $5,596,000 after acquiring an additional 101,120 shares during the period. Entropy Technologies LP raised its stake in SLM by 616.6% in the 3rd quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 109,485 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $3,031,000 after purchasing an additional 94,207 shares in the last quarter. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in SLM in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,131,000. Finally, Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of SLM during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $951,000. Institutional investors own 98.94% of the company's stock.

SLM Company Profile

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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