SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 3.100-3.200 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.780. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

SLM Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ SLM traded up $0.32 during trading on Thursday, hitting $23.42. 8,368,294 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,773,552. The company has a market cap of $4.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.75, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.04. SLM has a 1 year low of $17.77 and a 1 year high of $34.97. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $21.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $25.19. 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 (NASDAQ:SLM) 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 $0.84 by $0.70. The company had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $486.05 million. SLM had a net margin of 26.04% and a return on equity of 34.79%. SLM has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.100-3.200 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that SLM will post 2.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

SLM Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. SLM’s payout ratio is 14.99%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on SLM from $26.00 to $22.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings downgraded SLM from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of SLM in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Compass Point raised SLM from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $23.00 to $22.00 in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on SLM from $29.00 to $26.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $29.40.

SLM News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting SLM this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results materially beat expectations — EPS $1.54 vs. $0.84 consensus and revenue $1.30B vs. $486M consensus; strong net margin (26%) and ROE (34.8%) support near‑term profitability. View Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance to $3.10–$3.20 versus sell‑side consensus ~$2.78 — the higher outlook likely drove renewed investor confidence about loan book performance and margins. View Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Company declared dividends — common $0.13/share and Preferred Series B $1.4269028 (both payable June 15) — a signal of cash return and capital allocation discipline. BusinessWire: Dividends Announced
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/press coverage is framing Q1 as a test of Grad PLUS opportunities ahead of a July change — helpful context but introduces timing/operational uncertainty. Investing.com: Grad Plus Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre‑earnings previews and explainers (Zacks, MSN/CNN coverage) have circulated, increasing awareness but adding little new fundamental information. Zacks: Earnings Preview MSN: Dividend Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Non‑market items (case study/industry mentions) appear in feed but are unlikely to move the stock materially. OGJ: Case Study
• Negative Sentiment: Risks remain — SLM carries elevated leverage (debt/equity ~2.44) and the stock still sits below its 200‑day moving average, which could limit upside if credit conditions or loan demand weaken.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SLM. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in SLM by 33.4% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 547,724 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $16,087,000 after purchasing an additional 137,285 shares during the last quarter. Entropy Technologies LP grew its holdings in SLM by 616.6% in the 3rd quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 109,485 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $3,031,000 after buying an additional 94,207 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors grew its holdings in SLM by 31.3% in the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 53,673 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,452,000 after buying an additional 12,793 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in SLM in the 1st quarter valued at about $263,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in SLM in the 3rd quarter valued at about $69,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.