SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 3.100-3.200 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 3.150. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on SLM. Zacks Research lowered shares of SLM from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $28.00 target price on shares of SLM in a research report on Friday. Compass Point upgraded SLM from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the company from $23.00 to $22.00 in a report on Monday, March 30th. Weiss Ratings raised SLM from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded SLM from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $29.80.

SLM Price Performance

Shares of SLM stock opened at $24.29 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.59. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $23.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $23.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.78, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.94. SLM has a 1-year low of $17.77 and a 1-year high of $33.49.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The credit services provider reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.46 by ($0.17). The firm had revenue of $401.11 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $409.22 million. SLM had a net margin of 26.09% and a return on equity of 34.07%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.32 earnings per share. SLM has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.100-3.200 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that SLM will post 3.16 earnings per share for the current year.

SLM Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be given a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. SLM’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.53%.

More SLM News

Here are the key news stories impacting SLM this week:

• Positive Sentiment: SLM reaffirmed/issued FY 2026 EPS guidance of 3.10 to 3.20, which is roughly in line with consensus and may help limit downside if investors focus on the full-year outlook rather than the quarter. Sallie Mae Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company also highlighted loan origination growth, showing the underlying lending franchise is still expanding even as earnings were weak. Sallie Mae Q2 Earnings Miss Estimates, NII Dips, Expenses Rise Y/Y
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor focus remains split between the “student loan reform” narrative and valuation arguments, which may be supporting some longer-term interest in the stock despite the weak quarter. SLM (SLM) Heads Into Earnings On Student Loan Reform Narrative and Undervalued Debate
• Negative Sentiment: SLM reported Q2 EPS of $0.29 versus estimates of $0.46, while revenue of $401.1 million also missed expectations, reinforcing concerns about near-term earnings momentum. SLM earnings report and conference call
• Negative Sentiment: Management cited lower net interest income, rising expenses, and margin pressure, all of which weigh on profitability and help explain why the stock is moving lower. Sallie Mae (SLM) Misses Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

Institutional Trading of SLM

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of SLM in the third quarter valued at approximately $69,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in SLM by 118.2% in the 2nd 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. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in shares of SLM during the 1st quarter worth about $263,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of SLM by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,350 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $627,000 after purchasing an additional 1,319 shares during the period. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors raised its position in shares of SLM by 6.1% during the second quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 36,889 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,210,000 after buying an additional 2,109 shares during the last quarter. 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.