Shares of SLM Co. (NASDAQ:SLM - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twelve analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and ten have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $24.83.
A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on SLM shares. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on SLM from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Wedbush decreased their price objective on SLM from $29.00 to $26.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on SLM from $25.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of SLM from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of SLM in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $27.00 price objective for the company.
View Our Latest Stock Report on SLM
SLM Price Performance
Shares of SLM traded down $0.43 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $23.21. 1,294,068 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,779,290. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $21.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $21.45. The stock has a market cap of $5.05 billion, a PE ratio of 7.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.15. SLM has a 12 month low of $12.26 and a 12 month high of $23.95.
SLM (NASDAQ:SLM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The credit services provider reported $1.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.32. The business had revenue of $783.28 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $368.97 million. SLM had a net margin of 24.67% and a return on equity of 41.84%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.10 EPS. Equities analysts expect that SLM will post 2.84 EPS for the current year.
SLM Announces Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 5th were paid a $0.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 5th. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.90%. SLM's payout ratio is presently 13.71%.
Insider Activity at SLM
In related news, Director Robert S. Strong sold 4,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.70, for a total transaction of $102,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 101,093 shares in the company, valued at $2,294,811.10. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On SLM
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SLM. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in SLM by 358.7% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,399 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 1,094 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning lifted its stake in shares of SLM by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 18,708 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $428,000 after purchasing an additional 942 shares during the period. Shikiar Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of SLM by 9.7% during the third quarter. Shikiar Asset Management Inc. now owns 231,850 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $5,302,000 after purchasing an additional 20,500 shares in the last quarter. Chickasaw Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in SLM in the third quarter worth $217,000. Finally, CWM LLC raised its holdings in SLM by 187.6% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 42,899 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $981,000 after purchasing an additional 27,982 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.94% of the company's stock.
SLM Company Profile
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Get Free ReportSLM 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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