SLM Co. (NASDAQ:SLM) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Shares of SLM Co. (NASDAQ:SLM - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the eleven ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $30.91.

A number of research firms have weighed in on SLM. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on SLM from $26.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Wedbush restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $26.00 price target on shares of SLM in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on SLM from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on SLM from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Compass Point raised their price objective on SLM from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th.

SLM Stock Down 3.7 %

Shares of SLM stock traded down $1.19 on Thursday, hitting $30.84. 2,662,889 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,623,598. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37. The business has a 50-day moving average of $28.62 and a 200 day moving average of $24.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.22. SLM has a fifty-two week low of $19.39 and a fifty-two week high of $32.65.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The credit services provider reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.06). SLM had a net margin of 20.73% and a return on equity of 31.66%. Equities analysts anticipate that SLM will post 3.07 EPS for the current year.

SLM Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 5th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.69%. SLM's payout ratio is currently 19.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Robert S. Strong sold 40,000 shares of SLM stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.57, for a total transaction of $1,142,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 43,163 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,233,166.91. This trade represents a 48.10 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SLM

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SLM. Private Trust Co. NA raised its holdings in SLM by 86.4% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 971 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 450 shares in the last quarter. Waldron Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in SLM in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new position in SLM in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in SLM by 358.7% in 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. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in SLM in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. 98.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

SLM Company Profile

SLM 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.