Franklin Resources Inc. lowered its stake in SLM Co. (NASDAQ:SLM - Free Report) by 3.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 400,029 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 15,578 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 0.19% of SLM worth $11,033,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of 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 during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of SLM by 32.2% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,849 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in shares of SLM during the 4th quarter worth about $86,000. Plato Investment Management Ltd purchased a new stake in SLM in the 4th quarter valued at about $114,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in shares of SLM by 489.7% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 4,476 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $123,000 after acquiring an additional 3,717 shares during the last quarter. 98.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, Director Robert S. Strong sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 28th. The shares were 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 owns 43,163 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,233,166.91. This represents a 48.10 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
SLM Stock Performance
SLM stock traded up $0.59 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $26.05. 134,465 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,165,037. SLM Co. has a 52-week low of $19.39 and a 52-week high of $32.65. The firm's 50 day moving average is $29.17 and its 200 day moving average is $26.89. The stock has a market cap of $5.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.83, a P/E/G ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 1.32.
SLM (NASDAQ:SLM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The credit services provider reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.06). SLM had a return on equity of 31.66% and a net margin of 20.73%. Analysts predict that SLM Co. will post 3.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.
SLM Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 5th were paid a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.00%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 5th. SLM's payout ratio is 19.62%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of brokerages have issued reports on SLM. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of SLM from $34.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of SLM from $32.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on SLM from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on SLM from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of SLM from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, SLM currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $31.18.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on SLM
About SLM
(
Free Report)
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.
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