SLM Co. (NASDAQ:SLM) Receives $25.45 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

SLM Co. (NASDAQ:SLM) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $25.45.

SLM has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Barclays cut their price target on shares of SLM from $27.00 to $26.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $26.00 price target on shares of SLM in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of SLM from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Bank of America started coverage on SLM in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $27.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on SLM from $24.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SLM. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its position in SLM by 3,800.6% during the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 2,406,384 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $55,034,000 after buying an additional 2,344,691 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in SLM by 107.1% during the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,366,642 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $49,202,000 after purchasing an additional 1,224,015 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in SLM by 253.8% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,290,997 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $26,840,000 after purchasing an additional 926,120 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in SLM by 23.9% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 4,453,521 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $92,589,000 after purchasing an additional 859,625 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners increased its position in shares of SLM by 5.7% during the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 12,461,356 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $271,626,000 after purchasing an additional 674,424 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.94% of the company’s stock.

SLM Price Performance

SLM opened at $24.02 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $22.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $21.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.10 billion, a PE ratio of 8.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.16. SLM has a 52 week low of $13.93 and a 52 week high of $24.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.21, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 1.29.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The credit services provider reported ($0.23) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.07 by ($0.30). SLM had a return on equity of 35.92% and a net margin of 22.18%. The company had revenue of $652.64 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $363.40 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.11 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that SLM will post 2.73 earnings per share for the current year.

SLM Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 5th will be paid a $0.13 dividend. This is a boost from SLM’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.11. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 5th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.16%. SLM’s payout ratio is presently 18.12%.

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.