SLM (SLM) Scheduled to Post Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) is scheduled to announce its earnings results after the market closes on Wednesday, April 24th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $0.98 per share for the quarter. Persons that are interested in registering for the company’s earnings conference call can do so using this link.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.15). The business had revenue of $725.66 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $379.20 million. SLM had a net margin of 20.65% and a return on equity of 36.86%. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.33) earnings per share. On average, analysts expect SLM to post $3 EPS for the current fiscal year and $3 EPS for the next fiscal year.

SLM Stock Performance

Shares of SLM opened at $21.32 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $20.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $18.06. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.21. The company has a market capitalization of $4.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.16. SLM has a 52-week low of $12.26 and a 52-week high of $21.94.

SLM Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 6th will be issued a $0.11 dividend. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.06%. SLM’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.33%.

SLM announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, January 24th that permits the company to repurchase $650.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the credit services provider to purchase up to 14.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at SLM

In related news, SVP Jonathan Boyles sold 94,078 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.72, for a total transaction of $1,949,296.16. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 52,751 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,093,000.72. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Donna F. Vieira sold 12,308 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.27, for a total value of $249,483.16. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 126,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,564,155. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Jonathan Boyles sold 94,078 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.72, for a total value of $1,949,296.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 52,751 shares in the company, valued at $1,093,000.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.91% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on SLM. TheStreet upgraded SLM from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on SLM from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on SLM in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $25.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on SLM from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 18th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded SLM from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the company from $14.00 to $23.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $20.32.

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.