SLM Co. (NASDAQ:SLM) Shares Acquired by Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp increased its position in SLM Co. (NASDAQ:SLM) by 9.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 223,692 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 18,754 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp’s holdings in SLM were worth $6,169,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its stake in shares of SLM by 86.4% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 971 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 450 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new stake in shares of SLM in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of SLM by 32.2% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,849 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in SLM during the fourth quarter worth about $86,000. Finally, Plato Investment Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of SLM during the 4th quarter worth approximately $114,000. 98.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

SLM Price Performance

SLM stock opened at $28.90 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.08 billion, a PE ratio of 10.91, a P/E/G ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $29.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $26.49. SLM Co. has a 52-week low of $19.39 and a 52-week high of $32.65.

SLM (NASDAQ:SLM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The credit services provider reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.56 by ($0.06). SLM had a net margin of 20.73% and a return on equity of 31.66%. Analysts predict that SLM Co. will post 3.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

SLM Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 5th were paid a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 5th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.80%. SLM’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.62%.

Insider Activity at SLM

In related news, Director Robert S. Strong sold 40,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 43,163 shares in the company, valued at $1,233,166.91. This trade represents a 48.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SLM has been the topic of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of SLM from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Barclays raised their price objective on SLM from $34.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on SLM from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of SLM from $32.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $31.45.

About SLM

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.