SLM
SLM Corporation (Sallie Mae) Financial Services - Student Lending Investor Relations →
SLM Corporation (Sallie Mae) (SLM) closed at $26.04 as of 2026-09-11, trading 21.0% above its 200-week moving average of $21.52. The stock is currently moving closer to the line, down from 26.1% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 65, indicating neutral momentum.
Trading volume is running at 0.6x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (0.95 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 2194 weeks of data, SLM has crossed below its 200-week moving average 20 times. On average, these episodes lasted 25 weeks. Historically, investors who bought SLM at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +29.9%.
With a market cap of $4.9 billion, SLM is a mid-cap stock. Return on equity stands at 30.3%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 2.2x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 17.2% over the past three years.
Over the past 33.8 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in SLM would have grown to $1710, compared to $3170 for the S&P 500. SLM has returned 8.8% annualized vs 10.8% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been declining at a -100% compound annual rate. A deteriorating cash flow trend warrants extra scrutiny — the stock may be cheap for a reason.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: SLM vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After SLM Crosses Below the Line?
Across 16 historical episodes, buying SLM when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +32.2% after 12 months (median +8.0%), compared to +10.9% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 53% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +80.8% vs +25.7% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment SLM crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Bean Score Experimental
The Bean Score measures how far a stock's free cash flow yield has deviated from its own quarterly baseline, normalized by the stock's historical behavior. SLM currently has negative free cash flow, so price-based dislocation levels are not available. The score still tracks yield deviation from baseline.
Quarterly FCF & Yield Trailing twelve-month free cash flow and yield at each quarter end
Recent Earnings
| Date | EPS Est. | EPS Actual | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-23 | $0.44 | $0.29 | -34.2% |
| 2026-04-23 | $1.20 | $1.54 | +28.0% |
| 2026-01-22 | $0.94 | $1.12 | +19.7% |
| 2025-10-23 | $0.81 | $0.63 | -22.2% |
Signal Accuracy Collecting Data
The Bean Score system is accumulating weekly data to validate signal accuracy. After 13+ weeks of history, this section will display win rates and average returns for each σ threshold crossing — answering the question: "When this score says cheap or expensive, does the price subsequently move in the expected direction?"
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Theoretical framework — not backtested or forward-tested. The Bean Score uses trailing twelve-month free cash flow yield as a dislocation identifier. It measures whether the market has pushed a stock's yield unusually far from its own baseline behavior. These levels are analysis points: prices at which the yield deviation becomes unusual enough to justify the work. FCF values update quarterly with earnings; between reports, all movement is price-driven.
Dislocation Scores Experimental
Each score measures deviation from SLM's own historical baseline — the same idea as the Bean Score, applied to different fundamentals. Positive means cheaper or more dislocated than this stock's norm. Scores marked σ are normalized by the stock's own variability; pp values are simple deltas from its recent baseline.
Theoretical framework — not backtested. These scores describe how unusual today's readings are for this specific company. Each one is an analysis point, a reason to open the filings. Annual-statement scores (buyback, accruals, FCF vs history) rest on only ~4 yearly data points and are deltas, not sigmas.
Historical Touches
SLM has crossed below its 200-week MA 20 times with an average 1-year return of +29.9% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1984 | Dec 1984 | 1 | 4.5% | +44.3% | +13189.2% |
| Dec 1984 | Jan 1985 | 2 | 3.1% | +39.8% | +12995.7% |
| Mar 1985 | Apr 1985 | 4 | 4.3% | +71.6% | +12869.8% |
| Oct 1990 | Oct 1990 | 1 | 2.5% | +65.4% | +3568.2% |
| Feb 1993 | Jul 1995 | 124 | 38.2% | +6.4% | +2619.9% |
| Feb 2000 | Jul 2000 | 21 | 21.2% | +101.4% | +780.1% |
| Aug 2000 | Sep 2000 | 2 | 3.5% | +116.1% | +716.1% |
| Feb 2007 | Apr 2007 | 9 | 9.2% | -50.9% | +117.6% |
| Oct 2007 | Apr 2011 | 182 | 91.5% | -76.2% | +105.0% |
| May 2011 | May 2011 | 1 | 1.5% | -11.1% | +480.0% |
| Aug 2011 | Oct 2011 | 10 | 7.1% | +17.8% | +551.3% |
| Nov 2011 | Nov 2011 | 1 | 3.5% | +47.0% | +657.6% |
| Sep 2015 | Nov 2016 | 59 | 31.2% | -3.4% | +292.4% |
| Dec 2018 | Jan 2019 | 6 | 14.9% | +2.6% | +243.3% |
| May 2019 | Jun 2019 | 4 | 4.0% | -19.3% | +216.5% |
| Jul 2019 | Jan 2020 | 26 | 15.8% | -23.7% | +223.4% |
| Mar 2020 | Nov 2020 | 34 | 38.9% | +109.2% | +259.7% |
| Mar 2023 | Apr 2023 | 5 | 15.0% | +65.6% | +119.2% |
| Sep 2023 | Oct 2023 | 6 | 8.8% | +65.6% | +103.2% |
| Feb 2026 | Mar 2026 | 5 | 9.3% | N/A | +41.4% |
| Average | 25 | — | +29.9% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SLM below its 200-week moving average?
No. SLM Corporation (Sallie Mae) (SLM) is currently 21.0% above its 200-week moving average of $21.52. It would need to fall to $21.52 to cross below the line.
What is SLM's 200-week moving average price?
SLM Corporation (Sallie Mae)'s 200-week moving average is $21.52 as of 2026-09-11. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when SLM drops below its 200-week moving average?
SLM has crossed below its 200-week moving average 20 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +29.9%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 25 weeks on average.
Is SLM a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about SLM as of 2026-09-11: The stock is above its 200-week moving average, so it doesn't currently meet our primary signal. The 14-week RSI is 65. Return on equity is 30.3%. Price-to-book is 2.2x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does SLM compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 33.8 years, $100 invested in SLM would have grown to $1710, compared to $3170 for the S&P 500. That's 8.8% annualized vs 10.8% for the index. SLM has underperformed the broader market over this period.
Does SLM pay a dividend?
Yes. SLM Corporation (Sallie Mae) currently pays a dividend yield of 200.00%.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-09-11