Morgan Stanley upgrades SLM stock to Overweight with USD 30 target

Published on 10/18/2026 at 12:51 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

SLM posted USD 0.29 GAAP earnings per share in the second quarter. SLM stock reports third-quarter results on October 22, 2026 after market close.

Analyst view and reporting date

Morgan Stanley raised its SLM target to USD 30.00 from USD 28.00 on October 12, 2026.
Second-quarter GAAP earnings per share were USD 0.29 versus USD 0.46 expected.
SLM stock stood at EUR 20.20 on October 9, 2026 at Frankfurt.

SLM, US78442P1066, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

SLM Corporation (ISIN US78442P1066) received a higher price target from Morgan Stanley on October 12, 2026, with the firm moving its target to USD 30.00 from USD 28.00 and upgrading the stock to Overweight, as Markets Insider reported. The decision followed a 15.00 percent pullback cited in the research note and puts the upcoming results at the center of the investment case.

Three target changes shaped October

On October 9, 2026, RBC Capital lowered its target for SLM from USD 29.00 to USD 28.00 while keeping an Outperform rating, according to Markets Insider. On October 12, 2026, JPMorgan cut its target from USD 25.00 to USD 22.00 and retained an Underweight rating. The same date brought Morgan Stanley's move from Equal Weight to Overweight and its USD 30.00 target.

What does the target mean for earnings?

The analyst split reflects a sharp difference in risk assessment ahead of the report. JPMorgan cited pressure on lower- and middle-income borrowers and interest rates, while Morgan Stanley pointed to private-credit partnerships and an expected earnings ramp. SLM's second-quarter 2026 GAAP earnings per share were USD 0.29, below the USD 0.46 consensus estimate, and revenue was USD 401.11 million versus USD 409.22 million expected, according to MarketBeat. Revenue also declined 0.70 percent year over year in that quarter, making credit quality and loan growth important measures for the next update.

Results date is October 22

SLM is scheduled to report third-quarter 2026 results after the market close on October 22, 2026, according to MarketBeat. The same report cites a consensus estimate of USD 0.17 earnings per share and USD 457.31 million in revenue. SLM's fiscal 2026 earnings guidance is USD 3.10 to USD 3.20 per share.

Euro quote remains dated

The Frankfurt quote stood at EUR 20.20 on October 9, 2026 at 8:01 a.m. CEST. The company has a market capitalization of USD 4.1 billion as of October 16, 2026, while its 52-week range was USD 17.77 to USD 31.06. The further course of trading is shown by the continuously updated real-time quote of SLM stock.