Sallie Mae delivered a quarter that exceeded Wall Street’s expectations, with revenue and GAAP EPS coming in ahead of consensus. Management attributed this performance to a combination of strong student loan origination trends and the implementation of the company’s first private credit strategic partnership, which diversified funding sources and improved capital efficiency. CEO Jonathan Witter highlighted that increased cosigner rates and stable employment for recent graduates supported loan performance, while private education loan originations grew, reflecting underlying demand for higher education.
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Sallie Mae (SLM) Q4 CY2025 Highlights:
- Revenue: $454.1 million vs analyst estimates of $449.7 million (16.4% year-on-year growth, 1% beat)
- EPS (GAAP): $1.12 vs analyst estimates of $0.94 (19.7% beat)
- Adjusted EBITDA: $316.8 million (69.8% margin, 137% year-on-year growth)
- EPS (GAAP) guidance for the upcoming financial year 2026 is $2.75 at the midpoint, missing analyst estimates by 1%
- Operating Margin: 69.6%, up from 33.9% in the same quarter last year
- Market Capitalization: $5.25 billion
While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention.
Our Top 5 Analyst Questions From Sallie Mae’s Q4 Earnings Call
- Caroline Latta (Bank of America) asked about the potential impact of federal loan enforcement delays on private loan performance; CEO Jonathan Witter responded that the effect should be minimal due to differences in customer profiles.
- Caroline Latta (Bank of America) followed up on modeling origination growth from federal reforms. CFO Peter Graham explained that incremental PLUS loan volume in 2026 will be modest, ramping up over several years as reforms phase in.
- Giuliano Bologna (Compass Point) inquired about the volume mix between strategic partnerships and bank-held loans. Graham detailed that about 30% of new originations are expected to be sold through partnerships, with seasonality affecting quarterly figures.
- Terry Ma (Barclays) questioned the return on increased operating expenses for 2026. Witter explained that investments are necessary to capture a rare market expansion, noting that efficiency should improve as scale is achieved and one-time costs recede.
- Melissa Weddle (JPMorgan) asked about gain-on-sale margin volatility from the new loan sale approach. Graham noted quarter-to-quarter variation is expected, with higher premiums typically realized on first-quarter portfolio sales.
Catalysts in Upcoming Quarters
In the coming quarters, our team will be closely monitoring (1) the pace and scale of private loan originations as federal lending reforms are phased in; (2) the efficiency of marketing and product investments aimed at capturing new borrowers; and (3) ongoing credit quality indicators, especially as modified loans exit loss mitigation programs. Progress on strategic partnerships and any competitive responses will also shape the outlook.
Sallie Mae currently trades at $26.37, down from $26.70 just before the earnings. Is there an opportunity in the stock?Find out in our full research report (it’s free).
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