SLM Corporation(US:JSM)2026-01-28 14:00Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q4 2025, core earnings per share were reported at $0.02, while the full-year core loss per share was $0.35 [12] - The company exceeded its $400 million expense reduction target, achieving a total operating expense of $88 million in Q4 2025, a 40% improvement compared to Q4 2024 [21] - Full-year total expenses for 2025 were $438 million, a decrease of nearly 50% compared to 2023 [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Earnest achieved its highest-ever refi loan origination volume of $2.1 billion in 2025, doubling the volume from the prior year [6][13] - In-school lending originated $401 million in new loans in 2025, marking a significant increase [7][14] - Consumer lending segment net income for Q4 was $25 million, down from $37 million in Q4 2024, primarily due to lower outstanding balances [16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The private charge-off rates decreased from 2.48% in Q3 to 2.24% in Q4, while delinquency rates increased slightly [17] - The total delinquency rate for the federal education loan segment improved from 18.1% in Q3 to 17.5% in Q4 [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is transitioning to a holding company management structure to better align with its business strategy for Earnest and Navient [10] - For 2026, the company is targeting total loan originations of $4 billion, representing a growth of approximately 60% over 2025 [8][24] - The company plans to continue returning capital to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends in 2026 [9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that the macroeconomic environment has deteriorated, impacting delinquency rates and necessitating increased provisions for the private legacy portfolio [30] - The company remains optimistic about loan growth, particularly in the refi and in-school lending segments, driven by strong demand and improved capital efficiency [6][40] Other Important Information - The company completed its fourth securitization of the year in Q4 2025, totaling nearly $2.2 billion in term ABS financing [22] - The adjusted tangible equity ratio stood at 9.1% at the end of the year [23] Q&A Session Summary Question: Concerns about reserve adequacy in the private legacy portfolio - Management explained that the increase in reserves was due to a deterioration in the macroeconomic scenario and sequential increases in delinquency rates in the private legacy portfolio [30][31] Question: Outlook for loan growth and personal loan opportunities - Management indicated that while the personal loan product is still in pilot, they are optimistic about its potential and expect to see growth in the private book in 2026 [39][40] Question: Drivers of higher delinquencies in the private legacy portfolio - Management attributed the higher delinquencies to various factors, including macroeconomic conditions and the impact of the pandemic on borrowers [66][68] Question: Expectations for net interest margin and provisions - Management expects a stable outlook for net interest margin and provisions, with adjustments made based on new originations and reserve levels [70][71]