(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||||||||||||
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |||||||||||||
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
Exhibit Number | Description | |||||||
| 99.1* | ||||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL) | |||||||
| * | Furnished herewith. | ||||
| SLM CORPORATION | ||||||||
| Date: July 21, 2021 | By: | /s/ STEVEN J. MCGARRY | ||||||
| Steven J. McGarry | ||||||||
| Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||||||||
![]() | ||||||||
| News Release | ||||||||
| For Immediate Release | ||||||||

“What a difference a year makes. As we enter our 2021 peak season, the country and the economy continue to rebound and, for the vast majority of college students, that means a return to campuses across the country this fall. As the market leader, we continue to provide students and families with resources to effectively plan for college and high quality, responsibly underwritten private student loans to access and complete their education. Our strategic focus and core business remain solid, credit quality continues to improve, and we are effectively controlling expenses without sacrificing the quality of our franchise or investments for our future. We are also delivering on our capital return program having reduced the share count by 19% through the first two quarters of the year. We look forward to continuing this momentum as we deliver for our students, families, and shareholders in 2021.” | ||
| Jonathan Witter, CEO, Sallie Mae | ||
| Investor Contact: Brian Cronin, 302-451-0304 [email protected] | Media Contact: Rick Castellano, 302-451-2541 [email protected] | |||||||||||||
| Provisions for Credit Losses | ||
Improving economic forecasts resulted in downward adjustments to the provisions for credit losses in the second quarter of 2021 compared with the year-ago quarter provisions for credit losses. Provisions for credit losses in the current quarter decreased by $282 million compared with the year-ago quarter. During the second quarter of 2021, the provision for credit losses was primarily affected by improvements in the economic forecasts, and a change in the economic scenarios used and their respective weightings, as compared to the year-ago quarter. In the second quarter of 2021, we used Moody’s Analytics Base (50th percentile likelihood of occurring)/S1 (stronger near-term growth scenario with 10 percent likelihood of occurring)/S3 (downside scenario with 10 percent likelihood of occurring) scenarios and weighted them 40 percent, 30 percent and 30 percent, respectively, in determining the allowance for credit losses. In the second quarter of 2020, as a result of an increase in COVID-19 infections in the second half of June 2020, we used Moody’s Analytics Base and S-4 downturn scenarios, weighted 50 percent each, in determining the allowance for credit losses. We estimated that the worsening economic environment in the second quarter of 2020 increased the provisions for credit losses in that quarter by $243 million. Also contributing to the change in the provisions for credit losses for the second quarter of 2021 were additional provisions from the new loan commitments made during the second quarter of 2021, the adoption of a new default model and slower prepayment speeds, which were offset by lower expected future defaults. During the first quarter of 2021, we increased our estimates of future prepayment speeds during both the two-year reasonable and supportable period as well as the remaining term of the underlying loans. These faster estimated prepayment speeds during the two-year reasonable and supportable period reflect the significant improvement in economic forecasts, as well as the implementation of an updated prepayment speed model. To address this fundamental change, we increased our long-term expectations of prepayment speeds. We experienced higher prepayments during the COVID-19 pandemic, when unemployment rates were elevated, than we would have expected based upon our experience during past financial crises. As COVID-19 continues to impact the economy, the company could continue to experience significant changes in its allowance for credit losses in 2021. See “Information on COVID-19 Impact on Sallie Mae” on page 6 below. | ||
| Further Progress on Balance Sheet and Capital Allocation | ||
Share Repurchases In the second quarter of 2021, the company repurchased 23 million shares of its common stock at a total cost of $439 million, or an average purchase price of $19.27 per share, under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan authorized under its share repurchase programs. From Jan. 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, the company has repurchased 119.2 million shares of common stock under its repurchase programs, which represents a 28% reduction in the total number of shares outstanding on Jan. 1, 2020. As of June 30, 2021, there was $295 million of capacity remaining under the 2021 Share Repurchase Program. Repurchases may occur under the company’s share repurchase programs from time to time and through a variety of methods, including tender offers, open market repurchases, repurchases effected through Rule 10b5-1 trading plans, negotiated block purchases, accelerated share repurchase programs, or other similar transactions. The timing and volume of any repurchases will be subject to market conditions, and there can be no guarantee that the company will repurchase up to the limit of its share repurchase programs or at all. | ||
| Guidance* | ||
For 2021, the company expects the following: •Full-year diluted GAAP earnings per common share of $3.15 - $3.25. •Full-year Private Education Loan originations year-over-year growth of 6% - 7%. •Full-year total loan portfolio net charge-offs of $215 million - $225 million. •Full-year non-interest expenses of $525 million - $535 million. | ||
| Quarterly Financial Highlights | ||
| 2Q 2021 | 1Q 2021 | 2Q 2020 | |||||||||
| Income Statement ($ millions) | |||||||||||
| Total interest income | $435 | $436 | $485 | ||||||||
| Total interest expense | 96 | 105 | 136 | ||||||||
| Net interest income | 339 | 331 | 349 | ||||||||
| Less: provisions for credit losses | 70 | (226) | 352 | ||||||||
| Total non-interest income | 52 | 413 | 29 | ||||||||
| Total non-interest expenses | 128 | 126 | 142 | ||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 53 | 203 | (31) | ||||||||
| Net income (loss) | 140 | 641 | (85) | ||||||||
| Preferred stock dividends | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to common stock | 139 | 640 | (88) | ||||||||
“Core Earnings” adjustments to GAAP(1) | 5 | 8 | 6 | ||||||||
Non-GAAP “Core Earnings” net income (loss) attributable to common stock(1) | 144 | 648 | (82) | ||||||||
| Ending Balances ($ millions) | |||||||||||
| Private Education Loans held for investment, net | $19,389 | $19,633 | $19,793 | ||||||||
| FFELP Loans held for investment, net | 715 | 725 | 752 | ||||||||
| Personal Loans held for investment, net | — | — | 609 | ||||||||
| Credit Cards held for investment, net | 11 | 10 | 10 | ||||||||
| Deposits | $21,124 | $22,803 | $23,592 | ||||||||
| Brokered | 11,521 | 12,146 | 12,749 | ||||||||
| Retail and other | 9,603 | 10,657 | 10,843 | ||||||||
| Key Performance Metrics | |||||||||||
| Net interest margin | 4.70% | 4.40% | 4.55% | ||||||||
| Yield - Total interest-earning assets | 6.03% | 5.80% | 6.33% | ||||||||
| Private Education Loans | 8.22% | 8.22% | 8.33% | ||||||||
| Personal Loans | —% | —% | 12.54% | ||||||||
| Credit Cards | 6.64% | 0.78% | (9.34)% | ||||||||
| Cost of Funds | 1.43% | 1.53% | 1.91% | ||||||||
Return on Assets (“ROA”)(2) | 1.9% | 8.3% | (1.1)% | ||||||||
Non-GAAP “Core Earnings” ROA(3) | 2.0% | 8.4% | (1.0)% | ||||||||
Return on Common Equity (“ROCE”)(4) | 26.4% | 101.5% | (21.0)% | ||||||||
Non-GAAP “Core Earnings” ROCE(5) | 27.4% | 102.8% | (19.5)% | ||||||||
| Per Common Share | |||||||||||
| GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $0.44 | $1.75 | $(0.23) | ||||||||
Non-GAAP “Core Earnings” diluted earnings (loss) per common share(1) | $0.45 | $1.77 | $(0.22) | ||||||||
| Average common and common equivalent shares outstanding (millions) | 317 | 366 | 375 | ||||||||
| June 30, | December 31, | |||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Assets | ||||||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 4,497,310 | $ | 4,455,292 | ||||||||||
| Investments: | ||||||||||||||
| Trading investments at fair value (cost of $29,049 and $12,551) | 35,908 | 16,923 | ||||||||||||
| Available-for-sale investments at fair value (cost of $2,070,350 and $1,986,957, respectively) | 2,072,309 | 1,996,634 | ||||||||||||
| Other investments | 141,400 | 80,794 | ||||||||||||
| Total investments | 2,249,617 | 2,094,351 | ||||||||||||
| Loans held for investment (net of allowance for losses of $1,160,244 and $1,361,723, respectively) | 20,115,144 | 19,183,143 | ||||||||||||
| Loans held for sale | — | 2,885,640 | ||||||||||||
| Restricted cash | 163,955 | 154,417 | ||||||||||||
| Other interest-earning assets | 18,115 | 42,874 | ||||||||||||
| Accrued interest receivable | 1,323,448 | 1,387,305 | ||||||||||||
| Premises and equipment, net | 153,969 | 154,670 | ||||||||||||
| Income taxes receivable, net | 349,107 | 374,706 | ||||||||||||
| Tax indemnification receivable | 12,842 | 18,492 | ||||||||||||
| Other assets | 41,668 | 19,533 | ||||||||||||
| Total assets | $ | 28,925,175 | $ | 30,770,423 | ||||||||||
| Liabilities | ||||||||||||||
| Deposits | $ | 21,124,376 | $ | 22,666,039 | ||||||||||
| Short-term borrowings | 199,379 | — | ||||||||||||
| Long-term borrowings | 4,989,060 | 5,189,217 | ||||||||||||
| Other liabilities | 308,982 | 352,332 | ||||||||||||
| Total liabilities | 26,621,797 | 28,207,588 | ||||||||||||
| Commitments and contingencies | ||||||||||||||
| Equity | ||||||||||||||
| Preferred stock, par value $0.20 per share, 20 million shares authorized: | ||||||||||||||
| Series B: 2.5 million and 2.5 million shares issued, respectively, at stated value of $100 per share | 251,070 | 251,070 | ||||||||||||
| Common stock, par value $0.20 per share, 1.125 billion shares authorized: 431.5 million and 456.7 million shares issued, respectively | 86,302 | 91,346 | ||||||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 1,058,698 | 1,331,247 | ||||||||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss (net of tax benefit of ($6,906) and ($10,908), respectively) | (21,640) | (34,200) | ||||||||||||
| Retained earnings | 2,480,672 | 1,722,365 | ||||||||||||
| Total SLM Corporation stockholders’ equity before treasury stock | 3,855,102 | 3,361,828 | ||||||||||||
| Less: Common stock held in treasury at cost: 125.7 million and 81.4 million shares, respectively | (1,551,724) | (798,993) | ||||||||||||
| Total equity | 2,303,378 | 2,562,835 | ||||||||||||
| Total liabilities and equity | $ | 28,925,175 | $ | 30,770,423 | ||||||||||
| Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest income: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Loans | $ | 430,099 | $ | 480,170 | $ | 861,903 | $ | 1,035,447 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Investments | 3,168 | 3,096 | 5,896 | 5,759 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 1,423 | 1,529 | 3,049 | 18,522 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total interest income | 434,690 | 484,795 | 870,848 | 1,059,728 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest expense: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deposits | 57,256 | 100,246 | 123,854 | 235,358 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest expense on short-term borrowings | 5,700 | 3,399 | 8,902 | 7,616 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest expense on long-term borrowings | 32,950 | 32,375 | 68,194 | 67,863 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total interest expense | 95,906 | 136,020 | 200,950 | 310,837 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net interest income | 338,784 | 348,775 | 669,898 | 748,891 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Less: provisions for credit losses | 69,677 | 351,887 | (156,090) | 413,145 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net interest income (loss) after provisions for credit losses | 269,107 | (3,112) | 825,988 | 335,746 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-interest income: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gains (losses) on sales of loans, net | 3,679 | (369) | 402,790 | 238,566 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gains on derivatives and hedging activities, net | 89 | 3,751 | 117 | 49,423 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other income | 48,580 | 25,412 | 62,868 | 32,899 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total non-interest income | 52,348 | 28,794 | 465,775 | 320,888 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-interest expenses: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compensation and benefits | 62,616 | 72,448 | 134,197 | 156,670 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| FDIC assessment fees | 5,925 | 7,163 | 11,113 | 16,053 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other operating expenses | 59,469 | 61,946 | 107,199 | 116,132 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | 128,010 | 141,557 | 252,509 | 288,855 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Restructuring expenses | 70 | — | 1,147 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total non-interest expenses | 128,080 | 141,557 | 253,656 | 288,855 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) | 193,375 | (115,875) | 1,038,107 | 367,779 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | 53,174 | (30,664) | 256,699 | 90,817 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | 140,201 | (85,211) | 781,408 | 276,962 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preferred stock dividends | 1,192 | 2,478 | 2,393 | 5,942 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to SLM Corporation common stock | $ | 139,009 | $ | (87,689) | $ | 779,015 | $ | 271,020 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Basic earnings (loss) per common share attributable to SLM Corporation | $ | 0.45 | $ | (0.23) | $ | 2.32 | $ | 0.69 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Average common shares outstanding | 312,183 | 375,009 | 336,478 | 392,397 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share attributable to SLM Corporation | $ | 0.44 | $ | (0.23) | $ | 2.28 | $ | 0.69 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Average common and common equivalent shares outstanding | 317,119 | 375,009 | 341,544 | 395,191 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Declared dividends per common share attributable to SLM Corporation | $ | 0.03 | $ | 0.06 | $ | 0.06 | $ | 0.09 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) | 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| “Core Earnings” adjustments to GAAP: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GAAP net income (loss) | $ | 140,201 | $ | (85,211) | $ | 781,408 | $ | 276,962 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preferred stock dividends | 1,192 | 2,478 | 2,393 | 5,942 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| GAAP net income (loss) attributable to SLM Corporation common stock | $ | 139,009 | $ | (87,689) | $ | 779,015 | $ | 271,020 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Adjustments: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net impact of derivative accounting(1) | 6,949 | 7,853 | 17,812 | (34,459) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Net tax expense (benefit)(2) | 1,681 | 1,918 | 4,308 | (8,412) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total “Core Earnings” adjustments to GAAP | 5,268 | 5,935 | 13,504 | (26,047) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| “Core Earnings” (loss) attributable to SLM Corporation common stock | $ | 144,277 | $ | (81,754) | $ | 792,519 | $ | 244,973 | ||||||||||||||||||
| GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 0.44 | $ | (0.23) | $ | 2.28 | $ | 0.69 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Derivative adjustments, net of tax | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.04 | (0.07) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| “Core Earnings” diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $ | 0.45 | $ | (0.22) | $ | 2.32 | $ | 0.62 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Provisions for credit losses | $ | 69,677 | $ | 351,887 | $ | (156,090) | $ | 413,145 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total portfolio net charge-offs | (43,050) | (39,637) | (90,662) | (101,068) | ||||||||||||||||||||||