BAC
Bank of America Corporation
BAC has the edge over SLM overall, supported by stronger fundamentals and stronger modeled upside.
SLM
SLM Corporation
SLM trails on the overall score without a compensating advantage in the available component scores.
BAC Fundamentals
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Healthy | |
| Strong | |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
BAC's revenue and profitability are currently healthy. Free cash flow and net leverage aren't meaningful measures for financial services companies like BAC.
SLM Fundamentals
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Under pressure | |
| Healthy | |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
SLM's profitability is currently healthy, but its revenue is under pressure. Free cash flow and net leverage aren't meaningful measures for financial services companies like SLM.
BAC PE Valuation
| Level | PE | Price | Vs current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap | 9.4x | $39.50 | -22% |
| Forward | 10x | $50.51 | — |
| Current | 12x | $50.51 | — |
| Fair | 13x | $53.81 | +6.5% |
| Expensive | 15x | $62.23 | +23% |
Historical ranges are pointers, not guarantees.
BAC's PE is in its fair range at 12x. If earnings grow as analysts expect, today's price would be 10x next year's earnings, in its cheap range.
SLM PE Valuation
| Level | PE | Price | Vs current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap | 5.3x | $14.65 | -12% |
| Current | 6x | $16.59 | — |
| Forward | 6.6x | $16.59 | — |
| Fair | 7.1x | $19.45 | +17% |
| Expensive | 9.6x | $26.38 | +59% |
Historical ranges are pointers, not guarantees.
SLM has the edge over BAC in the historical PE scenario, which offers more potential upside but is not a forecast.
BAC Forward outlook
| Metric | Outlook |
|---|---|
| Improving | |
| Growth | |
| Growth | |
| Strongly improving | |
| Limited | |
| Moderate |
BAC has the edge over SLM on the outlook, with more favorable valuation and earnings expectations.
SLM Forward outlook
| Metric | Outlook |
|---|---|
| Deteriorating | |
| Decline | |
| Stable | |
| Strongly weakening | |
| Limited | |
| Low |
Analysts expect SLM's earnings and profitability to decline, with its revenue holding steady. However, they disagree widely on these estimates.
BAC Earnings Per Share
| Quarter | TTM EPS | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | $4.92 | +17% |
| Q3 2026 | $4.19 | +14% |
| Q2 2026 | $4.34 | +27% |
| Q1 2026 | $4.02 | +20% |
| Q4 2025 | $3.81 | +19% |
| Q3 2025 | $3.66 | +33% |
| Q2 2025 | $3.41 | +20% |
| Q1 2025 | $3.35 | +16% |
| Q4 2024 | $3.21 | +4.2% |
BAC has the edge over SLM on earnings, with more consistent year-over-year improvement.
SLM Earnings Per Share
| Quarter | TTM EPS | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | $2.52 | -8.2% |
| Q3 2026 | $2.75 | -4.5% |
| Q2 2026 | $3.57 | +77% |
| Q1 2026 | $3.60 | +28% |
| Q4 2025 | $3.46 | +29% |
| Q3 2025 | $2.88 | +0.3% |
| Q2 2025 | $2.02 | -37% |
| Q1 2025 | $2.81 | -12% |
| Q4 2024 | $2.68 | +12% |
SLM's earnings per share have fallen from their peak: $2.75 over the past year, against $3.77 in mid-2021.
BAC Quarterly Revenue
| Quarter | Revenue | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $30B | +6.7% |
| Q2 2026 | $31.6B | +19% |
| Q1 2026 | $30.3B | +11% |
| Q4 2025 | $31.2B | +23% |
| Q3 2025 | $28.1B | +11% |
| Q2 2025 | $26.5B | +4.3% |
| Q1 2025 | $27.4B | +6% |
| Q4 2024 | $25.3B | +15% |
BAC has the edge over SLM on sales, with more consistent year-over-year improvement.
| Quarter | Margin | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 30% | -3.7 points |
| Q2 2026 | 37% | +7.6 points |
| Q1 2026 | 34% | +4.7 points |
| Q4 2025 | 40% | +12 points |
| Q3 2025 | 34% | +4.8 points |
| Q2 2025 | 29% | -0.7 points |
| Q1 2025 | 30% | +1.5 points |
| Q4 2024 | 28% | +14 points |
BAC has the edge over SLM on profitability, with a higher operating margin.
SLM Quarterly Revenue
| Quarter | Revenue | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $375.5M | -31% |
| Q2 2026 | $401.1M | -0.6% |
| Q1 2026 | $560M | -3.6% |
| Q4 2025 | $454.1M | +16% |
| Q3 2025 | $545.7M | +42% |
| Q2 2025 | $403.6M | -21% |
| Q1 2025 | $581M | +3.5% |
| Q4 2024 | $390M | -12% |
SLM's revenue has slid since its 2021 peak: $375M last quarter, down 31% from the same quarter a year ago.
| Quarter | Margin | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -16% | -50 points |
| Q2 2026 | 20% | -1.7 points |
| Q1 2026 | 71% | +2.1 points |
| Q4 2025 | 70% | +36 points |
| Q3 2025 | 34% | +50 points |
| Q2 2025 | 22% | -44 points |
| Q1 2025 | 69% | +0.3 points |
| Q4 2024 | 34% | -17 points |
SLM's operating margin was −16% last quarter, down 50 points from the same quarter a year ago, near the bottom of its range since 2019.
BAC Free Cash Flow
| Quarter | Free cash flow | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -$6.5B | -114% |
| Q2 2026 | $29B | +$38.2B |
| Q1 2026 | $41.8B | +$44B |
| Q4 2025 | -$22.9B | -189% |
| Q3 2025 | $46.9B | +$84.2B |
| Q2 2025 | -$9.1B | -150% |
| Q1 2025 | -$2.2B | +$13.4B |
| Q4 2024 | $25.9B | -21% |
BAC has the edge over SLM on cash generation, producing positive trailing cash flow while its opponent burns cash.
SLM Free Cash Flow
| Quarter | Free cash flow | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -$106.4M | -$57M |
| Q2 2026 | -$134.8M | +$3.9M |
| Q1 2026 | -$76M | +$70.1M |
| Q4 2025 | -$64.5M | -1520% |
| Q3 2025 | -$49.3M | +$64.1M |
| Q2 2025 | -$138.7M | +$5.1M |
| Q1 2025 | -$146.1M | -$69.3M |
| Q4 2024 | $4.5M | +$31.7M |
SLM's free cash flow was −$382M over the past year, against −$330M the year before. Free cash flow isn't a meaningful measure for financial services companies like SLM.
BAC Total Shares
| Period | Change % | Net change |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly | -1% | -72M shares |
| 1 year | -5.3% | -405M shares |
| 3 years | -11% | -854M shares |
| 5 years | -15% | -1.3B shares |
| Available history | -24% | -2.2B shares |
BAC has 7.2B diluted shares, down 5.3% from a year ago, with $25.6B in buybacks over the past year.
| Quarter | Spent |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $6B |
| Q2 2026 | $6B |
| Q1 2026 | $7.2B |
| Q4 2025 | $6.3B |
| Q3 2025 | $5.3B |
| Q2 2025 | $5.3B |
| Q1 2025 | $4.5B |
| Q4 2024 | $3.5B |
BAC spent $25.6B buying back its own shares over the past year, up 37% from the year before.
SLM Total Shares
| Period | Change % | Net change |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly | -2.5% | -4.8M shares |
| 1 year | -12% | -25M shares |
| 3 years | -19% | -43.2M shares |
| 5 years | -39% | -119M shares |
| Available history | -57% | -245M shares |
SLM has the edge over BAC on shareholder dilution, with a more favorable share count trend.
| Quarter | Spent |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $127.7M |
| Q2 2026 | $3.1M |
| Q1 2026 | $290.7M |
| Q4 2025 | $123.8M |
| Q3 2025 | $143.5M |
| Q2 2025 | $71.7M |
| Q1 2025 | $29.7M |
| Q4 2024 | $47.1M |
SLM spent $545M buying back its own shares over the past year, up 87% from the year before.
BAC Net Leverage
| Quarter | Net Leverage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 6.4x | High |
| Q2 2026 | 6.7x | High |
| Q1 2026 | 7.1x | High |
| Q4 2025 | 7.7x | High |
| Q3 2025 | 8.3x | High |
| Q2 2025 | 8.8x | High |
| Q1 2025 | 8.6x | High |
| Q4 2024 | 9.0x | High |
BAC's net debt is about 6.4 years of its operating earnings (EBITDA), down from 8.3 years a year ago. Net leverage isn't a meaningful measure for financial services companies like BAC.
SLM Net Leverage
| Quarter | Net Leverage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 5.6x | High |
| Q2 2026 | 1.3x | Healthy |
| Q1 2026 | 1.0x | Healthy |
| Q4 2025 | 1.6x | Healthy |
| Q3 2025 | 4.0x | Elevated |
| Q2 2025 | 4.0x | Elevated |
| Q1 2025 | 2.9x | Moderate |
| Q4 2024 | 2.1x | Moderate |
SLM has the edge over BAC on leverage, with a lower net debt burden relative to earnings.
BAC Weekly Momentum
| Metric | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSI | 37.1 | Neutral |
| Stochastic | 4.9 | Oversold |
BAC's weekly RSI is 37 (neutral) and its Stochastic is 5 (oversold).
SLM Weekly Momentum
| Metric | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSI | 25.5 | Oversold |
| Stochastic | 2.4 | Oversold |
SLM's weekly RSI is 26 (oversold) and its Stochastic is 2 (oversold).
BAC PE vs Financial Services Sector
| Metric | BAC | Sector median | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 12x | 13x | 7.5% below |
| PE % | 40 | 63 | 23 pts below |
BAC is trading at 12x earnings, in line with the Financial Services sector's median of 13x.
SLM PE vs Financial Services Sector
| Metric | SLM | Sector median | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 6x | 13x | 54% below |
| PE % | 27 | 63 | 36 pts below |
SLM has the edge over BAC on valuation relative to its sector.
BAC Weekly Moving Averages
| Moving average | MA price | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 8 week MA | $52.1 | 3% below |
| 20 week MA | $57.8 | 13% below |
| 50 week MA | $54.7 | 7.7% below |
| 100 week MA | $50.5 | 0% below |
| 200 week MA | $42.5 | 19% above |
BAC has the edge over SLM on trend strength, trading above more of its moving averages.
SLM Weekly Moving Averages
| Moving average | MA price | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 8 week MA | $20.2 | 18% below |
| 20 week MA | $23.7 | 30% below |
| 50 week MA | $23.8 | 30% below |
| 100 week MA | $26.7 | 38% below |
| 200 week MA | $22.5 | 26% below |
SLM is in a downtrend: it's below all five of its weekly moving averages, and 26% below its 200-week average.
BAC Yearly ROI
| Year | Start price | End price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $35.4 | $30.0 | -15% |
| 2021 | $30.0 | $44.4 | +48% |
| 2022 | $44.4 | $32.5 | -27% |
| 2023 | $32.5 | $33.7 | +3.7% |
| 2024 | $33.7 | $44.3 | +32% |
| 2025 | $44.3 | $56.2 | +27% |
| 2026 YTD | $56.2 | $50.5 | -10% |
BAC has the edge over SLM on returns for 2026, with the stronger performance.
SLM Yearly ROI
| Year | Start price | End price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $8.99 | $12.3 | +36% |
| 2021 | $12.3 | $19.1 | +56% |
| 2022 | $19.1 | $16.5 | -14% |
| 2023 | $16.5 | $19.1 | +16% |
| 2024 | $19.1 | $27.9 | +46% |
| 2025 | $27.9 | $27.5 | -1.3% |
| 2026 YTD | $27.5 | $16.6 | -40% |
SLM is down 40% so far in 2026, after finishing higher in four of the previous six years.