Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Navient Corporation SR NT 6% 121543 (JSM) vs SLM Corporation (SLM) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | JSM | 229.5% revenue growth vs SLM's 5.2% |
| Value | SLM | Lower P/E (6.8x vs 16.1x) |
| Quality / Margins | SLM | 20.4% net margin vs JSM's 3.4% |
| Stability / Safety | JSM | Beta 0.20 vs SLM's 1.16 |
| Dividends | JSM | 3.3% yield, 3-year raise streak, vs SLM's 2.4% |
| Momentum (1Y) | JSM | +7.7% vs SLM's -36.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SLM | 2.1% ROA vs JSM's -0.1%, ROIC 7.6% vs 4.1% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Navient is a financial services company that manages and services education loans and provides business processing solutions. It makes money primarily through interest income from its portfolio of federal and private student loans — roughly 80% from federal loans and 20% from private loans — supplemented by servicing fees and business processing revenue. Its key advantage is its scale as one of the largest student loan servicers with deep expertise in the complex federal loan system and established government contracts.
SLM Corporation is a financial services company that originates and services private student loans for education financing in the United States. It generates revenue primarily from interest on its student loan portfolio — which constitutes the vast majority of its business — supplemented by fees from retail deposit accounts and credit card services. The company's moat lies in its specialized expertise in student lending, established relationships with educational institutions, and the regulatory complexity of the education finance market that creates barriers to entry.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
SLM leads in 3 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). JSM leads in 2 (Financial Metrics, Risk & Volatility). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
JSM and SLM operate at a comparable scale, with $3.8B and $3.0B in trailing revenue. SLM is the more profitable business, keeping 20.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to JSM's 3.4%.
| Metric | JSMNavient Corporati… | SLMSLM Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $3.8B | $3.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $3.9B | $824M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$50M | $623M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $275M | -$333M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +91.7% | +48.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +73.9% | +26.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +3.4% | +20.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +12.1% | -11.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -46.0% | +3.7% |
Valuation Metrics
At 7.0x trailing earnings, SLM trades at a 57% valuation discount to JSM's 16.1x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, SLM's 6.7x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than JSM's 21.3x.
| Metric | JSMNavient Corporati… | SLMSLM Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $5.3B | $3.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $46.4B | $5.5B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 16.14x | 6.99x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 6.85x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 0.47x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 21.29x | 6.70x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.39x | 1.25x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.80x | 1.91x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 11.57x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
SLM delivers a 26.6% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $27 in annual profit, vs $-2 for JSM. SLM carries lower financial leverage with a 2.98x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to JSM's 16.35x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), JSM scores 8/9 vs SLM's 4/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | JSMNavient Corporati… | SLMSLM Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -2.1% | +26.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -0.1% | +2.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +4.1% | +7.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +5.4% | +9.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 8 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 16.35x | 2.98x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $3.0B | $1.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2.1B | $4.7B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $43.2B | $6.4B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.17x | 0.71x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SLM five years ago would be worth $13,057 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $11,072 for JSM. Over the past 12 months, JSM leads with a +7.7% total return vs SLM's -36.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SLM at 11.9% vs JSM's 6.8% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | JSMNavient Corporati… | SLMSLM Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -3.8% | -31.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +7.7% | -36.2% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +22.0% | +40.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +10.7% | +30.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +96.6% | +260.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +6.8% | +11.9% |
Risk & Volatility
JSM is the less volatile stock with a 0.20 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SLM's 1.16 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. JSM currently trades 93.8% from its 52-week high vs SLM's 53.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | JSMNavient Corporati… | SLMSLM Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.20x | 1.16x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $20.65 | $34.97 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $16.51 | $18.71 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +93.8% | +53.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 45.8 | 30.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 19K | 2.4M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates JSM as "Hold" and SLM as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 69.9% upside for SLM (target: $32) vs -9.7% for JSM (target: $18). For income investors, JSM offers the higher dividend yield at 3.32% vs SLM's 2.41%.
| Metric | JSMNavient Corporati… | SLMSLM Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $17.50 | $31.83 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 2 | 25 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +3.3% | +2.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 3 | 6 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.64 | $0.45 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +3.4% | +6.6% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navient Corporation… (JSM) | 100 | 85.89 | -14.1% |
| SLM Corporation (SLM) | 100 | 249.09 | +149.1% |
SLM Corporation (SLM) returned +31% over 5 years vs Navient Corporation… (JSM)'s +11%. A $10,000 investment in SLM 5 years ago would be worth $13,057 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navient Corporation… (JSM) | $4.3B | $3.8B | -11.3% |
| SLM Corporation (SLM) | $1.0B | $3.0B | +194.7% |
Navient Corporation SR NT 6% 121543's revenue grew from $4.3B (2015) to $3.8B (2024) — a -1.3% CAGR. SLM Corporation's revenue grew from $1.0B (2015) to $3.0B (2024) — a 12.8% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navient Corporation… (JSM) | 22.9% | 3.4% | -85.0% |
| SLM Corporation (SLM) | 27.1% | 20.4% | -24.7% |
Navient Corporation SR NT 6% 121543's net margin went from 23% (2015) to 3% (2024). SLM Corporation's net margin went from 27% (2015) to 20% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navient Corporation… (JSM) | 22.9 | 14.8 | -35.4% |
| SLM Corporation (SLM) | 18.2 | 10.3 | -43.4% |
Navient Corporation SR NT 6% 121543 has traded in a 4x–23x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~16x. SLM Corporation has traded in a 5x–18x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~7x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navient Corporation… (JSM) | 2.57 | 1.2 | -53.3% |
| SLM Corporation (SLM) | 0.59 | 2.68 | +354.2% |
Navient Corporation SR NT 6% 121543's EPS grew from $2.57 (2015) to $1.20 (2024) — a -8% CAGR. SLM Corporation's EPS grew from $0.59 (2015) to $2.68 (2024) — a 18% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Navient Corporation SR NT 6% 121543 generated $459M FCF in 2024 (-35% vs 2021). SLM Corporation generated $-329M FCF in 2024 (-565% vs 2021).
JSM vs SLM: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is JSM or SLM a better buy right now?
SLM Corporation (SLM) offers the better valuation at 7.0x trailing P/E (6.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate SLM Corporation (SLM) a "Buy" — based on 25 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — JSM or SLM?
On trailing P/E, SLM Corporation (SLM) is the cheapest at 7.0x versus Navient Corporation SR NT 6% 121543 at 16.1x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — JSM or SLM?
Over the past 5 years, SLM Corporation (SLM) delivered a total return of +30.6%, compared to +10.7% for Navient Corporation SR NT 6% 121543 (JSM). A $10,000 investment in SLM five years ago would be worth approximately $13K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SLM returned +260.3% versus JSM's +96.6%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — JSM or SLM?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Navient Corporation SR NT 6% 121543 (JSM) is the lower-risk stock at 0.20β versus SLM Corporation's 1.16β — meaning SLM is approximately 465% more volatile than JSM relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, SLM Corporation (SLM) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 3% versus 16% for Navient Corporation SR NT 6% 121543 — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — JSM or SLM?
SLM Corporation (SLM) is the more profitable company, earning 20.4% net margin versus 3.4% for Navient Corporation SR NT 6% 121543 — meaning it keeps 20.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: JSM leads at 73.9% versus 26.7% for SLM. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — JSM leads at 91.7%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is JSM or SLM more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SLM: 69.9% to $31.83.
07Which pays a better dividend — JSM or SLM?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Navient Corporation SR NT 6% 121543 (JSM) offers the highest yield at 3.3%, versus 2.4% for SLM Corporation (SLM).
08Is JSM or SLM better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Navient Corporation SR NT 6% 121543 (JSM) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.20), 3.3% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (JSM: +96.6%, SLM: +260.3%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between JSM and SLM?
Both stocks operate in the Financial Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.