SLM Shares Plunge 8.09 as Delinquency Surge Sparks Credit Concerns Trading Volume Surges 421.72 to Rank 478th in Market Activity

SLM Corporation's shares closed at $29.92 on August 15, 2025, marking an 8.09% decline from the previous session. The stock accounted for $210 million in trading volume, representing a 421.72% surge from the prior day’s activity, placing it 478th in trading activity across the equity market. The sharp selloff was triggered by TD Cowen's report highlighting a 49-basis-point increase in July delinquencies, significantly outpacing typical seasonal fluctuations. Analysts have noted that 45 basis points of this rise stemmed from early-stage defaults, raising concerns about the credit quality of SLM’s loan portfolio.

Technical indicators suggest heightened bearish momentum, with the 200-day moving average at $29.35 acting as a potential support level. The RSI at 52.76 indicates neutral momentum, while the MACD histogram remains negative, signaling fading bullish pressure. Key resistance levels include the middle Bollinger Band at $32.26 and the upper band at $33.40. Options activity has intensified, with high-gamma put contracts like SLM20250919P29 and SLM20251017P28 attracting attention as investors hedge against further downside risk.

Historical backtesting of SLM’s performance following a 9% intraday decline shows a 60.07% win rate over three days, 62.25% over ten days, and 65.15% over thirty days. The maximum return during the test period reached 8.42% on day 59, suggesting potential for short-term rebounds despite the current oversold condition. Analysts maintaining a $40 price target highlight long-term conviction in the stock, though immediate volatility remains elevated.

A strategy of purchasing the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding for one day from 2022 to 2025 generated a total profit of $10,720, with cumulative returns of 1.08 times the initial investment. This underscores the role of trading volume in identifying high-activity equities but does not confirm directional accuracy for SLM specifically.