SLM Corporation (SLM) Expected Move
Expected move estimates the probable price range for a given period based on at-the-money options pricing. It reflects the market consensus for volatility over the selected timeframe.
SLM Corporation (SLM) operates in the Financial Services sector, specifically the Financial - Credit Services industry, with a market capitalization near $4.02B, listed on NASDAQ, employing roughly 1,710 people, carrying a beta of 1.02 to the broader market. SLM Corporation, through its subsidiaries, originates and services private education loans to students and their families to finance the cost of their education in the United States. Led by Jonathan W. Witter, public since 1983-09-23.
Snapshot as of May 15, 2026.
- Spot Price
- $21.18
- Expected Move
- 11.4%
- Implied High
- $23.60
- Implied Low
- $18.76
- Front DTE
- 34 days
As of May 15, 2026, SLM Corporation (SLM) has an expected move of 11.44%, a one-standard-deviation implied price range of roughly $18.76 to $23.60 from the current $21.18. Expected move is derived from at-the-money straddle pricing and represents the market's pricing of a ±1σ move. Roughly 68% of outcomes should fall within this range under lognormal assumptions, though empirical markets have fatter tails.
SLM Strategy Sizing to the Expected Move
With SLM Corporation pricing an expected move of 11.44% from $21.18, risk-defined strategies sized to the implied range structurally target the modal outcome distribution. Iron condors with wings at the ±1σ expected move boundaries collect premium against the ~68% probability that spot stays inside the range under lognormal assumptions; strangles set wider at ±1.5σ or ±2σ target the tails but pay smaller per-trade premium. Long-vol structures (long straddles, ratio backspreads) profit when realized move exceeds the implied move, the inverse trade: they bet against the lognormal assumption itself, capitalizing on the empirically fatter equity-return tails.
Learn how expected move is reported and how to read the data →
Per-expiration expected move for SLM derived from ATM implied volatility at each listed expiration. Implied high/low bounds are computed as $21.18 × (1 ± expected move %). One standard-deviation range under lognormal assumptions, roughly 68% of outcomes fall inside.
| Expiration | DTE | ATM IV | Expected Move | Implied High | Implied Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 2026 | 34 | 39.9% | 12.2% | $23.76 | $18.60 |
| Jul 17, 2026 | 63 | 39.0% | 16.2% | $24.61 | $17.75 |
| Sep 18, 2026 | 126 | 42.8% | 25.1% | $26.51 | $15.85 |
| Oct 16, 2026 | 154 | 42.7% | 27.7% | $27.05 | $15.31 |
| Nov 20, 2026 | 189 | 42.8% | 30.8% | $27.70 | $14.66 |
| Jan 15, 2027 | 245 | 42.8% | 35.1% | $28.61 | $13.75 |
Frequently asked SLM expected move questions
- What is the current SLM expected move?
- As of May 15, 2026, SLM Corporation (SLM) has an expected move of 11.44% over the next 34 days, implying a one-standard-deviation price range of $18.76 to $23.60 from the current $21.18. The expected move is derived from at-the-money straddle pricing and represents the market consensus for a ±1σ price move.
- What does the SLM expected move mean for traders?
- Roughly 68% of outcomes should fall within ±1 expected move and 95% within ±2 under lognormal assumptions, though equity returns have empirically fatter tails than log-normal predicts. Strategies sized to the expected move (iron condors at ±1σ, strangles at ±1.5σ) target the typical outcome distribution; strategies that profit from tail moves (long-vol structures, ratio backspreads) target the tails the lognormal model under-prices.
- How is SLM expected move calculated?
- The expected move displayed here is derived from at-the-money implied volatility scaled to the chosen tenor: expected move % is approximately ATM IV times sqrt(T / 365), where T is days to expiration. An equivalent straddle-based form: the ATM straddle (call + put at the same strike) is roughly sqrt(2/pi) times spot times IV times sqrt(T/365), so the implied one-standard-deviation move is approximately 1.25 times ATM straddle divided by spot. The two formulations agree once the sqrt(2/pi) constant is reconciled.