Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report published on Wednesday morning,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Associated Banc’s Q1 2026 earnings at $0.68 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $0.70 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.72 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $2.83 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.79 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $3.00 EPS.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on ASB. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Associated Banc from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Associated Banc from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Associated Banc has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $29.20.

Associated Banc Stock Performance

Shares of Associated Banc stock opened at $28.09 on Wednesday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $27.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $26.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The company has a market capitalization of $4.66 billion, a PE ratio of 10.14, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.81. Associated Banc has a 12 month low of $18.32 and a 12 month high of $29.51.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The bank reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $393.52 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $382.06 million. Associated Banc had a return on equity of 10.25% and a net margin of 19.31%.During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.72 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Associated Banc will post 2.43 EPS for the current year.

Associated Banc Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. Associated Banc’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.66%.

Associated Banc declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, January 27th that authorizes the company to repurchase $100.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the bank to buy up to 2.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Associated Banc news, EVP Patrick Edward Ahern sold 14,731 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.03, for a total transaction of $427,640.93. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 39,401 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,143,811.03. The trade was a 27.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP John A. Utz sold 2,135 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.41, for a total value of $56,385.35. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 109,842 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,900,927.22. This represents a 1.91% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 59,607 shares of company stock worth $1,603,545 in the last three months. Insiders own 1.45% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Associated Banc

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Associated Banc during the fourth quarter worth $54,660,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Associated Banc by 679.4% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,223,694 shares of the bank’s stock worth $57,171,000 after purchasing an additional 1,938,393 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Associated Banc by 139.1% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,748,667 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $61,927,000 after purchasing an additional 1,598,951 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its stake in Associated Banc by 4,883.7% in the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,385,666 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $35,625,000 after purchasing an additional 1,357,862 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new stake in Associated Banc in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,819,000. 82.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Associated Banc Company Profile

Associated Banc-Corp, through its primary subsidiary Associated Bank, N.A., is a regional financial services company headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The bank operates more than 200 branches across the Midwest, offering community-focused banking solutions for individuals, small businesses and commercial clients. Its emphasis on personalized service and regional decision-making supports long-standing customer relationships.

On the consumer side, Associated Bank provides checking and savings accounts, residential mortgages, home equity lines of credit, auto financing and credit card products.