N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC Makes New $596,000 Investment in Associated Banc-Corp $ASB

N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE:ASB) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 19,378 shares of the bank’s stock, valued at approximately $596,000.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its holdings in Associated Banc by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 154,933 shares of the bank’s stock worth $3,779,000 after purchasing an additional 394 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC boosted its position in Associated Banc by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 19,079 shares of the bank’s stock worth $491,000 after purchasing an additional 426 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its position in Associated Banc by 2.0% during the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 27,354 shares of the bank’s stock worth $667,000 after purchasing an additional 549 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its holdings in Associated Banc by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 34,801 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $896,000 after purchasing an additional 619 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Michigan Retirement System grew its holdings in Associated Banc by 1.8% during the first quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 39,378 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,018,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.98% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Associated Banc

Here are the key news stories impacting Associated Banc this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Near-term earnings estimates improved. Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS forecast to $2.95 from $2.92, and increased estimates for Q3 2026 to $0.75 from $0.74 and Q1 2027 to $0.76 from $0.75. These revisions suggest somewhat better expected operating performance in the nearer term. Associated Banc stock information
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend supports investor demand. Associated Banc declared a quarterly dividend of $0.24, or $0.96 annualized, representing an approximately 3.0% yield and a payout ratio of about 33.6%. The bank’s latest quarterly results also exceeded expectations, with EPS of $0.73 versus the $0.72 consensus estimate and revenue of $454.5 million versus forecasts of $438.0 million.
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional ownership remains strong. Several large investors, including Goldman Sachs, Millennium Management and UBS Asset Management, increased their positions during the first half of the year. Institutions and hedge funds own approximately 83% of ASB’s shares.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment is broadly constructive but valuation appears near targets. The consensus rating is “Moderate Buy,” although the average price target of $31.60 is below the stock’s recent trading level. Wells Fargo raised its target to $36 and maintained an “overweight” rating, while other analysts remain at “hold” or “market perform.”
• Negative Sentiment: Longer-term earnings expectations were reduced. Zacks cut its Q2 2028 EPS estimate to $0.84 from $0.94 and lowered FY2028 EPS to $3.35 from $3.56. It also trimmed Q1 2028 and Q2 2027 forecasts, partially offsetting the near-term upgrades. Zacks Associated Banc estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Executives sold significant portions of their holdings. EVP Gregory Warsek sold 16,300 shares for approximately $521,763, reducing his position by 54.1%. EVP Randall Erickson sold 43,561 shares worth about $1.40 million, cutting his ownership by 43.7%. While insider sales can reflect personal financial planning, the size of these transactions may weigh on sentiment. Associated Banc insider sales

Associated Banc Stock Up 0.1%

ASB opened at $32.35 on Monday. Associated Banc-Corp has a 1-year low of $23.86 and a 1-year high of $32.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.77. The business has a 50 day moving average of $30.55 and a 200-day moving average of $28.33.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The bank reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.01. Associated Banc had a net margin of 19.66% and a return on equity of 10.64%. The business had revenue of $454.54 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $438.01 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.65 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Associated Banc-Corp will post 2.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Associated Banc Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. Associated Banc’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Randall J. Erickson sold 43,561 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.04, for a total transaction of $1,395,694.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 56,091 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,797,155.64. The trade was a 43.71% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John A. Utz sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.82, for a total transaction of $144,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 118,156 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,405,255.92. This represents a 4.06% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 101,823 shares of company stock worth $3,150,761. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ASB has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Associated Banc from $32.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Associated Banc from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Associated Banc in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $31.60.

About Associated Banc

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.