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

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) was upgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report released on Wednesday,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 equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Associated Banc from $32.00 to $30.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Associated Banc from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Associated Banc from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $29.20.

Associated Banc Stock Performance

Associated Banc stock opened at $28.09 on Wednesday. Associated Banc has a fifty-two week low of $18.32 and a fifty-two week high of $29.51. The company has a market capitalization of $4.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.14, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.81. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $27.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $26.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.90.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The bank reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $393.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $382.06 million. Associated Banc had a return on equity of 10.25% and a net margin of 19.31%.During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.72 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Associated Banc will post 2.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Associated Banc announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, January 27th that permits the company to buyback $100.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the bank to purchase up to 2.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Associated Banc

In other Associated Banc news, Director Eileen A. Kamerick sold 6,600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.02, for a total transaction of $184,932.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 49,264 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,380,377.28. The trade was a 11.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John A. Utz sold 2,135 shares of Associated Banc stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.41, for a total value of $56,385.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 109,842 shares in the company, valued at $2,900,927.22. This represents a 1.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 59,607 shares of company stock valued at $1,603,545. Corporate insiders own 1.45% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Associated Banc

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Associated Banc by 2,033.9% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,195 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 1,139 shares in the last quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new stake in Associated Banc in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in Associated Banc by 46.8% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,279 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in Associated Banc in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Associated Banc by 345.5% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,350 shares of the bank’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,047 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.98% of the company’s stock.

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.