Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) Upgraded to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Saturday.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on ASB. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price objective on shares of Associated Banc in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Barclays cut their price target on Associated Banc from $32.00 to $30.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $29.20.

Associated Banc Stock Performance

Shares of ASB stock opened at $27.85 on Friday. Associated Banc has a 12 month low of $18.32 and a 12 month high of $29.51. 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 cap of $4.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.05, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.81. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $26.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $26.05.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $393.52 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 firm posted $0.72 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Associated Banc will post 2.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Associated Banc Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. Associated Banc’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.66%.

Associated Banc declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 27th that permits the company to repurchase $100.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the bank to purchase up to 2.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,900,927.22. This represents a 1.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Patrick Edward Ahern sold 30,489 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.70, for a total value of $783,567.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,055 shares in the company, valued at approximately $618,213.50. The trade was a 55.90% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 53,007 shares of company stock worth $1,418,613 over the last 90 days. 1.45% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Associated Banc

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ASB. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Associated Banc in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,769,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in Associated Banc in the third quarter worth $1,289,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its holdings in shares of Associated Banc by 19.4% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 250,285 shares of the bank’s stock worth $6,435,000 after purchasing an additional 40,631 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new position in shares of Associated Banc in the 3rd quarter worth about $5,011,000. Finally, Leeward Investments LLC MA lifted its position in shares of Associated Banc by 39.7% in the 2nd quarter. Leeward Investments LLC MA now owns 765,504 shares of the bank’s stock worth $18,671,000 after buying an additional 217,546 shares during the last quarter. 82.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Associated Banc

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several near‑term and FY EPS forecasts for ASB (including FY2026, FY2027 and FY2028), signaling improving analyst expectations for earnings growth — a likely driver of buying interest.
• Positive Sentiment: Associated Banc recently beat consensus on Q4 results (reported Jan. 22) with $0.80 EPS vs. ~$0.69 expected and revenue above estimates, which supports the higher estimate revisions.
• Positive Sentiment: The board authorized a $100 million share repurchase program and declared a $0.24 quarterly dividend (3.4% yield), both shareholder‑friendly moves that typically support share prices.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary and coverage (e.g., Seeking Alpha piece highlighting progress and strategy) add to positive sentiment around the stock. Associated Banc‑Corp Keeps Pushing Forward
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains mixed — several firms maintain Hold/Neutral ratings and consensus price target (~$29.20) implies limited upside from current levels; this tempers the impact of positive news.
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional activity shows modest position changes (some buys, some new stakes), indicating steady institutional ownership but no clear directional change.
• Negative Sentiment: An Associated Bank EVP, Patrick Ahern, sold 14,731 shares at an average ~$29.03 (filed with the SEC) — insider selling can raise short‑term caution among investors. Insider Sale: Patrick Edward Ahern
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks also trimmed its Q2‑2027 EPS view slightly (from $0.74 to $0.70), a small downgrade that could be cited by skeptics as a sign of near‑term variability.

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.