Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued to investors 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 equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Associated Banc from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price target on shares of Associated Banc in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Barclays cut their target price on Associated Banc from $32.00 to $30.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price target on Associated Banc from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $29.20.

Associated Banc Price Performance

NYSE:ASB opened at $26.39 on Wednesday. Associated Banc has a one year low of $18.32 and a one year high of $29.51. The stock has a market cap of $4.38 billion, a PE ratio of 9.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.90. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $27.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $26.28.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The bank reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.11. The company 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 business earned $0.72 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Associated Banc will post 2.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Associated Banc Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. Associated Banc’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.66%.

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 shares were sold at an average price of $28.02, for a total transaction of $184,932.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 49,264 shares in the company, valued at $1,380,377.28. This represents a 11.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP John A. Utz sold 2,135 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.41, for a total transaction of $56,385.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 109,842 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,900,927.22. The trade was a 1.91% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 59,607 shares of company stock valued at $1,603,545. 1.45% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Associated Banc

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Associated Banc by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 18,538,157 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $477,543,000 after purchasing an additional 545,185 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Associated Banc by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,711,346 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $224,404,000 after buying an additional 147,372 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Associated Banc by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,151,111 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $101,256,000 after buying an additional 67,219 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management raised its stake in Associated Banc by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 3,663,163 shares of the bank’s stock worth $94,363,000 after acquiring an additional 38,900 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC lifted its position in Associated Banc by 50.6% in the fourth quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 2,867,172 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $73,858,000 after acquiring an additional 963,788 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.98% of the company’s stock.

Associated Banc News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded ASB to a “Strong‑Buy” and lifted near‑term and FY2026/2027 EPS estimates — the shop raised Q1–Q3 2026 quarterlies and bumped FY2026/FY2027 targets, supporting upside to earnings expectations. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks coverage says ASB’s transformation, loan growth, digital investment and targeted acquisitions are expanding revenues and margins as it pushes into higher‑growth markets — a fundamental growth narrative that can justify multiple expansion. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts included ASB on Zacks’ value/Rank #1 (Strong Buy) list and called it a buy after recent upgrades — a visibility boost that can attract value and dividend investors. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage discussed ASB as a potential high‑growth dividend pick — positive for income investors but not an immediate catalyst until dividend policy or payouts change materially. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite upgrades, ASB was cited among names recommended amid an AI‑driven market sell‑off — meaning broader market rotation/weakness (not firm fundamentals) could be pressuring the share price today. Read More.

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.