Randall Erickson Sells 43,561 Shares of Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) Stock

Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE:ASB) EVP Randall Erickson sold 43,561 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was 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 $1,797,155.64. The trade was a 43.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Associated Banc Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE ASB opened at $32.35 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.11 billion, a PE ratio of 11.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. Associated Banc-Corp has a 12-month low of $23.86 and a 12-month high of $32.46. The company has a 50-day moving average of $30.55 and a 200 day moving average of $28.32.

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

Associated Banc Announces Dividend

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

Associated Banc News Roundup

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

ASB has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Associated Banc from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Associated Banc from $32.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Wall Street Zen lowered Associated Banc from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Raymond James Financial boosted their price target on shares of Associated Banc from $31.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price objective 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 analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $31.60.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ASB. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Associated Banc in the second quarter valued at approximately $715,927,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in Associated Banc by 127.6% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 5,971,227 shares of the bank’s stock worth $154,416,000 after purchasing an additional 3,347,699 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Associated Banc during the 4th quarter worth about $54,660,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Associated Banc in the 2nd quarter valued at about $61,240,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in 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 in the last quarter. 82.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.