Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE:ASB) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Twelve firms give Associated Banc a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" (six buy, six hold) with an average 1‑year target of $30.30 and recent upgrades from firms like Barclays and Raymond James.
• Q1 results: Associated Banc slightly beat expectations with $0.70 EPS vs. $0.69 consensus and $387.2M revenue, and sell‑side analysts forecast about 2.92 EPS for the year.
• Shareholder returns: The bank declared a $0.24 quarterly dividend (annualized $0.96, ~3.4% yield) and authorized a $100 million repurchase plan (≈2.2% of shares), while insiders have trimmed small stakes over the past 90 days.

Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE:ASB - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twelve ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $30.30.

Several research analysts have weighed in on ASB shares. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Stephens raised shares of Associated Banc from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $30.00 to $29.00 in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Raymond James Financial restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $31.00 price target on shares of Associated Banc in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Associated Banc from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Barclays raised shares of Associated Banc from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $30.00 to $33.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 7th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Eileen A. Kamerick sold 6,600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 49,264 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,380,377.28. This represents a 11.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director John B. Williams sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.18, for a total value of $112,720.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 67,420 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,899,895.60. This trade represents a 5.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 25,331 shares of company stock valued at $725,293 over the last 90 days. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Associated Banc

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in shares of Associated Banc by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 154,933 shares of the bank's stock valued at $3,779,000 after buying an additional 394 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Associated Banc by 46.8% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,279 shares of the bank's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 408 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE boosted its position in shares of Associated Banc by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 80,677 shares of the bank's stock worth $2,074,000 after acquiring an additional 415 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Associated Banc by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 19,079 shares of the bank's stock worth $491,000 after acquiring an additional 426 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC increased its stake in Associated Banc by 2.0% in the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 27,354 shares of the bank's stock valued at $667,000 after acquiring an additional 549 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.98% of the company's stock.

Associated Banc Stock Up 1.8%

Associated Banc stock opened at $28.39 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.90. The company's 50-day moving average is $26.43 and its 200-day moving average is $26.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.71 billion, a PE ratio of 9.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.79. Associated Banc has a fifty-two week low of $22.40 and a fifty-two week high of $29.51.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The bank reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $387.21 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $384.20 million. Associated Banc had a return on equity of 10.46% and a net margin of 19.88%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.59 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Associated Banc will post 2.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Associated Banc Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. Associated Banc's payout ratio is presently 33.33%.

Associated Banc announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 27th that authorizes the company to repurchase $100.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the bank to purchase up to 2.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

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.

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