Associated Banc-Corp $ASB Shares Purchased by First Trust Advisors LP

Key Points

• First Trust Advisors LP boosted its Associated Banc-Corp stake by 127.6% in the first quarter, ending with 5.97 million shares worth about $154.4 million.
• Associated Banc recently beat second-quarter expectations, reporting adjusted EPS of $0.73 and revenue of $450.44 million, both above analyst estimates.
• Despite the earnings beat, insider selling and mixed analyst views remain in focus: executives sold shares recently, while Wall Street’s consensus rating is “Moderate Buy” with an average target price of $31.00.

First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE:ASB - Free Report) by 127.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,971,227 shares of the bank's stock after acquiring an additional 3,347,699 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 3.60% of Associated Banc worth $154,416,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. IAG Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in Associated Banc by 4,250.0% in the 1st quarter. IAG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,218 shares of the bank's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,190 shares during the last quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. purchased a new position in Associated Banc during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Associated Banc by 345.5% during the 2nd 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 during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC acquired a new position in Associated Banc in the third quarter valued at $51,000. Finally, Hoese & Co LLP acquired a new position in Associated Banc in the fourth quarter valued at $52,000. 82.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Associated Banc News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Associated Banc-Corp reported adjusted Q2 earnings of $0.73 per share, topping the $0.72 consensus estimate, while revenue of $450.44 million also came in above forecasts. The results were supported by sustained organic growth and ongoing integration benefits from American National Corporation. Associated Banc-Corp Reports Second Quarter 2026 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s year-over-year earnings improved from $0.65 per share, showing continued profit growth and suggesting the bank is still expanding earnings power. Associated Banc-Corp (ASB) Surpasses Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Conference-call coverage and earnings snapshots largely reinforce the same message: the quarter was better than expected, but the market is still assessing how much of the outperformance is sustainable going forward. Transcript: Associated Banc Q2 2026 Earnings Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported net margin of 19.88% and return on equity of 10.46% indicate a stable quarter, but not one that dramatically changes the investment thesis. Associated Banc Stock

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP John A. Utz sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.82, for a total transaction of $144,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 118,156 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,405,255.92. The trade was a 4.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Matthew R. Braeger sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.17, for a total transaction of $140,850.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 11,777 shares of the company's stock, valued at $331,758.09. This represents a 29.80% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 28,299 shares of company stock valued at $801,760 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on ASB shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Associated Banc in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Zacks Research downgraded Associated Banc from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Associated Banc from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Associated Banc from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, March 30th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $31.00.

Associated Banc Trading Down 1.4%

NYSE ASB opened at $30.28 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.71 billion, a PE ratio of 10.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.76. Associated Banc-Corp has a one year low of $23.63 and a one year high of $31.83. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $29.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $27.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.90.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The bank reported $0.73 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $450.44 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $438.01 million. Associated Banc had a return on equity of 10.46% and a net margin of 19.88%.During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.65 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Associated Banc-Corp will post 2.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Associated Banc Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st were given a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. Associated Banc's payout ratio is currently 33.33%.

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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