Q3 EPS Estimates for Associated Banc Lifted by Analyst

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised Associated Banc’s Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $0.75 from $0.74 and projects FY2026 EPS of $2.95. The bank’s latest quarterly results also exceeded expectations, with EPS of $0.73 and revenue of $454.54 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $31.60. Shares recently traded at $32.22, near their 52-week high of $32.44.
• Associated Banc declared a quarterly dividend of $0.24 per share, equivalent to a $0.96 annualized payout and a roughly 3.0% yield. Meanwhile, company insiders have sold shares recently, including two executive transactions disclosed in the article.

Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE:ASB - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for Associated Banc in a research note issued on Thursday, August 13th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the bank will post earnings of $0.75 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $0.74. The consensus estimate for Associated Banc's current full-year earnings is $2.91 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Associated Banc's FY2026 earnings at $2.95 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.76 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.84 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.82 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.77 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.84 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.35 EPS.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB - Get Free Report) last issued 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 company had revenue of $454.54 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 in the prior year, the company earned $0.65 earnings per share.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Raymond James Financial boosted their target price on shares of Associated Banc from $31.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Associated Banc in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Associated Banc from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Associated Banc from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $31.60.

Associated Banc Price Performance

NYSE ASB opened at $32.22 on Friday. Associated Banc has a 1 year low of $23.86 and a 1 year high of $32.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 0.93. The business's fifty day moving average is $30.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.29.

Institutional Trading of Associated Banc

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ASB. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in Associated Banc by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 154,933 shares of the bank's stock worth $3,779,000 after buying an additional 394 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Associated Banc by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 19,079 shares of the bank's stock valued at $491,000 after acquiring an additional 426 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Associated Banc by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 34,801 shares of the bank's stock valued at $896,000 after acquiring an additional 619 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Michigan Retirement System increased its position in Associated Banc by 1.8% during the first quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 39,378 shares of the bank's stock worth $1,018,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the period. 82.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Associated Banc news, EVP Derek S. Meyer sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.74, for a total transaction of $307,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 61,662 shares in the company, valued at $1,895,489.88. This trade represents a 13.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Gregory Warsek sold 16,300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.01, for a total value of $521,763.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 13,809 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $442,026.09. This represents a 54.14% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 101,823 shares of company stock valued at $3,150,761. 0.71% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Associated Banc Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. Associated Banc's payout ratio is currently 33.57%.

Key Headlines Impacting Associated Banc

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS forecast to $2.95 from $2.92 and increased its Q3 2026 estimate to $0.75 from $0.74. It also lifted its Q1 2027 forecast to $0.76 from $0.75, suggesting modestly improved near-term earnings expectations.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also raised its Q4 2027 EPS estimate to $0.82 from $0.80. The revisions indicate some confidence in Associated Banc’s earnings trajectory despite other reductions.
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.24, payable September 15 to shareholders of record September 1. The $0.96 annualized payout represents an approximately 3.0% yield, with a 33.57% payout ratio.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $36 from $32 and maintained an “overweight” rating, while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy.” Wells Fargo Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Associated Banc-Corp
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent institutional activity was generally supportive, including increased holdings by Goldman Sachs, Millennium Management and UBS. Institutional investors and hedge funds own approximately 83% of the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered several forecasts: Q2 2027 EPS to $0.84 from $0.85, Q1 2028 to $0.77 from $0.80, and Q2 2028 to $0.84 from $0.94. Its FY2028 forecast fell sharply to $3.35 from $3.56, raising concerns about longer-term growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Two executives sold a substantial number of shares. EVP Gregory Warsek sold 16,300 shares for about $522,000, reducing his position by 54.14%, while EVP Randall Erickson sold 43,561 shares for approximately $1.40 million, cutting his ownership by 43.71%. Associated Banc EVP Sells Shares

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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