Associated Banc (ASB) Competitors

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) and Cathay General Bancorp (NASDAQ:CATY) are both mid-cap finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, media sentiment, dividends, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation and institutional ownership.

Do analysts rate ASB or CATY?

Associated Banc currently has a consensus price target of $27.22, suggesting a potential upside of 5.23%. Cathay General Bancorp has a consensus price target of $50.17, suggesting a potential upside of 4.08%. Given Associated Banc's higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Associated Banc is more favorable than Cathay General Bancorp.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Associated Banc	0 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	2 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.22
Cathay General Bancorp	1 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.33

Do insiders & institutionals have more ownership in ASB or CATY?

83.0% of Associated Banc shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 75.0% of Cathay General Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. 1.5% of Associated Banc shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 4.9% of Cathay General Bancorp shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Does the media refer more to ASB or CATY?

In the previous week, Cathay General Bancorp had 1 more articles in the media than Associated Banc. MarketBeat recorded 10 mentions for Cathay General Bancorp and 9 mentions for Associated Banc. Cathay General Bancorp's average media sentiment score of 1.08 beat Associated Banc's score of 0.91 indicating that Cathay General Bancorp is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Associated Banc	6 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Cathay General Bancorp	7 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Is ASB or CATY a better dividend stock?

Associated Banc pays an annual dividend of $0.92 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. Cathay General Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $1.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.8%. Associated Banc pays out 107.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Cathay General Bancorp pays out 34.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Associated Banc has increased its dividend for 13 consecutive years. Associated Banc is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Is ASB or CATY more profitable?

Cathay General Bancorp has a net margin of 20.55% compared to Associated Banc's net margin of 6.02%. Cathay General Bancorp's return on equity of 10.23% beat Associated Banc's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Associated Banc	6.02%	8.47%	0.85%
Cathay General Bancorp	20.55%	10.23%	1.25%

Which has more risk and volatility, ASB or CATY?

Associated Banc has a beta of 0.8, suggesting that its stock price is 20% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Cathay General Bancorp has a beta of 0.93, suggesting that its stock price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Which has higher valuation and earnings, ASB or CATY?

Cathay General Bancorp has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Associated Banc. Cathay General Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Associated Banc, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Associated Banc	$2.39B	1.79	$123.14M	$0.86	30.08
Cathay General Bancorp	$1.39B	2.43	$285.98M	$3.96	12.17

Summary

Cathay General Bancorp beats Associated Banc on 14 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.