Associated Banc Q1 EPS Estimate Boosted by Zacks Research

Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE:ASB) – Research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for Associated Banc in a report issued on Thursday, February 26th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the bank will post earnings per share of $0.68 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.67. Zacks Research has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Associated Banc’s current full-year earnings is $2.43 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Associated Banc’s Q2 2026 earnings at $0.70 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.72 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $2.83 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.79 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $3.00 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on ASB. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings raised Associated Banc from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 target price on shares of Associated Banc in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Associated Banc from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Associated Banc from $32.00 to $30.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $29.20.

Associated Banc Stock Up 1.7%

NYSE ASB opened at $28.09 on Friday. Associated Banc has a 12 month low of $18.32 and a 12 month high of $29.51. The company has a market capitalization of $4.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.14, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.81. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $27.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $26.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.90.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The bank reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.11. Associated Banc had a net margin of 19.31% and a return on equity of 10.25%. The company had revenue of $393.52 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $382.06 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.72 EPS.

Associated Banc declared that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, January 27th that permits the company to repurchase $100.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the bank to buy up to 2.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Associated Banc Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be issued a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Associated Banc’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.66%.

Insider Activity at Associated Banc

In other Associated Banc news, EVP Patrick Edward Ahern sold 14,731 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.03, for a total value of $427,640.93. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 39,401 shares in the company, valued at $1,143,811.03. This represents a 27.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director John B. Williams sold 2,325 shares of Associated Banc stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.05, for a total transaction of $65,216.25. Following the sale, the director directly owned 70,959 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,990,399.95. This trade represents a 3.17% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 59,607 shares of company stock valued at $1,603,545 over the last ninety days. 1.45% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Associated Banc

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in Associated Banc by 0.3% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 154,933 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $3,779,000 after purchasing an additional 394 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in Associated Banc by 46.8% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,279 shares of the bank’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE raised its stake 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 purchasing an additional 415 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC lifted its holdings 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 valued at $491,000 after buying an additional 426 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Associated Banc by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 27,354 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $667,000 after buying an additional 549 shares during the last quarter. 82.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.