Piper Sandler Issues Positive Forecast for Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) Stock Price

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) had its price objective boosted by Piper Sandler from $27.00 to $30.00 in a report released on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the bank’s stock.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on ASB. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price objective on shares of Associated Banc in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Associated Banc from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 3rd. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Associated Banc from $27.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $30.00 price objective (up from $29.00) on shares of Associated Banc in a report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $29.00 target price on shares of Associated Banc in a report on Monday, January 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Associated Banc currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $29.10.

Associated Banc Stock Down 3.6%

Shares of ASB stock opened at $26.47 on Friday. Associated Banc has a 12 month low of $18.32 and a 12 month high of $28.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The firm has a market cap of $4.39 billion, a PE ratio of 9.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.79. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $26.22 and a 200-day moving average of $25.79.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The bank reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.11. Associated Banc had a net margin of 19.31% and a return on equity of 10.36%. The business had revenue of $393.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $382.06 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.72 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Associated Banc will post 2.43 EPS for the current year.

Associated Banc Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. This is a positive change from Associated Banc’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Associated Banc’s payout ratio is 102.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Associated Banc

In other news, EVP Patrick Edward Ahern sold 30,489 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.70, for a total transaction of $783,567.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 24,055 shares in the company, valued at approximately $618,213.50. This represents a 55.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP John A. Utz sold 2,135 shares of Associated Banc stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.41, for a total value of $56,385.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 109,842 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,900,927.22. This represents a 1.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 35,951 shares of company stock worth $925,756 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.45% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Associated Banc

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Associated Banc by 2,033.9% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,195 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 1,139 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted 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 valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 408 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Associated Banc by 345.5% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,350 shares of the bank’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,047 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new position in Associated Banc in the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Associated Banc in the third quarter worth about $34,000. 82.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Associated Banc News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results: ASB posted GAAP EPS of $0.80 and revenue roughly $393–389M (beats consensus), with improving credit metrics and lower provisions — a clear earnings beat. Zacks: ASB Q4 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Record annual results: Associated Banc reported record 2025 net income available to common equity of $463M ($2.77/share), signaling stronger full‑year profitability. PR Newswire: Record 2025 Net Income
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts lifted price targets to $30 from $27–29 (RBC, Piper Sandler, Keefe/Bruyette & Woods), implying ~13% upside; the raises provide support for the stock. The Fly: RBC PT Raise The Fly: Piper PT Raise Benzinga: KBW/Other Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Detailed coverage and transcripts available: investors can review the earnings call transcript and Q4 snapshots to check guidance, expense outlook and credit commentary. Yahoo: Earnings Call Transcript SeattlePI: Q4 Snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts retained neutral/sector‑perform/market‑perform ratings despite higher targets, which may limit buying momentum and help explain the stock’s decline today. The Fly: Analyst Ratings

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.