Piper Sandler Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) Stock

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) had its price objective lifted by Piper Sandler from $27.00 to $30.00 in a research report issued on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the bank’s stock. Piper Sandler’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 13.32% from the company’s current price.

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

Associated Banc Trading Down 3.6%

NYSE ASB opened at $26.47 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.90. The firm has a market cap of $4.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.56, a PEG ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 0.79. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $26.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.79. Associated Banc has a one year low of $18.32 and a one year high of $28.02.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) last released 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 company had revenue of $393.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $382.06 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.72 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Associated Banc will post 2.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP John A. Utz sold 2,135 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 109,842 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,900,927.22. The trade was a 1.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Patrick Edward Ahern sold 30,489 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.70, for a total value of $783,567.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 24,055 shares in the company, valued at approximately $618,213.50. The trade was a 55.90% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 35,951 shares of company stock valued at $925,756. 1.45% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Associated Banc

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of ASB. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Associated Banc by 6.0% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 97,570 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,198,000 after acquiring an additional 5,531 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in Associated Banc by 90.4% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 287,890 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $6,486,000 after purchasing an additional 136,648 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Associated Banc by 139.1% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,748,667 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $61,927,000 after buying an additional 1,598,951 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in shares of Associated Banc by 13.9% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 496,392 shares of the bank’s stock worth $11,184,000 after buying an additional 60,758 shares during the period. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Associated Banc during the second quarter worth about $328,000. 82.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Associated Banc

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

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.