JPMorgan Chase & Co. Boosts Holdings in Associated Banc-Corp $ASB

JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE:ASB) by 24.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 984,537 shares of the bank’s stock after purchasing an additional 194,307 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned approximately 0.59% of Associated Banc worth $25,312,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in Associated Banc by 6.0% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 97,570 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,198,000 after buying an additional 5,531 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Associated Banc by 90.4% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 287,890 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $6,486,000 after acquiring an additional 136,648 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Associated Banc by 139.1% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,748,667 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $61,927,000 after acquiring an additional 1,598,951 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in Associated Banc by 13.9% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 496,392 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $11,184,000 after acquiring an additional 60,758 shares during the period. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Associated Banc during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $328,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.98% of the company’s stock.

Associated Banc Stock Performance

Shares of ASB opened at $26.39 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $27.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.38 billion, a PE ratio of 9.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.80. Associated Banc-Corp has a one year low of $18.32 and a one year high of $29.51.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The bank reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $393.52 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $382.06 million. Associated Banc had a return on equity of 10.25% and a net margin of 19.31%.During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.72 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Associated Banc-Corp will post 2.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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 given a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. Associated Banc’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.66%.

Associated Banc announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 27th that permits the company to buyback $100.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the bank to purchase up to 2.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ASB has been the subject of several recent research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Associated Banc from $32.00 to $30.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Associated Banc from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $28.00 price objective on shares of Associated Banc in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Associated Banc from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. One 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $29.20.

Insider Buying and Selling at Associated Banc

In related news, EVP John A. Utz sold 2,135 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.41, for a total transaction of $56,385.35. Following the sale, the executive vice president 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Eileen A. Kamerick sold 6,600 shares of Associated Banc stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.02, for a total transaction of $184,932.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 49,264 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,380,377.28. The trade was a 11.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 59,607 shares of company stock valued at $1,603,545 in the last quarter. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Associated Banc News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded ASB to a “Strong‑Buy” and lifted near‑term and FY2026/2027 EPS estimates — the shop raised Q1–Q3 2026 quarterlies and bumped FY2026/FY2027 targets, supporting upside to earnings expectations. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks coverage says ASB’s transformation, loan growth, digital investment and targeted acquisitions are expanding revenues and margins as it pushes into higher‑growth markets — a fundamental growth narrative that can justify multiple expansion. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts included ASB on Zacks’ value/Rank #1 (Strong Buy) list and called it a buy after recent upgrades — a visibility boost that can attract value and dividend investors. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage discussed ASB as a potential high‑growth dividend pick — positive for income investors but not an immediate catalyst until dividend policy or payouts change materially. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite upgrades, ASB was cited among names recommended amid an AI‑driven market sell‑off — meaning broader market rotation/weakness (not firm fundamentals) could be pressuring the share price today. Read More.

Associated Banc 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.