Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) Reaches New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Shares of Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE:ASBGet Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $31.52 and last traded at $31.5320, with a volume of 262791 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $30.93.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Associated Banc in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Associated Banc from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Associated Banc from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of Associated Banc from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $31.00.

View Our Latest Analysis on ASB

Associated Banc Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.90. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $29.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $27.58. The company has a market cap of $5.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.76.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASBGet Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The bank reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.01. Associated Banc had a return on equity of 10.46% and a net margin of 19.88%.The business had revenue of $387.21 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $384.20 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.59 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Associated Banc-Corp will post 2.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Associated Banc Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st were paid a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Associated Banc’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.33%.

Insider Activity

In other Associated Banc news, Director John B. Williams sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.18, for a total value of $112,720.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 67,420 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,899,895.60. This represents a 5.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John A. Utz sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.82, for a total transaction of $144,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 118,156 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,405,255.92. The trade was a 4.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 28,299 shares of company stock valued at $801,760. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Associated Banc

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ASB. IAG Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Associated Banc by 4,250.0% during the 1st quarter. IAG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,218 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 1,190 shares during the period. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new stake in Associated Banc during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in 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 buying an additional 1,047 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC acquired a new stake in Associated Banc during the third quarter worth about $51,000. Finally, Hoese & Co LLP bought a new position in Associated Banc in the 4th quarter valued at about $52,000. Institutional investors own 82.98% of the company’s stock.

About Associated Banc

(Get Free Report)

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.

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