Castleark Management LLC Acquires 21,850 Shares of Associated Banc-Corp $ASB

Castleark Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE:ASB) by 7.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 311,423 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 21,850 shares during the period. Castleark Management LLC’s holdings in Associated Banc were worth $8,053,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of ASB. IAG Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Associated Banc by 4,250.0% in 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 valued at about $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Associated Banc by 345.5% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,350 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,047 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC bought a new position in Associated Banc in the third quarter worth about $51,000. Finally, Hoese & Co LLP bought a new position in Associated Banc in the fourth quarter worth about $52,000. Institutional investors own 82.98% of the company’s stock.

Associated Banc News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: ASB reported adjusted Q2 EPS of $0.73, slightly ahead of the $0.72 consensus, while revenue of $450.4 million also beat estimates. The beat suggests the bank is executing well operationally. Associated Banc-Corp (ASB) Surpasses Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Net interest income, fee income, loans, and deposits all improved year over year, signaling healthier underlying business momentum and better revenue generation. Associated Banc-Corp Q2 Earnings Beat as NII, Fee Income Improve Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Management said it targets 18%–20% loan growth in 2026 and plans to resume share repurchases in the second half, both of which are supportive of future earnings per share and shareholder returns.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several follow-up articles and the earnings call transcript highlighted strong loan growth and strategic initiatives, but these were largely reiterations of the earnings release rather than new market-moving developments.
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock had already moved higher into the earnings release and is now trading near its 52-week high, which may limit upside if investors begin to focus on execution versus valuation.

Insider Activity at Associated Banc

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

Associated Banc Trading Down 0.1%

Associated Banc stock opened at $30.78 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 0.93. The stock has a market cap of $5.81 billion, a PE ratio of 10.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.76. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $29.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $27.82. Associated Banc-Corp has a one year low of $23.63 and a one year high of $31.83.

Associated Banc (NYSE:ASB) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The bank reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.01. Associated Banc had a return on equity of 10.64% and a net margin of 19.66%.The business had revenue of $450.44 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $438.01 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.65 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Associated Banc-Corp will post 2.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Associated Banc Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors 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 3.1%. Associated Banc’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.33%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on ASB shares. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Associated Banc from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Associated Banc from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Associated Banc in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of Associated Banc from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $31.00.

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.