Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE: ASB)

Sector: Financial Services Industry: Banks - Regional CIK: 0000007789
Market Cap 4.69 Bn
P/B 0.98
P/E 10.12
P/S 3.27
ROIC (Qtr) 5.45
Div Yield % 3.29
Rev 1y % (Qtr) 721.74
Total Debt (Qtr) 4.17 Bn
Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.87
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About

Associated Banc-Corp (ASB) is a prominent bank holding company that operates primarily in the upper Midwest region of the United States, with a strong presence in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. Through its subsidiary, Associated Bank, the company offers a wide range of banking and nonbanking products and services to individuals and businesses. Associated Bank's revenue is generated through several business segments, including Corporate and Commercial Specialty, Community, Consumer, and Business, and Risk Management and Shared Services. The...

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Investment thesis

Bull case

  • Strong tangible asset base of 44.07B provides 10.57x coverage of total debt 4.17B, indicating robust asset backing and low credit risk.
  • Robust free cash flow of 579.32M exceeds capital expenditure of 36.37M by 15.93x, indicating strong organic growth funding capability.
  • Operating cash flow of 615.69M provides strong 6.68x coverage of operating expenses 92.20M, showing operational efficiency.
  • Retained earnings of 3.23B represent substantial 0.67x of equity 4.78B, indicating strong internal capital generation.
  • Operating cash flow of 615.69M provides strong 16.93x coverage of capital expenditure 36.37M, enabling organic growth.

Bear case

  • Operating cash flow of 615.69M barely covers its investment activities of (1.62B), with a coverage ratio of -0.38, indicating heavy reliance on external financing for growth which may not be sustainable in a tighter credit environment.
  • Operating cash flow of 615.69M provides thin coverage of dividend payments of (155.77M) with a -3.95 ratio, suggesting potential dividend sustainability issues if operational performance deteriorates.
  • Operating cash flow of 615.69M is outpaced by equity issuance of (22.14M) (-27.81 ratio), indicating concerning reliance on equity markets for funding operations.
  • Retained earnings of 3.23B provide limited buffer against comprehensive income items of (7.57M), which is -426.48x, indicating elevated exposure to market risks.
  • R&D investment of 0 represents just 0x of SG&A expenses of 763.44M, indicating potential underinvestment in innovation relative to administrative overhead.

Product and Service Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Peer comparison

Companies in the Banks - Regional
S.No. Ticker Company Market Cap P/E P/S Total Debt (Qtr)
1 PNC Pnc Financial Services Group, Inc. 99.49 Bn 13.81 5.85 62.34 Bn
2 USB Us Bancorp \De\ 87.84 Bn 19.01 4.52 77.98 Bn
3 NU Nu Holdings Ltd. 81.18 Bn 32.10 5.77 4.49 Bn
4 NWG NatWest Group plc 63.11 Bn 9.11 2.81 168.56 Bn
5 RF Regions Financial Corp 39.59 Bn 38.18 7.68 6.09 Bn
6 TFC Truist Financial Corp 39.02 Bn 20.15 4.25 71.11 Bn
7 FITB Fifth Third Bancorp 34.49 Bn -132.65 9.50 18.94 Bn
8 MTB M&T Bank Corp 33.34 Bn 20.67 5.83 14.99 Bn

Industry comparisons

Current Valuation Value Ind Avg Percentile
EV to Assets EV to Assets 0.17 0.13
EV to Cash from Ops. EV/CFO 12.36 13.53
EV to Debt EV to Debt 1.82 7.69
EV to EBIT EV/EBIT 13.17 24.25
EV to EBITDA EV/EBITDA 12.11 12.10
EV to Free Cash Flow [EV/FCF] EV/FCF 13.13 6.13
EV to Market Cap EV to Market Cap 1.62 1.08
EV to Revenue EV/Rev 5.31 6.13
Price to Book Value [P/B] P/B 0.98 1.91
Price to Earnings [P/E] P/E 10.12 10.51
Dividend Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Dividend Coverage Ratio Div Coverage (Qtr) 2.77 276.83
Dividend Payout Ratio % Div Payout % (Qtr) 33.30 34.36
Dividend per Basic Share Div per Share (Qtr) 0.93 0.89
FCF Dividend Payout Ratio % FCF Div Payout % (Qtr) 26.50 24.01
Interest Coverage Interest Coverage 0.00 -0.06
Growth Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Capex Growth (1y) % Capex 1y % (Qtr) 19.15 -73.37
Cash and Equivalents Growth (1y) % Cash & Equiv 1y % (Qtr) 68.71 18.43
Dividend Growth (1y) % Div 1y % (Qtr) 4.49 5.56
EBIAT Growth (1y) % EBIAT 1y % (Qtr) 285.54 117.24
EBITDA Growth (1y) % EBITDA 1y % (Qtr) 218.03 36.31
EBIT Growth (1y) % EBIT 1y % (Qtr) 329.80 61.65
EBT Growth (1y) % EBT 1y % (Qtr) 329.80 61.55
EPS Growth (1y) % EPS 1y % (Qtr) 282.19 65.85
FCF Growth (1y) % FCF 1y % (Qtr) 8.23 186.92
Gross Profit Growth (1y) % Gross Profit 1y % (Qtr) 50.45 12.98
Liquidity Ratios Value Ind Avg Percentile
Asset Utilization Ratio Asset Util Ratio (Qtr) 0.03 0.04
Cash Payout Ratio Cash Payout (Qtr) 0.24 0.25
Cash Ratio Cash Ratio 0.00 0.00
Current Ratio Current Ratio 0.00 0.01
Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.87 0.52
Interest Cover Ratio Interest Cover Ratio 0.00 -0.06
Times Interest Earned Times Interest Earned 0.00 -0.06
Profitability Value Ind Avg Percentile
EBITDA Margin % EBITDA Margin % (Qtr) 43.80 150.40
EBIT Margin % EBIT Margin % (Qtr) 40.31 157.97
EBT Margin % EBT Margin % (Qtr) 40.31 157.21
Gross Margin % Gross Margin % (Qtr) 100.00 97.97
Net Profit Margin % Net Margin % (Qtr) 32.30 117.48