Associated Banc-Corp (ASB) is a Top-Ranked Value Stock: Should You Buy?

Core Insights - Zacks Premium provides tools for investors to enhance their stock market engagement and confidence through various resources like daily updates, research reports, and stock screens [1] Zacks Style Scores - Zacks Style Scores are indicators that rate stocks based on value, growth, and momentum methodologies, helping investors identify stocks likely to outperform the market in the short term [2] - Stocks receive an alphabetic rating from A to F, with A indicating the highest potential for outperformance [3] Value Score - The Value Style Score focuses on identifying undervalued stocks using financial ratios such as P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, and Price/Cash Flow [3] Growth Score - The Growth Style Score assesses a company's financial health and future outlook by analyzing projected and historical earnings, sales, and cash flow [4] Momentum Score - The Momentum Style Score helps investors capitalize on price trends by evaluating recent price changes and earnings estimate revisions [5] VGM Score - The VGM Score combines the three Style Scores to identify stocks with attractive value, strong growth potential, and positive momentum, serving as a useful indicator alongside the Zacks Rank [6] Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that leverages earnings estimate revisions to guide investors in building successful portfolios, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks achieving an average annual return of +23.86% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [7] - There are over 800 stocks rated 1 or 2, making it essential for investors to utilize Style Scores to narrow down their choices [8] Stock Example: Associated Banc-Corp - Associated Banc-Corp is a bank holding company with a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) and a VGM Score of B, indicating strong potential [11] - The company has a Value Style Score of A, supported by a forward P/E ratio of 9.57, making it attractive for value investors [12] - Recent upward revisions in earnings estimates and an average earnings surprise of +8.7% further enhance its investment appeal [12]