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ASB vs KEY
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Associated Banc-Corp (ASB) vs. KeyCorp (KEY) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Both ASB and KEY have delivered strong year-to-date (YTD) gains, with ASB up 10.71% and KEY up 8.57%.
- ASB offers a lower price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 10.2 versus KEY's 13.6, indicating potential relative value, while dividend yields are comparable at around 3.3-3.7%.
- KEY reported robust Q1 2026 earnings with EPS (earnings per share) of $0.44, up 33% year-over-year, driving recent momentum.
- ASB completed its acquisition of American National Corporation in early April 2026, enhancing Midwest growth prospects.
- ASB exhibits lower volatility with a beta of 0.78 compared to KEY's 1.07.
- KEY boasts a larger market cap of $24.1 billion versus ASB's $5.3 billion, providing broader diversification.
Introduction
Associated Banc-Corp (ASB) and KeyCorp (KEY) are prominent bank holding companies navigating a dynamic financial sector shaped by interest rate shifts and economic resilience. This comparison is particularly relevant for traders seeking regional banking exposure and investors focused on dividend yields, valuation metrics, and growth catalysts. Both stocks have shown resilience in recent market activity, offering insights into relative performance amid sector tailwinds like loan growth and fee income recovery. Income-oriented investors may appreciate their attractive dividends, while growth traders could eye momentum from earnings and strategic moves.
ASB Overview and Recent Performance
Associated Banc-Corp (ASB), headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, operates as a regional bank holding company offering commercial, retail, and wealth management services across the Midwest, including Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. Its portfolio includes loans, deposits, and fiduciary services, with a focus on commercial real estate and small business lending.
In recent weeks, ASB shares have advanced, supported by the completion of its acquisition of American National Corporation, which expands its footprint in attractive markets and accelerates deposit and loan growth. The company reported record 2025 net income of $463 million, alongside a quarterly dividend of $0.24 per share and a share repurchase program. Trading around $28.26 with a market cap of $5.3 billion, ASB has gained over 10% YTD and nearly 47% over the past year, reflecting positive sentiment from operational efficiency and M&A (mergers and acquisitions) momentum. Lower beta underscores its relative stability.
KEY Overview and Recent Performance
KeyCorp (KEY), based in Cleveland, Ohio, is the holding company for KeyBank National Association, delivering retail and commercial banking nationwide through consumer and commercial segments. Services encompass deposits, lending, mortgages, investment management, and treasury solutions.
Recent market activity has propelled KEY shares higher, fueled by strong Q1 2026 results announced mid-April, with net income of $486 million, EPS of $0.44 (up 33% year-over-year), and revenue of $1.95 billion (up 10%). Record investment banking fees further bolstered performance. At approximately $22.19 with a $24.1 billion market cap, KEY is up 8.6% YTD and over 50% in the past year, driven by cost controls, commercial lending growth, and positive analyst outlook despite credit quality vigilance.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
ASB and KEY share banking sector exposure sensitive to net interest margins and economic cycles but differ in scale and strategy. KEY’s national consumer-commercial model provides broader diversification versus ASB’s Midwest regional focus on commercial real estate. Growth drivers include ASB’s M&A expansion and KEY’s fee income from investment banking. Recent momentum favors both, with monthly gains around 13-14%, though KEY benefits from earnings beats. Risk profiles show ASB’s lower beta for stability against KEY’s higher volatility. Market sentiment is upbeat, with analyst targets implying 6-12% upside, balancing value in ASB against KEY’s scale.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently leans toward KEY with higher probability due to consistent earnings growth, robust revenue trends, and larger scale offering multiple catalysts in the prevailing rate environment. ASB presents compelling value and stability but trails in recent momentum.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is ASB is a StrongBuy and KEY is a Buy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
ASB’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whileKEY’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s).
- ASB’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- KEY’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
ASB’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while KEY’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s).
- ASB’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- KEY’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
ASB (@Regional Banks) experienced а +0.07% price change this week, while KEY (@Regional Banks) price change was -1.62% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Regional Banks industry was -0.25%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +1.42%, and the average quarterly price growth was +16.98%.
Reported Earning Dates
ASB is expected to report earnings on Jul 23, 2026.
KEY is expected to report earnings on Jul 21, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Regional Banks (-0.25% weekly)Regional banks have a smaller reach than major banks, and cater mostly to one region of a country, such as a state or within a group of states. They offer services often similar – albeit with some limitations/smaller scale – compared to major banks. Taking deposits, making loans, mortgages, leases, credit cards , fund management, insurance and investment banking. SunTrust Banks, State Street Corp., M&T Bank Corp. are some examples of U.S. regional banks.
| ASB | KEY | ASB / KEY | |
| Capitalization | 5.27B | 23.1B | 23% |
| EBITDA | N/A | N/A | - |
| Gain YTD | 9.340 | 4.268 | 219% |
| P/E Ratio | 9.69 | 13.07 | 74% |
| Revenue | 1.52B | 7.47B | 20% |
| Total Cash | 575M | N/A | - |
| Total Debt | 4.01B | 17B | 24% |
ASB | KEY | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 11 | 66 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 30 Undervalued | 78 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 46 | 77 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 12 | 8 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 49 | 48 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 98 | 87 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
ASB's Valuation (30) in the Regional Banks industry is somewhat better than the same rating for KEY (78) in the Major Banks industry. This means that ASB’s stock grew somewhat faster than KEY’s over the last 12 months.
ASB's Profit vs Risk Rating (46) in the Regional Banks industry is in the same range as KEY (77) in the Major Banks industry. This means that ASB’s stock grew similarly to KEY’s over the last 12 months.
KEY's SMR Rating (8) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as ASB (12) in the Regional Banks industry. This means that KEY’s stock grew similarly to ASB’s over the last 12 months.
KEY's Price Growth Rating (48) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as ASB (49) in the Regional Banks industry. This means that KEY’s stock grew similarly to ASB’s over the last 12 months.
KEY's P/E Growth Rating (87) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as ASB (98) in the Regional Banks industry. This means that KEY’s stock grew similarly to ASB’s over the last 12 months.
| ASB | KEY | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 80% | 2 days ago 66% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 66% | 2 days ago 65% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 65% | 2 days ago 65% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 63% | 2 days ago 57% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 61% | 2 days ago 68% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 56% | 2 days ago 67% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 7 days ago 59% | 7 days ago 62% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 21 days ago 61% | 2 days ago 70% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 64% | 2 days ago 66% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 50% | 2 days ago 64% |
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KEY and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, KEY has been closely correlated with CFG. These tickers have moved in lockstep 90% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if KEY jumps, then CFG could also see price increases.