ASSOCIATED BANC-CORP (ASB)

ITEM 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This report contains statements that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe-harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements other than historical facts contained or incorporated by reference into this report. These forward-looking statements include statements with respect to the Corporation’s financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business, including statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “believes,” “expects,” or “anticipates,” references to estimates or similar expressions. Future filings by the Corporation with the SEC, and future statements other than historical facts contained in written material, press releases and oral statements issued by, or on behalf of the Corporation may also constitute forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements contained in this report or which may be contained in future statements made for or on behalf of the Corporation are based upon information available at the time the statement is made and the Corporation assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by federal securities law. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and the Corporation’s actual results may differ materially from the expected results discussed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause actual results to differ from the results discussed in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risk factors in Item 1A, Risk Factors, in the Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and as may be described from time to time in the Corporation’s subsequent SEC filings.

Overview

The following discussion and analysis is presented to assist in the understanding and evaluation of the Corporation’s financial condition and results of operations. It is intended to complement the unaudited consolidated financial statements, footnotes, and supplemental financial data appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and should be read in conjunction therewith. Management continually evaluates strategic acquisition opportunities and various other strategic alternatives that could involve the sale or acquisition of branches or other assets, or the consolidation or creation of subsidiaries. Within the tables presented, certain columns and rows may not recalculate due to the use of rounded numbers for disclosure purposes.

Performance Summary

•Average loans of $33.6 billion increased $3.3 billion, or 11%, from the first six months of 2025, driven primarily by the American National acquisition and continued organic growth in commercial and business lending portfolio.

•Average deposits of $37.8 billion increased $3.3 billion, or 9%, from the first six months of 2025, primarily due to the American National acquisition, as well as organic growth in noninterest bearing demand, savings and other time deposits, partially offset by a decrease in brokered CDs.

•Net interest income of $677.2 million increased $91.3 million, or 16%, from the first six months of 2025, and net interest margin was 3.10%, compared to 3.01% for the first six months of 2025. The increases in net interest income and net interest margin were driven by the acquisition of American National in the second quarter of 2026 as well as organic growth in commercial and business lending alongside a mix shift in deposits to lower cost products.

•Provision for credit losses was $30.4 million compared to $31.0 million for the first six months of 2025, driven by nominal credit movement coupled with general macroeconomic trends. Provision for credit losses was relatively unchanged from the first six months of 2025, as credit losses associated with acquired seasoned loans were largely reflected through purchase accounting following the adoption of ASU 2025-08.

•Noninterest income of $156.3 million increased $30.5 million, or 24%, from the first six months of 2025, primarily due to higher wealth management fees and capital markets revenue in addition to the absence of a nonrecurring loss on mortgage portfolio sale recognized in the first quarter of 2025 in connection with the completion of balance sheet repositioning announced in the fourth quarter of 2024.

•Noninterest expense of $491.0 million increased $71.1 million, or 17%, from the first six months of 2025, primarily driven by increases in expenses related to the American National acquisition.

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Table of Contents

Table 1 Summary Results of Operations: Trends

(a) Ratio is based upon basic earnings per common share.

(b) Based on period end common shares outstanding.

(c) This is a non-GAAP financial measure. See Table 19 Non-GAAP Measures for a reconciliation to GAAP financial measures.

(d) This ratio is annualized.

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Income Statement Analysis

Net Interest Income

Table 2 Net Interest Income Analysis

(a) Prior period has been adjusted to conform with current period presentation.

(b) The yield on tax-exempt loans and securities is computed on a fully tax-equivalent basis using a tax rate of 21%.

(c) Loans held for sale have been included in the average balances.

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Table 2 Net Interest Income Analysis

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ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion is management’s analysis to assist in the understanding and evaluation of the consolidated financial condition and results of operations of the Corporation. It should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and footnotes and the selected financial data presented elsewhere in this report. Within the tables presented, certain columns and rows may not sum due to the use of rounded numbers for disclosure purposes.

The detailed financial discussion that follows focuses on 2025 results compared to 2024. For a discussion of 2024 results compared to 2023, see the Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Overview

The Corporation is a bank holding company headquartered in Wisconsin, providing a broad array of banking and nonbanking products and services to businesses and consumers primarily within our four-state footprint. The Corporation’s primary sources of revenue, through the Bank, are net interest income (predominantly from loans and investment securities) and noninterest income (principally fees and other revenue from financial services provided to customers or ancillary services tied to loans and deposits).

Performance Summary

•Average loans of $30.6 billion for the full year of 2025 increased $892.7 million, or 3%, from 2024, driven primarily by increases in commercial and business lending and auto finance loans, partially offset by a decrease in residential mortgage lending due to the mortgage portfolio sale announced as part of the balance sheet repositioning in the fourth quarter of 2024.

•Average deposits of $34.8 billion for the full year of 2025 increased $1.5 billion, or 4%, from 2024, driven by increases in all deposit types, except money market and brokered CDs.

•Net interest income of $1.2 billion in 2025 increased $153.9 million, or 15%, from 2024. Net interest margin of 3.03% in 2025 increased 25 bp from 2.78% in 2024. The increases in net interest income and net interest margin were driven by decreases in interest expense for interest-bearing deposits and the balance sheet repositioning announced in the fourth quarter of 2024 which sold lower yielding residential mortgage loans and investment securities.

•Provision for credit losses was $54.0 million in 2025, compared to $85.0 million in 2024, driven by nominal credit movement coupled with general macroeconomic trends.

•Noninterest income of $286.4 million in 2025 increased $295.8 million from 2024, primarily driven by nonrecurring losses on the sale of mortgages and investments in 2024 associated with the balance sheet repositioning announced in the fourth quarter of 2024. Additional increases were due to increased capital markets revenue from an elevated level of activity in our syndications, interest rate swaps and foreign currency businesses. The increases were partially offset by the nonrecurring loss recognized related to the settlement of the mortgage loan sale in the first quarter of 2025 as part of the balance sheet repositioning announced in the fourth quarter of 2024.

•Noninterest expense of $855.6 million in 2025 increased $37.2 million, or 5%, from 2024, primarily driven by increases in personnel expense reflective of higher variable compensation, which is the result of strong execution against our strategic plan and increased healthcare costs, business development and advertising expense increase due to additional spend on advertising, legal and professional expenses due to increased consultant and IT staff augmentation expenditures, and other noninterest expense primarily due to OREO write downs in 2025. These increases were offset by a decrease in loss on prepayments of FHLB advances due to the nonrecurring fee incurred in 2024 due to the prepayment of long-term FHLB advances.

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Table 1 Summary Results of Operations: Trends

N/M = Not Meaningful

(a) Ratio is based upon basic earnings per common share.

(b) This is a non-GAAP financial measure. See Table 23 Non-GAAP Measures for a reconciliation to GAAP financial measures.

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Income Statement Analysis

Net Interest Income

Net interest income is the primary source of the Corporation’s revenue. Net interest income is the difference between interest income on interest-earning assets, such as loans and investment securities, and the interest expense on interest-bearing deposits and other borrowings used to fund interest-earning and other assets or activities. Net interest income is affected by the amount and composition of earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, as well as the sensitivity of the balance sheet to changes in interest rates, including characteristics such as the fixed or variable nature of the financial instruments, contractual maturities, re-pricing frequencies, loan prepayment behavior, and the use of interest rate derivative financial instruments.

Interest rate spread and net interest margin are utilized to measure and explain changes in net interest income. Interest rate spread is the difference between the yield on earning assets and the rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities that fund those assets. The net interest margin is expressed as the percentage of net interest income to average earning assets. The net interest margin exceeds the interest rate spread because net free funds, principally noninterest-bearing demand deposits and stockholders’ equity, also support earning assets. To compare tax-exempt asset yields to taxable yields, the yield on tax-exempt loans and investment securities is computed on a fully tax-equivalent basis. Net interest income, interest rate spread, and net interest margin are discussed on a fully tax-equivalent basis.

Table 2 provides average daily balances of earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, the associated interest income and expense, and the corresponding interest rates earned and paid, as well as net interest income, interest rate spread, and net interest margin on a fully tax-equivalent basis for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023. Table 2 presents additional information to facilitate the review and discussion of fully tax-equivalent net interest income, interest rate spread, and net interest margin.

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Table 2 Net Interest Income Analysis

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