We Think The Compensation For Associated Banc-Corp's (NYSE:ASB) CEO Looks About Right

Key Insights

• Associated Banc-Corp's Annual General Meeting to take place on 30th of April
• Salary of US$1.03m is part of CEO Andy Harmening's total remuneration
• The total compensation is similar to the average for the industry
• Over the past three years, Associated Banc-Corp's EPS fell by 15% and over the past three years, the total shareholder return was 11%

Despite Associated Banc-Corp's (NYSE:ASB) share price growing positively in the past few years, the per-share earnings growth has not grown to investors' expectations, suggesting that there could be other factors at play driving the share price. Some of these issues will occupy shareholders' minds as the AGM rolls around on 30th of April. It would also be an opportunity for them to influence management through exercising their voting power on company resolutions, including CEO and executive remuneration, which could impact on firm performance in the future. From what we gathered, we think shareholders should be wary of raising CEO compensation until the company shows some marked improvement.

See our latest analysis for Associated Banc-Corp

Comparing Associated Banc-Corp's CEO Compensation With The Industry

Our data indicates that Associated Banc-Corp has a market capitalization of US$3.1b, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as US$4.7m for the year to December 2023. Notably, that's a decrease of 22% over the year before. While we always look at total compensation first, our analysis shows that the salary component is less, at US$1.0m.

On comparing similar companies from the American Banks industry with market caps ranging from US$2.0b to US$6.4b, we found that the median CEO total compensation was US$4.7m. From this we gather that Andy Harmening is paid around the median for CEOs in the industry. What's more, Andy Harmening holds US$4.7m worth of shares in the company in their own name, indicating that they have a lot of skin in the game.

Component	2023	2022	Proportion (2023)
Salary	US$1.0m	US$1.0m	22%
Other	US$3.7m	US$5.1m	78%
Total Compensation	US$4.7m	US$6.1m	100%

Talking in terms of the industry, salary represented approximately 45% of total compensation out of all the companies we analyzed, while other remuneration made up 55% of the pie. Associated Banc-Corp sets aside a smaller share of compensation for salary, in comparison to the overall industry. If total compensation is slanted towards non-salary benefits, it indicates that CEO pay is linked to company performance.

Associated Banc-Corp's Growth

Over the last three years, Associated Banc-Corp has shrunk its earnings per share by 15% per year. In the last year, its revenue is down 15%.

Overall this is not a very positive result for shareholders. And the impression is worse when you consider revenue is down year-on-year. It's hard to argue the company is firing on all cylinders, so shareholders might be averse to high CEO remuneration. Historical performance can sometimes be a good indicator on what's coming up next but if you want to peer into the company's future you might be interested in this free visualization of analyst forecasts.

Has Associated Banc-Corp Been A Good Investment?

Associated Banc-Corp has served shareholders reasonably well, with a total return of 11% over three years. But they would probably prefer not to see CEO compensation far in excess of the median.

To Conclude...

Despite the positive returns on shareholders' investments, the fact that earnings have failed to grow makes us skeptical about whether these returns will continue. Shareholders should make the most of the coming opportunity to question the board on key concerns they may have and revisit their investment thesis with regards to the company.

CEO compensation is a crucial aspect to keep your eyes on but investors also need to keep their eyes open for other issues related to business performance. That's why we did some digging and identified 2 warning signs for Associated Banc-Corp that investors should think about before committing capital to this stock.

Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free list of interesting companies that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.