Impax Asset Management Group plc Takes $7.43 Million Position in Ameris Bancorp $ABCB

Key Points

• Impax Asset Management bought a new stake of 100,000 shares in Ameris Bancorp valued at about $7.43 million, representing roughly 0.15% ownership amid heavy institutional ownership (~91.6%).
• Q1 results beat expectations: Ameris reported $1.63 EPS vs. $1.54 expected and $314.36M in revenue vs. ~$309.6M, with strong profitability (net margin ~21.5% and ROE ~9.6%).
• Analyst sentiment and valuation: the stock carries a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $86.50, a P/E of 16.3 and a 0.9% dividend yield, though some coverage flags valuation risks after recent price momentum.

Impax Asset Management Group plc purchased a new stake in Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 100,000 shares of the bank's stock, valued at approximately $7,427,000. Impax Asset Management Group plc owned approximately 0.15% of Ameris Bancorp at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Ameris Bancorp by 134.7% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 931,911 shares of the bank's stock worth $68,318,000 after buying an additional 534,830 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ameris Bancorp by 98,682.6% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 351,666 shares of the bank's stock worth $25,780,000 after purchasing an additional 351,310 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Ameris Bancorp by 97.2% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 670,312 shares of the bank's stock worth $49,141,000 after purchasing an additional 330,427 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ameris Bancorp in the first quarter worth $10,528,000. Finally, Aberdeen Group plc boosted its position in Ameris Bancorp by 86.7% during the third quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 320,865 shares of the bank's stock valued at $23,853,000 after acquiring an additional 148,975 shares during the last quarter. 91.60% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ameris Bancorp Trading Up 0.4%

NASDAQ:ABCB opened at $84.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.02. The firm has a market cap of $5.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.30 and a beta of 0.93. Ameris Bancorp has a 52 week low of $55.70 and a 52 week high of $87.98. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $79.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $77.69.

Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The bank reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $314.36 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $309.58 million. Ameris Bancorp had a net margin of 21.46% and a return on equity of 9.57%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.28 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Ameris Bancorp will post 4.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ameris Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Ameris Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ABCB has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Stephens upped their price target on shares of Ameris Bancorp from $79.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. DA Davidson set a $94.00 target price on shares of Ameris Bancorp in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Ameris Bancorp from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of Ameris Bancorp from $82.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $86.50.

Key Stories Impacting Ameris Bancorp

Here are the key news stories impacting Ameris Bancorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings beat — Ameris reported $1.63 EPS vs. $1.54 expected and $314.36M in revenue vs. ~$309.6M estimates; outsized net income and improved year-over-year EPS give the quarter a clearly positive tone. Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) Tops Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Strong profitability metrics — first-quarter net income expanded (TipRanks cites net income of ~$110.5M), net margin ~21.5% and ROE ~9.6%, supporting near-term earnings durability and investor confidence. Ameris Bancorp Posts Strong First-Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and trading interest — coverage notes a multi-day/week uptick (Zacks: ~2.9% one‑week gain) and intraday volume is running well above average, signaling short-term buying interest. Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) Is Up 2.92% in One Week: What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call details available — the full Q1 2026 earnings call transcript is published; investors will parse management commentary on loan growth, margins and capital allocation for forward signals. Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and metric reviews — follow-up pieces examine key metrics vs. estimates and the company’s outlook; these will shape near-term analyst sentiment but don’t alter the immediate beat story. Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) Q1 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation caution — coverage highlighting the recent share-price run raises valuation questions that could limit near-term upside if investors rotate out or if forward guidance isn’t promising. A Look At Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) Valuation After Recent Share Price Momentum

Ameris Bancorp Profile

Ameris Bancorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Through its principal subsidiary, Ameris Bank, the company offers a broad range of commercial and retail banking services to individuals, small businesses, middle market companies and agricultural customers. Its core business lines encompass deposit services, lending solutions, treasury management, mortgage origination and servicing, insurance products and wealth management.

Ameris Bancorp operates a network of branches and loan production offices across the southeastern United States, including Georgia, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

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