Oct 23, 2026 earnings call — Record EPS and profitable loan growth
Reported a five-year record high EPS of $1.73 per diluted share.
Revenue $0.3B (est $0.3B) · EPS $1.73 (est $1.68)
Key quotes
"Our focus at Ameris continues to be on building core franchise value through profitable growth, strong profitability metrics, and disciplined balance sheet management, including our priority of tangible book value growth."
"We don't see this as being systemic, and we are, as Nicole said, we're reiterating our guidance of charge-offs at 20-25 basis points."
"We have a granular deposit base and almost 30% of our funding from non-interest bearing accounts and almost 48% of our accounts are checking, both non-interest bearing and NOW accounts."
Analyst Q&A 6
Loan growth mix and rate risk
Q (Russell Gunther · Stephens): Analyst asked how loan growth will mix in Q4, especially if CRE paydowns ease, and whether there is a rate level that would destroy demand and threaten mid-single digit growth.
A: Management said the loan mix should be very consistent with this quarter and CRE could grow a little if payoffs level off. They emphasized focusing on profitable, mid-single digit growth and said they will not chase deals just to grow.
"I think it'll be very consistent with what you saw this quarter" — Nicole Stokes (CFO)
Competition and deposit betas
Q (Woody Ley · KBW): Analyst asked whether higher rates are showing up in new loan production or being competed away, and asked about deposit betas after the September hike.
A: Management said growth will be measured and disciplined; they are not chasing irrational pricing and prefer profitable mid-single digit growth. They said the September hike was late in the quarter so most beta will show in October; spot deposit costs for September were about 3 basis points higher and assets were about 5 basis points higher.
"When you look at spot deposit costs for the last month, just for the month of September, it was about 3 basis points higher than the quarter." — Nicole Stokes (CFO)
Customer ability to absorb rate hikes
Q (Stephen Scouten · Piper Sandler): Analyst asked whether customers in the bank's markets can absorb higher borrowing rates and how purchase mortgage demand is trending as rates change.
A: Management said customers have capacity to absorb gradual increases like 25 or 50 basis points, but erratic 75 to 100 basis point jumps would cause shock. On mortgages, they said purchase mix still runs 90-plus percent purchase versus refi, volumes may get help from any ten-year pullback, and they are managing expenses to match revenue.
"Our purchase mix right now still runs 90-plus percent purchase versus refi." — Palmer Proctor (CEO)
Excess deposits and hiring plans
Q (Christopher Marinac · Brean Capital): Analyst asked if excess deposits would be parked in cash or moved into securities, and asked for hiring updates across the company.
A: Management said they could move excess liquidity into the bond book and they are at about 10% of earning assets, so they have room. On hiring, they said the current team can support mid-single-digit growth, they focus on upskilling, and they do not plan large, expensive hiring.
"We could definitely do more in the bond book. We are at about 10% of earning assets." — Nicole Stokes (CFO)
Capital priorities and credit trends
Q (David Feaster · Raymond James): Analyst asked how excess capital will be used (buybacks, dividend, M&A) and asked for an update on credit, equipment finance, pipeline, and the new Nashville team.
A: Management said priorities are organic growth first, opportunistic buybacks second, dividend modest, and selective M&A last; the board renewed a $200 million buyback. On credit, equipment finance is performing well, they reiterated charge-offs guidance of 20-25 basis points, criticized ratio is 115 basis points and below peer midpoint, and the pipeline remains full with no current fallout.
"As we said in our earlier statement, the board have renewed a $200 million buyback." — Palmer Proctor (CEO)
Loan repricing and spread impact
Q (Gary Tenner · D.A. Davidson): Analyst asked how much of the $13.3 billion repricing is floating in the next year, and whether spreads are tightening as banks compete.
A: Nicole said about $8.5 million is within the next three months. She also said spreads are competitive; this quarter's growth was margin accretive due to the non-interest-bearing mix, but funding all loan growth with interest-bearing deposits would be slightly margin dilutive, about 25 basis points.
"About $8.5 million is within the next three months." — Nicole Stokes (CFO)