Ameris Bancorp (NYSE:ABCB) Reports Sales Below Analyst Estimates In Q4 CY2025 Earnings

The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how regional banks stocks fared in Q3, starting with Ameris Bancorp .

Regional banks, financial institutions operating within specific geographic areas, serve as intermediaries between local depositors and borrowers. They benefit from rising interest rates that improve net interest margins (the difference between loan yields and deposit costs), digital transformation reducing operational expenses, and local economic growth driving loan demand. However, these banks face headwinds from fintech competition, deposit outflows to higher-yielding alternatives, credit deterioration (increasing loan defaults) during economic slowdowns, and regulatory compliance costs. Recent concerns about regional bank stability following high-profile failures and significant commercial real estate exposure present additional challenges.

The 94 regional banks stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q3. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.1%.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 6.1% on average since the latest earnings results.

Ameris Bancorp

Tracing its roots back to 1971 and expanding significantly through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions, Ameris Bancorp is a financial holding company that provides a full range of banking services to retail and commercial customers across select markets in the southeastern United States.

Ameris Bancorp reported revenues of $313.1 million, up 10.3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2.5%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a decent beat of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates.

Commenting on the Company’s results, Palmer Proctor, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “Our performance continues to be outstanding, with a third quarter return on assets of 1.56% and return on tangible common equity of 14.6%. Our focus on sustainable growth in both core deposits and tangible book value per share was again evident in the quarter. Deposits grew 5% annualized while our non-interest bearing deposit mix remained over 30%. Tangible book value grew by more than 15% annualized to almost $43 per share. Our net interest margin of 3.80% places us among the top performers across the industry. The efficiency ratio remained low, aided by approximately 18% annualized revenue growth. Given our robust capital levels and proven track record, we are well positioned to take advantage of the growth potential across our Southeast franchise in 2026 and beyond.”

Interestingly, the stock is up 3.2% since reporting and currently trades at $76.81.

Is now the time to buy Ameris Bancorp? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: Customers Bancorp

Originally founded with a "high-tech, high-touch" branch-light banking strategy, Customers Bancorp is a bank holding company that provides commercial and consumer banking services through its Customers Bank subsidiary, with a focus on business lending and digital banking.

Customers Bancorp reported revenues of $232.1 million, up 38.9% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7%. The business had a stunning quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ net interest income estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 8.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $71.14.

Is now the time to buy Customers Bancorp? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Weakest Q3: The Bancorp

Operating behind the scenes of many popular fintech apps and prepaid cards you might use daily, The Bancorp is a bank holding company that specializes in providing banking services to fintech companies and offering specialty lending products.

The Bancorp reported revenues of $174.6 million, up 38.8% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 10%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ net interest income estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 15.3% since the results and currently trades at $65.41.

Read our full analysis of The Bancorp’s results here.

UMB Financial

With roots dating back to 1913 and a name derived from "United Missouri Bank," UMB Financial is a financial holding company that provides banking, asset management, and fund services to commercial, institutional, and individual customers.

UMB Financial reported revenues of $678.3 million, up 67% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 3.5%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also put up an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a decent beat of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates.

The stock is up 2.8% since reporting and currently trades at $115.49.

Read our full, actionable report on UMB Financial here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Provident Financial Services

Founded in 1839 and serving communities across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, Provident Financial Services operates a regional bank providing commercial, residential, and consumer lending alongside wealth management and insurance services.

Provident Financial Services reported revenues of $221.8 million, up 5.3% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 0.7%. Taking a step back, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded a narrow beat of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates but EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.

The stock is up 7.9% since reporting and currently trades at $20.03.

Read our full, actionable report on Provident Financial Services here, it’s free for active Edge members.

What Happened?

A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after comments from a key Federal Reserve official boosted hopes for an interest rate cut. New York Federal Reserve President John Williams stated he sees “room for a further adjustment” in the near term, sparking a significant market rally. Following his remarks, the probability of the central bank cutting rates at its December meeting jumped from 39% to over 73%, according to the CME FedWatch tool. This positive sentiment provided relief to markets amid concerns over high valuations, particularly in AI-related stocks.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Regional Banks company Atlantic Union Bankshares jumped 4.2%. Is now the time to buy Atlantic Union Bankshares? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Regional Banks company Ameris Bancorp jumped 4.1%. Is now the time to buy Ameris Bancorp? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Zooming In On Atlantic Union Bankshares (AUB)

Atlantic Union Bankshares’s shares are somewhat volatile and have had 10 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 28 days ago when the stock gained 3.7% on the news that a cooler-than-expected inflation report fueled optimism for potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. The September Consumer Price Index (CPI) report indicated a 3.0% year-over-year increase in prices, just below the 3.1% that economists had forecast. While still above the Federal Reserve's 2% target, investors interpreted this softer inflation reading as a sign that price pressures are easing. This development increases the likelihood that the central bank may move to cut interest rates. Lower interest rates can benefit banks by reducing their cost of funding and potentially stimulating loan demand from businesses and consumers. The positive sentiment was widespread, contributing to a broader market rally that saw the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq all reach new record highs.

Atlantic Union Bankshares is down 11.1% since the beginning of the year, and at $32.87 per share, it is trading 24.5% below its 52-week high of $43.55 from November 2024. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Atlantic Union Bankshares’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,076.

Ameris Bancorp delivered third-quarter results that surpassed Wall Street’s revenue and earnings expectations, with management pointing to a combination of core deposit growth, higher noninterest income, and disciplined expense management as key contributors. CEO Palmer Proctor emphasized strong performance in return on assets and tangible book value per share, while highlighting that 4% annualized loan growth and a favorable net interest margin were achieved despite a challenging competitive environment. Management noted that efficiency gains stemmed from revenue expansion rather than cost-cutting, and that asset quality measures remained stable.

Is now the time to buy ABCB? Find out in our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).

Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) Q3 CY2025 Highlights:

• Revenue: $314.2 million vs analyst estimates of $305.4 million (10.7% year-on-year growth, 2.9% beat)
• Adjusted EPS: $1.53 vs analyst estimates of $1.47 (4.1% beat)
• Adjusted Operating Income: $135.6 million vs analyst estimates of $150 million (43.1% margin, 9.6% miss)
• Market Capitalization: $4.89 billion

While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention.

Our Top 5 Analyst Questions From Ameris Bancorp’s Q3 Earnings Call

• David Feaster (Raymond James) asked about loan demand and pipeline trends. CEO Palmer Proctor highlighted optimism for continued growth across all lending verticals, noting stable payoff activity and strong market demand.
• Feaster (Raymond James) also inquired about competitive pressures. Proctor explained that competition was primarily affecting pricing rather than credit structure and saw disruption as a potential source for additional volume.
• Feaster (Raymond James) questioned the sustainability of equipment finance fee income. Proctor expects roughly 75% of current fee levels to persist and described plans to securitize loans for additional revenue.
• Catherine Mealor (KBW) explored expense trends and mortgage cost modeling. CFO Nicole Stokes outlined expectations for a 5-5.5% increase in noninterest expenses and provided guidance for mortgage efficiency ratios as volume grows.
• Russell Elliott Gunther (Stephens) asked about the outlook for investment portfolio growth and M&A. Stokes said the portfolio would likely stabilize at 9-10% of assets, while Proctor emphasized prioritizing organic growth over acquisitions.

Catalysts in Upcoming Quarters

Looking ahead, our team will be monitoring (1) whether Ameris Bancorp can sustain core deposit and loan growth rates amid rising competition, (2) the trajectory of net interest margin as funding costs evolve, and (3) the impact of potential changes in mortgage rates on both revenue and operating efficiency. Execution in leveraging market disruption and managing expense growth will also be key signposts.

Ameris Bancorp currently trades at $71.62, down from $74.45 just before the earnings. In the wake of this quarter, is it a buy or sell? The answer lies in our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).

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