Natixis Advisors LLC Has $1.41 Million Stock Position in Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB)

Natixis Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB) by 4.5% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 22,544 shares of the bank’s stock after selling 1,055 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Ameris Bancorp were worth $1,411,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Ameris Bancorp by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,880 shares of the bank’s stock worth $243,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Ameris Bancorp by 17.9% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,332 shares of the bank’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC increased its position in Ameris Bancorp by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 7,371 shares of the bank’s stock worth $461,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. Atria Investments Inc lifted its stake in Ameris Bancorp by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 9,124 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $571,000 after purchasing an additional 298 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in Ameris Bancorp by 56.1% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,113 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $69,000 after buying an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. 91.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ABCB has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of Ameris Bancorp from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Raymond James reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $71.00 target price (up from $67.00) on shares of Ameris Bancorp in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $71.00 price target on shares of Ameris Bancorp in a report on Friday, January 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $70.50.

Insider Transactions at Ameris Bancorp

In related news, insider Douglas D. Strange bought 1,000 shares of Ameris Bancorp stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $56.95 per share, for a total transaction of $56,950.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 19,403 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,105,000.85. The trade was a 5.43 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 5.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Ameris Bancorp Stock Performance

NASDAQ ABCB opened at $59.11 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.35 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Ameris Bancorp has a twelve month low of $44.23 and a twelve month high of $74.56. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $63.03 and a 200 day simple moving average of $63.97.

Ameris Bancorp Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.35%. Ameris Bancorp’s payout ratio is 15.36%.

Ameris Bancorp Company Profile

Ameris Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for Ameris Bank that provides range of banking services to retail and commercial customers. It operates through five segments: Banking Division, Retail Mortgage Division, Warehouse Lending Division, SBA Division, and Premium Finance Division. The company offers commercial and retail checking, regular interest-bearing savings, money market, individual retirement, and certificates of deposit accounts.