Ameris Bancorp Announces Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results

  Highlights of Ameris's results for the second quarter of 2025 include the following:

• Net income of $109.8 million, or $1.60 per diluted share
• Return on average assets of 1.65%
• Return on average tangible common equity⁽¹⁾ of 15.82%
• Tangible book value⁽¹⁾ growth of $1.54 per share, or 15.5% annualized, to $41.32 at June 30, 2025
• TCE ratio⁽¹⁾ increased to 11.09%, compared with 9.72% one year ago
• Net interest margin (TE) expansion of 4bps to 3.77% for the second quarter of 2025
• Efficiency ratio improved to 51.63%
• Growth in total revenue of $14.9 million, or 20.9% annualized, from first quarter of 2025
• Growth in average earning assets of $564.3 million, or 9.3% annualized
• Loan growth of $334.9 million, or 6.5% annualized
• Continued growth in noninterest-bearing deposits, now representing 31.0% of total deposits
• Annualized net charge-offs improved to 0.14% of average total loans

Ameris Bancorp (NYSE:ABCB) (the "Company") today reported net income of $109.8 million, or $1.60 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared with $90.8 million, or $1.32 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.

For the year-to-date period ending June 30, 2025, the Company reported net income of $197.8 million, or $2.87 per diluted share, compared with $165.1 million, or $2.39 per diluted share, for the same period in 2024.

Commenting on the Company's results, Palmer Proctor, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, said, "Our second quarter results underscore the strength, consistency, and long-term value of the Ameris franchise. We delivered above-peer profitability, with a return on assets of 1.65% and a return on tangible common equity of 15.82%. Tangible book value per share - one of our long-standing strategic priorities - grew at a 15.5% annualized rate to surpass $41. Other key performance indicators, including our net interest margin, allowance coverage ratio, and efficiency ratio, remain among the best in the industry. Backed by a strong balance sheet and a proven ability to execute, we are well positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities across our Southeast footprint and drive continued success through the remainder of 2025 and beyond."

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin

Net interest income on a tax-equivalent basis (TE) grew to $232.7 million in the second quarter of 2025, an increase of $10.0 million, or 4.5%, from last quarter and an increase of $19.9 million, or 9.3%, compared with the second quarter of 2024. The Company's average earning assets increased during the quarter by $564.3 million, or 9.3% annualized, due to a $308.0 million increase in average portfolio loans outstanding, a $165.2 million increase in average loans held for sale during the quarter and a $119.3 million increase in the average balance of investment securities.

The Company's net interest margin expanded to 3.77% for the second quarter of 2025, a four basis point increase from 3.73% reported for the first quarter of 2025 and a 19 basis point improvement from the 3.58% reported for the second quarter of 2024.

Yields on earning assets increased three basis points during the quarter to 5.64%, compared with 5.61% in the first quarter of 2025. This increase is primarily related to a 17 basis point increase in yield on taxable securities and a three basis point increase in yield on portfolio loans during the second quarter of 2025.

The Company's total cost of funds was stable at 2.06% in the second quarter of 2025, when compared with the first quarter of 2025, and improved 42 basis points compared with the second quarter of 2024. Deposit costs decreased three basis points during the second quarter of 2025 to 1.95%, compared with 1.98% in the first quarter of 2025. Costs of interest-bearing deposits during the quarter were 2.83%, unchanged from the first quarter of 2025.

Noninterest Income

Noninterest income increased $4.9 million, or 7.6%, in the second quarter of 2025 to $68.9 million, compared with $64.0 million for the first quarter of 2025. The increase was primarily driven by mortgage banking activity, which increased $4.0 million, or 11.3%, to $39.2 million in the second quarter of 2025, compared with $35.3 million for the first quarter of 2025. Total production in the retail mortgage division increased $334.9 million, or 35.9%, to $1.27 billion in the second quarter of 2025, compared with $933.0 million for the first quarter of 2025. The retail mortgage open pipeline was $719.1 million at the end of the second quarter of 2025, compared with $771.6 million for the first quarter of 2025. Gain on sale spreads increased to 2.22% in the second quarter of 2025 from 2.17% for the first quarter of 2025. Other noninterest income increased $678,000, or 8.7%, in the second quarter of 2025 to $8.5 million, compared with $7.8 million for the first quarter of 2025.

Noninterest Expense

Noninterest expense increased $4.3 million, or 2.8%, to $155.3 million during the second quarter of 2025, compared with $151.0 million for the first quarter of 2025. Salaries and employee benefits increased $2.7 million, or 3.1%, during the second quarter of 2025 primarily due to variable compensation related to mortgage production and annual merit increases, partially offset by seasonal declines in payroll taxes. Advertising and marketing expenses increased $862,000 resulting from targeted ad campaigns during the quarter. Management continues to focus on operating efficiency, and the efficiency ratio improved to 51.63% in the second quarter of 2025, compared with 52.83% in the first quarter of 2025 and 51.68% in the second quarter of 2024.

Income Tax Expense

The Company's effective tax rate for the second quarter of 2025 was 23.0%, compared with 22.1% for the first quarter of 2025. The increased rate resulted primarily from a reduction in excess benefits from the vesting of equity compensation awards and the impact of enacted state tax changes during the second quarter.

Balance Sheet Trends

Total assets at June 30, 2025 were $26.68 billion, compared with $26.51 billion at March 31, 2025 and $26.26 billion at December 31, 2024. During the second quarter of 2025, loans, net of unearned income, increased by $334.9 million, or 6.5% annualized, to end at $21.04 billion at June 30, 2025, compared with $20.71 billion at March 31, 2025 and $20.74 billion at December 31, 2024. Loans held for sale increased to $544.1 million at June 30, 2025 from $528.6 million at December 31, 2024. Debt securities available-for-sale amounted to $1.87 billion, compared with $1.94 billion at March 31, 2025 and $1.67 billion at December 31, 2024.

At June 30, 2025, total deposits amounted to $21.93 billion, compared with $21.72 billion at December 31, 2024. During the second quarter of 2025, deposits grew $20.3 million, with noninterest-bearing accounts increasing $55.7 million, brokered CDs increasing $81.8 million and interest-bearing demand accounts increasing $13.0 million, with such increases offset by decreases in retail CDs of $77.4 million, money market accounts of $38.6 million and savings accounts of $14.2 million. Noninterest-bearing accounts as a percentage of total deposits increased, such that at June 30, 2025, noninterest-bearing deposit accounts represented $6.80 billion, or 31.0% of total deposits, compared with $6.50 billion, or 29.9% of total deposits, at December 31, 2024.

Shareholders' equity at June 30, 2025 totaled $3.92 billion, an increase of $166.2 million, or 4.4%, from December 31, 2024. The increase in shareholders' equity was primarily the result of earnings of $197.8 million during the first six months of 2025 and an improvement in other comprehensive loss of $23.2 million resulting from changes in interest rates on the Company's investment portfolio, partially offset by dividends declared and share repurchases. Tangible book value per share⁽¹⁾ increased $2.73 per share, or 14.3% annualized, during the first six months of 2025 to $41.32 at June 30, 2025. Tangible common equity as a percentage of tangible assets was 11.09% at June 30, 2025, compared with 10.59% at the end of 2024. The Company repurchased 212,472 shares in the quarter ending June 30, 2025.

Subordinated Debt

In July 2025, the Company notified holders of its 5.875% Fixed-To-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2030 that it would be redeeming the notes in full at the September 1, 2025 interest payment date. These notes, which currently total $74 million outstanding, bear interest at 8.22% and will be redeemed at par.

Credit Quality

During the second quarter of 2025, the Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $2.8 million, compared with a provision of $21.9 million in the first quarter of 2025. The allowance for credit losses on loans was 1.62% of loans at June 30, 2025, compared with 1.63% at the end of 2024. Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets decreased eight basis points to 0.36% during the quarter. Approximately $11.7 million, or 12.1%, of the nonperforming assets at June 30, 2025 were GNMA-guaranteed mortgage loans, which have minimal loss exposure. Excluding these government-guaranteed loans, nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets decreased six basis points to 0.32% at June 30, 2025, compared with 0.38% at the end of the first quarter of 2025. The net charge-off ratio was 14 basis points for the second quarter of 2025, compared with 18 basis points in the first quarter of 2025.

Conference Call

The Company will host a teleconference at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, to discuss the Company's results and answer appropriate questions. The conference call can be accessed by dialing 1-844-481-2939. The conference call ID is Ameris Bancorp. A replay of the call will be available beginning one hour after the end of the conference call until August 5, 2025. To listen to the replay, dial 1-877-344-7529. The conference replay access code is 6141708. The financial information discussed will be available on the Investor Relations page of the Ameris Bank website at ir.amerisbank.com. Participants also may listen to a live webcast of the presentation by visiting the link on the Investor Relations page of the Ameris Bank website.

About Ameris Bancorp

Ameris Bancorp is the parent of Ameris Bank, a state-chartered bank headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Ameris operates financial centers in five southeastern states and also serves consumer and business customers nationwide through select lending channels. Ameris manages $26.7 billion in assets as of June 30, 2025, and provides a full range of traditional banking and lending products, treasury and cash management, insurance premium financing, and mortgage and refinancing services. Learn more about Ameris at www.amerisbank.com.

⁽¹⁾ Considered non-GAAP financial measure - See reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures in tables 9A - 9D.

This news release contains certain performance measures determined by methods other than in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). The Company's management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in its analysis of the Company's performance. These measures are useful when evaluating the underlying performance and efficiency of the Company's operations and balance sheet. The Company's management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide a greater understanding of ongoing operations, enhance comparability of results with prior periods and demonstrate the effects of significant gains and charges in the current period. The Company's management believes that investors may use these non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate the Company's financial performance without the impact of unusual items that may obscure trends in the Company's underlying performance. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP financial measures that may be presented by other companies.

This news release contains forward-looking statements, as defined by federal securities laws, including, among other forward-looking statements, certain plans, expectations and goals. Words such as "may," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "will," "should," "plan," "estimate," "predict," "continue" and "potential" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, as well as similar expressions, are meant to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are based on current expectations and are provided to assist in the understanding of potential future performance. Such forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any such statements, including, without limitation, the following: general competitive, economic, unemployment, political and market conditions and fluctuations, including real estate market conditions, and the effects of such conditions and fluctuations on the creditworthiness and payment behavior of borrowers, collateral values, asset recovery values and the value of investment securities; movements in interest rates and their impacts on net interest margin, investment security valuations and other performance measures; expectations on credit quality and performance; legislative and regulatory changes; changes in U.S. government trade, monetary and fiscal policies, including tariffs; competitive pressures on product pricing and services; fraud, theft or other misconduct impacting our customers or operations; cybersecurity risks, including data breaches, malware, ransomware and account takeover; the success and timing of our business strategies and plans; our outlook and long-term goals for future growth; and natural disasters, geopolitical events, acts of war or terrorism or other hostilities, public health crises and other catastrophic events beyond our control. For a discussion of some of the other risks and other factors that may cause such forward-looking statements to differ materially from actual results, please refer to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the Company's subsequently filed periodic reports and other filings. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements.