Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) Q1 2026 earnings summary

Executive summary

• Net income for Q1 2026 was $110.5 million, or $1.63 per diluted share, up from $87.9 million ($1.27 per share) in Q1 2025, with ROA at 1.62% and ROTCE at 14.75%.

• Revenue grew 10% year-over-year, with net interest margin expanding to 3.88% and efficiency ratio improving to 49.97%.

• Annualized loan and deposit growth were 5.9% and 4.7%, respectively, with earning assets up nearly 10%.

• Tangible book value per share increased to $44.79, up 5.6% annualized.

• Credit quality remained stable, with net charge-offs at 0.21% and nonperforming assets at 0.45% of total assets.

Financial highlights

• Net interest income (tax-equivalent) rose 10.2% to $245.4 million, driven by asset growth and lower deposit costs.

• Noninterest income increased $8.1 million year-over-year, led by mortgage banking, equipment finance, and SBA loan sales.

• Noninterest expense rose 4% year-over-year to $157.1 million, mainly from higher salaries, incentives, and FDIC insurance.

• Efficiency ratio improved to 49.97% from 52.83% a year ago.

• Tangible common equity to tangible assets was 11.15%.

Outlook and guidance

• Management expects slight margin compression of 5-10 bps over the next few quarters due to deposit cost pressures.

• Project mid-single-digit loan and deposit growth for the remainder of the year.

• Efficiency ratio anticipated to be slightly above 50% for the rest of the year.

• Net charge-offs expected to remain in the 20-25 bps range for 2026.

• Focus remains on profitable growth in Southeast markets and maintaining strong performance metrics.