Swiss National Bank Buys 800 Shares of Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB)

Swiss National Bank lifted its stake in shares of Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB) by 0.6% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 129,044 shares of the bank’s stock after acquiring an additional 800 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Ameris Bancorp were worth $8,074,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. HighTower Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ameris Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $552,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ameris Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,078,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in shares of Ameris Bancorp by 23.6% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 16,977 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,062,000 after acquiring an additional 3,244 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ameris Bancorp by 177.4% during the 4th quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 26,053 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,630,000 after acquiring an additional 16,662 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi increased its holdings in shares of Ameris Bancorp by 188.9% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 33,579 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,055,000 after acquiring an additional 21,957 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.64% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on Ameris Bancorp from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Raymond James reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $71.00 target price (up from $67.00) on shares of Ameris Bancorp in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $71.00 target price on shares of Ameris Bancorp in a report on Friday, January 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $70.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ameris Bancorp

In related news, insider Douglas D. Strange bought 1,000 shares of Ameris Bancorp stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $56.95 per share, with a total value of $56,950.00. Following the acquisition, the insider now owns 19,403 shares in the company, valued at $1,105,000.85. This trade represents a 5.43 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 5.50% of the company’s stock.

Ameris Bancorp Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ABCB opened at $57.69 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $63.11 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $63.94. Ameris Bancorp has a one year low of $44.23 and a one year high of $74.56. The firm has a market cap of $3.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.07 and a beta of 1.02.

Ameris Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.39%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. Ameris Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is 15.36%.

Ameris Bancorp 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.