New Age Alpha Advisors LLC Acquires New Holdings in Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB)

New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new position in Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 9,490 shares of the bank’s stock, valued at approximately $594,000.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Ameris Bancorp by 14.0% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 20,295 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,266,000 after purchasing an additional 2,486 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in shares of Ameris Bancorp by 51.0% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 47,152 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,891,000 after acquiring an additional 15,931 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ameris Bancorp by 24.7% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 94,887 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $5,920,000 after acquiring an additional 18,822 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in shares of Ameris Bancorp by 29.8% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 22,781 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,421,000 after acquiring an additional 5,225 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in Ameris Bancorp by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 148,381 shares of the bank’s stock worth $9,257,000 after purchasing an additional 3,280 shares during the last quarter. 91.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ameris Bancorp Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of Ameris Bancorp stock opened at $57.58 on Tuesday. Ameris Bancorp has a 1 year low of $44.23 and a 1 year high of $74.56. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $62.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $63.93. The company has a market cap of $3.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Ameris Bancorp Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insider Transactions at Ameris Bancorp

In other news, insider Douglas D. Strange purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $56.95 per share, for a total transaction of $56,950.00. Following the completion of the purchase, 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 5.50% of the company’s stock.

About Ameris Bancorp

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.