Overview
Stephens has lifted its price target on Ameris Bancorp to $87.00 from $79.00 and left its rating at Equal Weight. The updated target equates to about an 8% upside from the stock's then-current trading price of $80.62, with the share price sitting close to a 52-week high of $83.64. Third-party fair-value assessment data included in the research notes indicate the stock appears undervalued on that basis.
Drivers of the revision
The upgrade in the price target follows Ameris’s reported core pre-provision net revenue - PPNR - of $165.7 million. That PPNR figure exceeded consensus estimates by 6.8%, amounting to a beat of $0.12 per share, according to the Stephens research. Stephens attributes the outperformance in part to stronger net interest income, which it quantifies as contributing $0.07 of the per-share beat.
Stephens also notes corroborating analyst behavior: three analysts have recently lifted their earnings expectations for the coming period, which is consistent with the bank’s revenue beat and margin strength.
Balance sheet trends and loan activity
Ameris reported end-of-period loan growth running at a 4.8% annualized pace in the most recent quarter, matching consensus expectations. That growth rate held despite roughly $500 million in commercial real estate paydowns. The company recorded its highest quarter of production in two years and is guiding for mid-single-digit organic loan growth in 2026.
Margin dynamics and near-term outlook
Net interest margin expanded by 5 basis points to 3.85%, outperforming the consensus view of 3.77% and countering the company’s own guidance that had anticipated slight pressure. Stephens models an incremental 8 basis points of NIM compression over the next several quarters, a view that sits within the company’s guidance range of 5 to 10 basis points of pressure.
That margin outcome contributed to a trailing P/E ratio of 13.44 for Ameris, a level that the referenced data service flags as low relative to the bank’s near-term earnings growth potential.
Updated estimates and capital allocation
On the basis of the stronger base margin and the company’s reiterated expense guidance for 2026, Stephens raised its PPNR forecasts for 2026 and 2027 by 3.6% and 3.3%, respectively. The research note highlights that excess capital and reserves afford Ameris optionality, and that an active share buyback program is expected to continue. Separately noted data show that the bank has paid dividends for 12 consecutive years and currently offers a dividend yield of 0.99%.
Recent performance and returns
Market returns for Ameris were strong over recent measurement periods, with a total return of 24.28% over the past year and a 22.98% gain in the most recent six-month window reported in the research materials. Those figures emphasize the stock’s recent positive performance despite the company’s mixed quarterly metrics.
Quarterly results - mixed signals
In its fourth-quarter 2025 report, Ameris posted earnings per share of $1.59, which modestly exceeded the expected $1.58. Revenue for the quarter came in at $307.13 million, falling short of the $310.41 million consensus. The combined result is a mixed financial snapshot for the quarter: an EPS beat alongside a revenue shortfall. Market reaction to those results was described as stable in the research note.
Bottom line
Stephens’ price-target increase to $87 is grounded in stronger-than-expected core revenue and margin performance, modest but resilient loan growth, and the bank’s continued capital-return flexibility. The firm’s forecast assumes some near-term margin compression, but it nonetheless raised multi-year PPNR estimates. Investors and analysts will likely watch upcoming quarters for confirmation of the margin trajectory and the sustainability of production and capital-return programs.