Insider Trading February 23, 2026

Ameris Bancorp Strategy Chief Withholds Shares to Cover Taxes After $550k Sale

James A. LaHaise sold 6,641 shares on Feb. 19 while simultaneously receiving a PSU-related grant; Ameris shares trade below a year-ago highs despite solid core revenue metrics

By Hana Yamamoto ABCB
Ameris Bancorp Strategy Chief Withholds Shares to Cover Taxes After $550k Sale
ABCB

Ameris Bancorp Chief Strategy Officer James A. LaHaise executed a sale of 6,641 shares on February 19, 2026, for $550,738, while also receiving 14,910 shares from a performance stock unit grant. The sale represented withholding to satisfy tax obligations tied to the grant. Following the transactions, LaHaise holds 111,470 shares. Ameris Bancorp's stock trades around $79.72 and the company recently reported mixed fourth-quarter 2025 results alongside a modest analyst price-target increase.

Key Points

  • Ameris Bancorp Chief Strategy Officer James A. LaHaise sold 6,641 shares on Feb. 19, 2026, at $82.93 per share, totaling $550,738.
  • LaHaise also received 14,910 shares the same day from a performance stock unit award (granted Feb. 23, 2023); the sale was to withhold shares for tax obligations, leaving him with 111,470 directly owned shares.
  • Ameris reported mixed fourth-quarter 2025 results - EPS of $1.59 beat expectations by $0.01 while revenue of $307.13 million narrowly missed forecasts; Stephens raised its price target to $87 from $79, citing stronger core PPNR and net interest income.

Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ: ABCB) Chief Strategy Officer James A. LaHaise completed a transaction on February 19, 2026, that resulted in the sale of 6,641 common shares at $82.93 apiece, producing proceeds of $550,738. The sale was recorded in a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

On the same date, LaHaise also received 14,910 shares tied to a performance stock unit award originally granted on February 23, 2023. Company filings indicate that the sale represented the withholding of shares to meet tax obligations associated with that stock grant.

After these movements, LaHaise's direct holdings in Ameris Bancorp stand at 111,470 shares, which includes an additional 36 shares acquired under a dividend reinvestment plan. At the time of reporting, Ameris Bancorp's share price was quoted at $79.72, and the stock has appreciated roughly 28% over the last 12 months despite recent volatility in the share price.


In valuation terms included in the filing commentary, the regional bank carries a market value of approximately $5.4 billion. Analysis available on InvestingPro shows Ameris Bancorp trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.23, a metric the platform cites when characterizing the stock as appearing undervalued. The platform also notes that detailed valuation metrics and exclusive analyst ProTips for ABCB are available to subscribers.

Separately, Ameris Bancorp released fourth-quarter 2025 results that produced mixed signals for investors. The company reported earnings per share of $1.59, narrowly exceeding the consensus expectation of $1.58. Revenue for the quarter was $307.13 million, slightly below the anticipated $310.41 million. Despite the revenue shortfall and volatile market conditions, the company’s share price remained relatively stable following the release.

Analyst activity included a price-target adjustment from Stephens, which raised its target to $87 from $79 while maintaining an Equal Weight rating. The firm pointed to Ameris’s core pre-provision net revenue, which came in at $165.7 million and topped consensus by 6.8% - an amount that Stephens quantified as $0.12 per share of upside. The stronger result was attributed in part to higher net interest income, which the analyst team estimated added $0.07 to the earnings beat.

The Form 4 filing and the company’s quarterly disclosures together document both the insider stock movement and recent operational performance, leaving investors with contemporaneous data on ownership, compensation-related share activity, and financial results.

Risks

  • Share-price volatility - the stock has shown recent volatility even as it is up about 28% year over year, which can affect investor returns in the regional banking sector.
  • Revenue sensitivity - fourth-quarter 2025 revenue modestly missed expectations, highlighting potential top-line volatility for the bank and the broader financials sector.
  • Valuation uncertainty - while InvestingPro data shows a P/E of 13.23 and characterizes the stock as appearing undervalued, differing analyst views and market conditions could affect perceived valuation in the regional banking space.

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