Fact based stock research
Ameris (NasdaqGS:ABCB)

US03076K1088

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For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

Ameris stock research in summary

amerisbank.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 61 (better than 61% compared with investment alternatives), Ameris (Regional Banks, USA) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Ameris are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 11 (worse than 89% of alternatives). But they show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 59) and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 95, which means below-average debt burdens). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 61, is a buy recommendation based on Ameris's financial characteristics. Investors looking for growth and low financial risk may find this stock attractive. While the company Ameris exhibits low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 11), which means that the stock price is rather high, it also demonstrates above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 59). This is a typical case, as high-growth companies are often expensive. Good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 95) are a double-edged sword: if the company continues growing, low debt limits shareholder returns. But if the company increases its debt, it will also increase risk. In other words, this is an investment on the safer side, despite the above-average price (low value). Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	11
Growth Rank	59
Safety Rank	95
Combined Rank	61

Country	USA
Industry	Regional Banks
Index	Employee Health US, NASDAQ
Size class	Medium

This stock has achievements: Top 10 Stock.

19-Dec-2024. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: Ameris

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	65	39	16	11
GROWTH
GROWTH	47	33	65	59
SAFETY
SAFETY	66	71	91	95
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	n/a	51	51	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	n/a	44	46	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 19-Dec-2024. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 30-Sep-2024. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better Ameris is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	65	39	16	11
GROWTH
GROWTH	47	33	65	59
SAFETY
SAFETY	66	71	91	95
COMBINED
COMBINED	71	39	48	61

Last update of combined financial performance: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of Ameris the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 11 (worse than 89% compared with alternatives), Ameris shares are significantly more expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four indicators below average for Ameris. Price-to-Sales is 20 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 80% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Ameris's sales levels. Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) also has a low Price-to-Book Rank of 40, which means that both reliable company size indicators, sales, and invested capital cannot explain the high stock price of Ameris. In addition, the two profit-related value indicators, Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a low rank of 35 and Dividend Yield, which is lower than 92% of comparable companies, also make the stock more expensive compared with investment alternatives. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 11, is a sell recommendation based on Ameris's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. How can market participants pay such a high price for Ameris? One reason may be that the company is simply too popular. If enough people want a particular stock, its price can exceed reasonable levels. This is often the case for companies offering new and exciting products and everybody wants a piece of the action. Should you pay a lot for a hot stock such as Ameris? It's risky, and even if the stock price continues to grow because of popular demand, it may return to more typical lower levels later. And that return can be sudden and quick, making it impossible for retail investors to exit on time. Sometimes, high prices are deserved. This is the case when it is justified to believe that the company will dominate a market with high profit margins. It has happened in the past for many technology companies and indeed for commercially successful pharmaceutical discoveries. Sometimes they last, sometimes, they get eaten alive. Ameris may be such a type of stock. That would mean, retail investors should be careful, only considering investing a small part of their wealth in this exciting category and always being ready to lose more than half, if not all of the investment. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision, which is essential in this case, as the financial indicators are inconclusive. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	60	55	34	20
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	80	73	40	35
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	61	44	47	40
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	33	11	8	8
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	65	39	16	11

Last update of Value Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of Ameris; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 59 (better than 59% compared with alternatives), Ameris shows an above-average growth dynamic in its industry. Investors also speak of positive momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Ameris. Profit Growth has a rank of 94, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its profits more than 94% of its competitors. This is a good sign for shareholders, which is confirmed by an above-average Stock Returns rank of 51 (above 51% of alternative investments). But Sales Growth has a below the median rank of 34, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 66% of its competitors, and Capital Growth also has a lower rank of 43. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 59, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. Because revenues and invested capital are the more solid growth indicators, the positive development on the profit side is less relevant. It may have been caused by cost-cutting, which may be a negative growth indicator. Finally, the above-average stock returns recently are a thing of the past and not a good indicator of future returns. Investors should be confident that the cost-cutting initiative leading to higher profits is to benefit the company's future. If not, there is little growth momentum, and investment is only advisable if the Value Ranks suggest a good investment timing for Ameris. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is mixed here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	23	30	57	34
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	77	55	28	94
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	n/a	55	87	43
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	86	35	75	51
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	47	33	65	59

Last update of Growth Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of Ameris.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 95 (better than 95% compared with alternatives) for 2024, the company Ameris has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Ameris is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, where all three are above average for Ameris. Leverage is at 66, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 66% of its competitors. Refinancing is at a rank of 96, meaning that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 96% of its competitors. Finally, Liquidity is also good at a rank of 55, which means that the company generates more profit to service its debt than 55% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 95 (better than 95% compared with alternatives), Ameris has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. These three positive financing indicators signal that the company is less likely to default on its debt obligations. However, it also means that its shareholder returns will be more modest if things go well. A low safety means fewer troubles in downtimes and less upside in good times. Investors may not have a debt issue with Ameris but they should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	78	38	68	66
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	12	92	90	96
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	84	51	71	55
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	66	71	91	95

Last update of Safety Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Ameris and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2021	2022	2023	2024
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	49	68	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	n/a	75	50	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	n/a	17	34	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	n/a	50	51	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	n/a	51	51	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for Ameris.
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