> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bullished.co/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Ameris CFO Warns Margin Could Slip, Says Analysts' 2027 Expense Forecasts Run High - URL: https://www.bullished.co/ameris-cfo-warns-margin-could-slip-says-analysts-2027-expense-forecasts-run-high-79fcc403/ - Published: 2026-10-23T14:26:04.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T14:26:04.000Z - Description: Ameris's finance chief pointed to deposit competition, and said a Fed hike adds only about one basis point of margin per quarter-point. - Author: Matteo Parrino - Tags: Earnings, ABCB, Industry: Financials [Ameris Bancorp](https://www.bullished.co/tag/abcb/) Chief Financial Officer Nicole Stokes said on the bank's third-quarter earnings call that [some margin compression is possible](https://www.benzinga.com/news/26/10/62559461/ameris-q3-2026-earnings-call-transcript?ref=bullished.co) over the next few quarters, and that analysts' 2027 expense forecasts look too high. Ameris, a financial holding company that runs banks across Georgia, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, reported a 3.87% net interest margin, one basis point below the prior quarter. ## Margin pressure from deposit costs Stokes said higher deposit costs and competition drive the expected pressure, though she expects net interest income to keep growing through earning-asset growth. Net interest income rose $5.2 million to $257.7 million. The [margin was 3.87%](https://www.benzinga.com/news/26/10/62559461/ameris-q3-2026-earnings-call-transcript?ref=bullished.co), against 3.88% last quarter. The bank is slightly asset sensitive, she said, so each quarter-point Fed hike should add about one basis point of margin. Competition for deposits, and any shift from non-interest-bearing to interest-bearing accounts, works against that. "I think we're going to [bump around](https://www.benzinga.com/news/26/10/62559461/ameris-q3-2026-earnings-call-transcript?ref=bullished.co) a few basis points up and down for a few quarters," she said. An analyst from D.A. Davidson asked about spreads. Stokes said growth this quarter still added to margin because of the non-interest-bearing mix, but funding all loan growth with interest-bearing deposits would be "slightly margin-dilutive," with about 25 basis points of spread difference. ## A leaner 2027 expense path Asked about 2027, Stokes said consensus has expenses growing about 6.8% to 7%. "I think that might be a [little bit aggressive](https://www.benzinga.com/news/26/10/62559461/ameris-q3-2026-earnings-call-transcript?ref=bullished.co)," she said, adding that the first quarter looks close but the second through fourth quarters look high. She put core expenses at roughly 165 to 169 a quarter, excluding mortgage noise, with budgeting still ahead. CEO Palmer Proctor said Ameris can hit mid-single-digit growth with its existing team and does not need heavy hiring. Mortgage volume has moderated, he said, and the fourth and first quarters are seasonally slower. Purchase loans still run above 90% of the mix versus refinancing. ## Credit and the quarter's results Chief Credit Officer Doug Strange, answering a Raymond James analyst on higher criticized and classified loans, said the migration can be lumpy and is not systemic. He reiterated the guidance for charge-offs of 20 to 25 basis points. Annualized net charge-offs were 19 basis points. Ameris reported net income of [$116.1 million](https://wtop.com/national/2026/10/ameris-bancorp-q3-earnings-snapshot/?ref=bullished.co), or $1.73 per diluted share, which Proctor called a five-year high. The board approved another $200 million buyback, though the bank was not active in repurchases this quarter. Proctor said the pipeline was up at the end of the third quarter and showed no fallout, though he expects some customer caution in the fourth and first quarters. ### Sources - [Ameris Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript](https://www.benzinga.com/news/26/10/62559461/ameris-q3-2026-earnings-call-transcript?ref=bullished.co) — benzinga.com - [Compared to Estimates, Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) Q3 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/compared-estimates-ameris-bancorp-abcb-230002060.html?.tsrc=rss&ref=bullished.co) — Yahoo Finance - [Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) Q3 Earnings Top Estimates](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/ameris-bancorp-abcb-q3-earnings-210002427.html?ref=bullished.co) — Yahoo Finance - [Ameris Bancorp: Q3 Earnings Snapshot – WTOP News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/10/ameris-bancorp-q3-earnings-snapshot/?ref=bullished.co) — wtop.com - [What To Expect From Ameris Bancorp’s (ABCB) Q3 Earnings](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/expect-ameris-bancorp-abcb-q3-055039160.html?ref=bullished.co) — Yahoo Finance ### More on Ameris Bancorp - [Ameris Earns $116.1 Million As Litigation Charge Fades, Adds $200 Million Buyback Room](https://www.bullished.co/ameris-earns-116-1-million-as-litigation-charge-fades-adds-200-million-buyback-room-875b9bd0/) [All Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) coverage →](https://www.bullished.co/tag/abcb/)