Have Ameris Bancorp Insiders Been Selling Stock?

Anyone interested in Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB) should probably be aware that the Corporate Executive VP & Chief Credit Officer, Jon Edwards, recently divested US$355k worth of shares in the company, at an average price of US$47.35 each. The eyebrow raising move amounted to a reduction of 11% in their holding.

See our latest analysis for Ameris Bancorp

Ameris Bancorp Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent sale by Jon Edwards is the biggest insider sale of Ameris Bancorp shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$46.48. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. We note that this sale took place at around the current price, so it isn't a major concern, though it's hardly a good sign.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 39.49k shares for US$1.2m. But they sold 7.50k shares for US$355k. In total, Ameris Bancorp insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

Ameris Bancorp is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It's great to see that Ameris Bancorp insiders own 5.5% of the company, worth about US$181m. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Ameris Bancorp Insiders?

An insider sold Ameris Bancorp shares recently, but they didn't buy any. On the other hand, the insider transactions over the last year are encouraging. And insider ownership remains quite considerable. So the recent selling doesn't worry us. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Ameris Bancorp you should be aware of.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.