SouthState Issues 2026 Corporate Stewardship Report

SouthState (NYSE: SSB) issued its 2026 Corporate Stewardship Report on March 3, 2026, highlighting the completed merger with Independent Financial and expansion into Texas, Colorado and Tennessee.

Rhea-AI Summary

SouthState (NYSE: SSB) issued its 2026 Corporate Stewardship Report on March 3, 2026, highlighting the completed merger with Independent Financial and expansion into Texas, Colorado and Tennessee. The report discloses community metrics including $2.57 billion in CRA-eligible loans and $792 million in community development loans.

Other highlights: $348 million invested in economic development and affordable housing, $9.3 million in down payment assistance, 22,900 employee volunteer hours, and digital adoption that produced quantified environmental savings.

Positive

• Completed merger with Independent Financial, expanding into TX, CO, and TN
• CRA-eligible loans totaling $2.57 billion
• Community development loans of $792 million
• Invested $348 million in economic development and affordable housing
• Provided $9.3 million in down payment assistance to 506 customers
• 22,900 employee volunteer hours recorded with 1,300 organizations

Negative

• None.

Argus Mar 3 session

-1.19% close to close Open Argus

Details

News Market Reaction – SSB

In the Mar 3 session, SSB declined 1.19%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

This announcement details SouthState’s 2026 Corporate Stewardship Report, highlighting $2.57 billion...

Analysis

This announcement details SouthState’s 2026 Corporate Stewardship Report, highlighting $2.57 billion in CRA‑eligible loans, $792 million in community development lending, and $9.3 million in down payment assistance, alongside environmental savings from 48% eStatement adoption. It follows a year of earnings growth, awards, and strategic hiring. Investors may track how these community and ESG initiatives integrate with post‑merger expansion, balance sheet metrics from recent filings, and any subsequent updates on governance or capital deployment.

Key Figures

CRA-eligible loans: $2.57 billion Community development loans: $792 million Economic & housing investment: $348 million +5 more

CRA-eligible loans

$2.57 billion

Community Reinvestment Act eligible lending highlighted in 2026 CS report

Community development loans

$792 million

Loans extended for community development projects

Economic & housing investment

$348 million

Invested to foster economic development and affordable housing

Down payment assistance

$9.3 million

Down payment aid provided to 506 customers

Employee volunteer hours

22,900 hours

Volunteer time recorded across 1,300 organizations

Customers served

1.8 million customers

Consumers across eight states via SouthState Bank

eStatement adoption

48%

Share of all statements delivered as eStatements

Water saved

1.7 million gallons

Estimated environmental impact from digital statements

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 12

5 events

1. Feb 12

   Awards recognition

   24h Move

   -1.1%

   National banking awards and client satisfaction recognition across segments.

2. Jan 22

   Earnings & capital return

   24h Move

   -0.4%

   Q4 2025 results with higher EPS, dividend declaration, and new buyback plan.

3. Jan 21

   Strategic hiring

   24h Move

   +3.8%

   Hiring 32 experienced producers to drive 2026 growth across key markets.

4. Jan 05

   Earnings date set

   24h Move

   +1.4%

   Announcement of timing for Q4 2025 earnings release and conference call.

5. Dec 16

   Awards & rankings

   24h Move

   -0.4%

   Multiple rankings for best banks, employers, and digital banking performance.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

cra-eligible loans, 501(c)(3)

2 terms

cra-eligible loans regulatory

"Made $2.57 billion in CRA-eligible loans."

CRA-eligible loans are loans that qualify under the U.S. Community Reinvestment Act as helping meet a bank’s obligation to lend in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, such as mortgages, small-business loans, or home-improvement loans in designated areas. Investors care because the volume and quality of these loans affect a bank’s regulatory ratings, merger approvals and public standing—think of them as items on a compliance checklist that can influence growth opportunities and reputational risk.

501(c)(3) regulatory

"The Sunshine Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization funded by bank and employee contributions"

A 501(c)(3) is a U.S. federal tax designation for organizations organized and operated for charitable, educational, religious, scientific or literary purposes, which exempts them from federal income tax and generally makes donations to them tax-deductible. Investors pay attention because the designation shapes how the organization raises money, what activities it can legally pursue (for example, limits on political lobbying), and how transparent and financially stable it must be—factors that affect risk, reputation, and potential partnerships.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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WINTER HAVEN, Fla., March 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SouthState Bank has released its sixth Corporate Stewardship Report, highlighting the bank's commitment to its communities, colleagues, corporate stewardship and the environment.

The report highlights a milestone year marked by the successful completion of a merger with Independent Financial, as SouthState welcomed new team members and customers in Texas and Colorado, as well as expanded into Tennessee, with commercial and middle market banking teams serving the Nashville market.

"Each year, this report reflects our commitment to transparency and outlines the initiatives that strengthen the communities we serve, support the growth and well-being of our team members, and reinforce our dedication to sound governance," said LeDon Jones, director of Corporate Stewardship. "These efforts demonstrate how our culture continues to drive meaningful progress and position our company for long-term success."

Highlights of the 2026 CS report include:

Commitment to Community

• Made $2.57 billion in CRA-eligible loans.
• Recorded 22,900 employee volunteer hours with 1,300 different organizations.
• Extended $792 million in community development loans.
• Invested $348 million to foster economic development and affordable housing projects.
• Provided $9.3 million in down payment assistance to 506 customers

Commitment to Colleagues

• Provided $197,000 in financial assistance to 101 team members through The Sunshine Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization funded by bank and employee contributions, to assist employees with unexpected financial hardships.
• Continued the ReMARKable Leader program, an immersive 9-month program designed to cultivate internal high-potential leaders to take the next step in their career development. To date, 78 of our team members have graduated from the program, and they continue to contribute in new and unique ways to our Company.

Commitment to Corporate Stewardship

• Maintained a tenured and diverse board of directors. Sixty percent of the Board has CEO-level experience, and 27 percent have senior executive experience at financial institutions.
• Maintained a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we operate, with 13.43 percent Black or African American and 9.72 percent Hispanic/Latino team members.
• Continued an "Infoship" program, a virtual program that exposes college students to diverse careers in banking, facilitated by SouthState senior leaders.

Commitment to Environmental Resourcefulness

Ongoing investment in technology enables customers and team members to access digital solutions for their needs. With 48 percent of all statements distributed as eStatements, the bank's reduced environmental impact includes the following highlights:

• 1.7 million gallons of water saved
• 1.13 million pounds of CO2 emissions saved
• 90,100 pounds of solid waste reduction
• 30.1 acres of forest saved

SouthState's Corporate Stewardship Report and more information are available on the bank's Corporate Stewardship page.

SouthState Corporation (NYSE: SSB) is a financial services company headquartered in Winter Haven, Florida. SouthState Bank, N.A., the company's nationally chartered bank subsidiary, provides consumer, commercial, mortgage and wealth management solutions to more than 1.8 million customers throughout Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, Georgia, Colorado, Alabama, Virginia and Tennessee. The bank also serves clients nationwide through its correspondent banking division. Additional information is available at SouthStateBank.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southstate-issues-2026-corporate-stewardship-report-302702849.html

SOURCE SouthState Bank N.A.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What did SouthState (SSB) report about the Independent Financial merger on March 3, 2026?

SouthState completed the merger with Independent Financial, expanding its footprint into Texas, Colorado and Tennessee. According to the company, this added new team members and customers and established commercial and middle market banking teams serving the Nashville market.

How much in CRA-eligible loans did SouthState (SSB) disclose in its 2026 stewardship report?

SouthState reported $2.57 billion in CRA-eligible loans for the period. According to the company, this figure reflects lending activity tied to community reinvestment and support across its markets.

What community development commitments did SouthState (SSB) announce in the 2026 report?

SouthState disclosed $792 million in community development loans and $348 million invested in affordable housing and economic development. According to the company, these funds targeted projects that support housing and local economic growth.

How did SouthState (SSB) quantify environmental impact from digital adoption in 2026?

SouthState reported environmental savings from eStatements: 1.7 million gallons water, 1.13 million pounds CO2, 90,100 pounds solid waste, and 30.1 acres forest saved. According to the company, 48% of statements were distributed as eStatements.

What workforce and volunteer metrics did SouthState (SSB) include in the 2026 report?

The report lists 22,900 employee volunteer hours with 1,300 organizations and workforce diversity percentages. According to the company, 13.43% of team members are Black or African American and 9.72% are Hispanic/Latino.

How much down payment assistance did SouthState (SSB) provide in the 2026 stewardship report?

SouthState provided $9.3 million in down payment assistance to 506 customers. According to the company, this assistance was part of its affordable housing and community support initiatives.