SouthState Issues 2026 Corporate Stewardship Report

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.

Key Figures

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

8 metrics

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

Market Reality Check

Price: $99.77 Vol: Volume 608,836 is below t...

low vol

$99.77 Last Close

Volume Volume 608,836 is below the 20-day average 914,260, suggesting muted trading interest into this ESG update. low

Technical Price 99.77 is trading above the 200-day MA 95.51, reflecting a pre-existing uptrend before this report.

Peers on Argus

SSB was up 1.11% with modest volume as several regional peers also traded higher...

SSB was up 1.11% with modest volume as several regional peers also traded higher (e.g., FHN +3.82%, EWBC +1.84%, WF +2.21%), but no broad momentum signal was flagged, indicating this looked more stock-specific than a scanner-identified sector surge.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 12 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Feb 12	Awards recognition	Positive	-1.1%	National banking awards and client satisfaction recognition across segments.
Jan 22	Earnings & capital return	Positive	-0.4%	Q4 2025 results with higher EPS, dividend declaration, and new buyback plan.
Jan 21	Strategic hiring	Positive	+3.8%	Hiring 32 experienced producers to drive 2026 growth across key markets.
Jan 05	Earnings date set	Positive	+1.4%	Announcement of timing for Q4 2025 earnings release and conference call.
Dec 16	Awards & rankings	Positive	-0.4%	Multiple rankings for best banks, employers, and digital banking performance.

Pattern Detected

Recent positive corporate and earnings news has often seen mixed-to-negative next-day reactions, with three divergences versus two aligned moves.

Recent Company History

Over the last several months, SouthState has reported strong fundamental and franchise progress. Q4 2025 results featured higher EPS, dividend, and a new buyback authorization, while January highlighted strategic hiring of 32 seasoned producers across key markets. The bank has also accumulated multiple national awards for client experience and workplace culture. Yet, positive items such as awards and strong earnings sometimes saw slight next-day pullbacks. Today’s Corporate Stewardship Report extends this narrative by emphasizing community impact and post‑merger integration progress.

Market Pulse Summary

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 Terms

501(c)(3)

1 terms

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. Not financial advice.

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

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.