Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) director awarded 1,003 restricted shares in equity plan

Filing Impact

(Neutral)

Filing Sentiment

(Neutral)

Form Type

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Ameris Bancorp director William Millard Choate received a grant of 1,003 shares of Ameris Bancorp common stock as a stock award. The restricted shares were granted at $0.00 per share under the Ameris Bancorp 2021 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan and will vest on the earlier of May 21, 2027, or the date of the 2027 annual shareholders' meeting.

After this award, Choate directly holds about 10,999.9743 shares, which includes 92.308744 shares acquired through a dividend reinvestment plan. He also reports indirect holdings of 7,490 shares through a limited partnership and 220,882 shares through a foundation.

Insider Trade Summary

3 transactions reported

Mixed 3 txns

Insider Choate William Millard

Role null

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Common Stock	1,003	$0.00	--
holding	Common Stock	--	--	--
holding	Common Stock	--	--	--

Holdings After Transaction: Common Stock — 10,999.974 shares (Direct, null); Common Stock — 220,882 shares (Indirect, Foundation)

Footnotes (1)

Restricted stock grant pursuant to the Ameris Bancorp 2021 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan, vesting on the earlier of (i) May 21, 2027, and (ii) the date of the 2027 annual shareholders' meeting. This total includes an additional 92.308744 shares acquired by the reporting person as a participant in a dividend reinvestment plan.

Key Figures

Restricted stock grant: 1,003 shares Grant price: $0.00 per share Direct holdings after grant: 10,999.9743 shares +4 more

7 metrics

Restricted stock grant 1,003 shares Grant of common stock to director on May 21, 2026

Grant price $0.00 per share Restricted stock award under 2021 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan

Direct holdings after grant 10,999.9743 shares Common stock directly owned by William Millard Choate after transaction

Dividend reinvestment shares 92.308744 shares Additional shares acquired via dividend reinvestment plan

Indirect LP holdings 7,490 shares Indirect ownership through a limited partnership

Indirect foundation holdings 220,882 shares Indirect ownership through a foundation

Vesting date trigger Earlier of May 21, 2027 or 2027 meeting Vesting condition for restricted stock grant

Key Terms

Restricted stock grant, Ameris Bancorp 2021 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan, dividend reinvestment plan, indirect ownership, +1 more

5 terms

Restricted stock grant financial

"Restricted stock grant pursuant to the Ameris Bancorp 2021 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan"

A restricted stock grant is an award of company shares given to an employee or executive that cannot be sold or transferred until certain conditions are met, such as staying with the company for a set time or hitting performance goals. For investors, it signals how the company ties pay to future performance and can affect the number of shares outstanding and management’s incentives—think of it as a wrapped gift you only keep once you meet the requirements.

Ameris Bancorp 2021 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan financial

"Restricted stock grant pursuant to the Ameris Bancorp 2021 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan, vesting on the earlier of May 21, 2027"

dividend reinvestment plan financial

"includes an additional 92.308744 shares acquired by the reporting person as a participant in a dividend reinvestment plan"

A dividend reinvestment plan lets shareholders automatically use cash dividends to buy more shares of the same company instead of receiving the money. It matters to investors because it turns regular payouts into a steady way to grow ownership and take advantage of compound returns—like having your savings automatically buy additional slices of a pie over time—while often reducing transaction costs and smoothing purchase timing.

indirect ownership financial

"Indirect holdings reported through a Ltd. Partnership and a Foundation"

restricted shares financial

"The restricted shares will vest on the earlier of May 21, 2027, or the 2027 annual shareholders' meeting"

Restricted shares are company stock that cannot be sold or transferred immediately because they are subject to legal or contractual limits, such as a required holding period or performance conditions. They matter to investors because these locked-up shares can affect a company’s available stock for trading, future dilution, and insider incentives—imagine a gift that can’t be cashed until certain conditions are met, which changes when and how much supply can suddenly enter the market.

Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →

05/26/2026 - 12:00 PM

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Choate William Millard

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

3490 PIEDMONT RD NE

STE 1550

(Street)

ATLANTA

GEORGIA

30305

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Ameris Bancorp [ ABCB ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director	10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
05/21/2026

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price		6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Common Stock	05/21/2026		A		1,003⁽¹⁾	A	$0	10,999.9743⁽²⁾	D
Common Stock								220,882	I	Foundation
Common Stock								7,490	I	Ltd. Partnership

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)		10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Explanation of Responses:

1. Restricted stock grant pursuant to the Ameris Bancorp 2021 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan, vesting on the earlier of (i) May 21, 2027, and (ii) the date of the 2027 annual shareholders' meeting.

2. This total includes an additional 92.308744 shares acquired by the reporting person as a participant in a dividend reinvestment plan.

Remarks:

	William Millard Choate by: Elna Klein-Kolarich as Attorney-In-Fact	05/26/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)

Source: View Original Filing on SEC EDGAR

FAQ

What insider transaction did Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) report for William Millard Choate?

Ameris Bancorp reported that director William Millard Choate received a grant of 1,003 shares of common stock. The shares are a restricted stock award under the company’s 2021 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan rather than an open-market purchase or sale.

When do William Millard Choate’s new Ameris Bancorp restricted shares vest?

The 1,003 restricted shares granted to William Millard Choate vest on the earlier of May 21, 2027, or the date of Ameris Bancorp’s 2027 annual shareholders' meeting. Vesting links the award to continued board service through that timeframe.

How many Ameris Bancorp shares does William Millard Choate hold directly after this Form 4?

After the reported grant, William Millard Choate directly holds about 10,999.9743 Ameris Bancorp common shares. This total includes 92.308744 shares he acquired as a participant in a dividend reinvestment plan, alongside the newly awarded restricted stock.

What indirect Ameris Bancorp holdings are associated with William Millard Choate?

The Form 4 shows indirect ownership of 7,490 Ameris Bancorp shares through a limited partnership and 220,882 shares through a foundation. These positions are reported as indirect holdings and are separate from Choate’s directly owned common stock.

Is the Ameris Bancorp Form 4 transaction a market buy or sell of shares?

The filing reflects a grant of 1,003 restricted shares to William Millard Choate at $0.00 per share, categorized as a grant or award. It is compensation-based, not an open-market purchase or sale of Ameris Bancorp stock.

What compensation plan covers William Millard Choate’s Ameris Bancorp stock grant?

The 1,003-share restricted stock award to William Millard Choate was granted under the Ameris Bancorp 2021 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan. This plan governs equity-based compensation, including stock grants to directors and other eligible participants.