Corporate Executive VP & Chief Strategy Officer of Ameris Bancorp Picks Up 14% More Stock \

Investors who take an interest in Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB) should definitely note that the Corporate Executive VP & Chief Strategy Officer, James LaHaise, recently paid US$33.03 per share to buy US$330k worth of the stock. That's a very decent purchase to our minds and it grew their holding by a solid 14%.

Check out our latest analysis for Ameris Bancorp

Ameris Bancorp Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent purchase by James LaHaise was the biggest purchase of Ameris Bancorp shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being US$29.65). Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 10.91k shares for US$368k. On the other hand they divested 5.54k shares, for US$288k. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by Ameris Bancorp insiders. 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 insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Does Ameris Bancorp Boast High 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. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It's great to see that Ameris Bancorp insiders own 5.6% of the company, worth about US$115m. 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 Do The Ameris Bancorp Insider Transactions Indicate?

It is good to see recent purchasing. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Ameris Bancorp insiders are well aligned, and quite possibly think the share price is too low. That's what I like to see! So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. While conducting our analysis, we found that Ameris Bancorp has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore it.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

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, but not derivative transactions.

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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.

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