The Florida company's fourth-quarter results included double-digit loan growth and a $328 million income tax benefit associated with recently passed tax reform.
The Arkansas company's earnings fell 52% from a year earlier, reflecting a higher provision, a revaluation of its deferred tax asset and higher costs following a series of bank acquisitions.
Ameris, which was operating under a regulatory order when it agreed to buy Atlantic Coast, agreed to pay more money if it failed to complete the acquisition by mid-2018.
The company expects to report a $15 million gain in the fourth quarter from the stock sales, which will more than offset any deferred-tax impairment tied to recently passed tax reform.
