The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Ameris Bancorp (NYSE: ABCB) and the rest of the regional banks stocks fared in Q4.

Regional banks, financial institutions operating within specific geographic areas, serve as intermediaries between local depositors and borrowers. They benefit from rising interest rates that improve net interest margins (the difference between loan yields and deposit costs), digital transformation reducing operational expenses, and local economic growth driving loan demand. However, these banks face headwinds from fintech competition, deposit outflows to higher-yielding alternatives, credit deterioration (increasing loan defaults) during economic slowdowns, and regulatory compliance costs. Recent concerns about regional bank stability following high-profile failures and significant commercial real estate exposure present additional challenges.

The 95 regional banks stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.5%.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 3.6% on average since the latest earnings results.

Ameris Bancorp (NYSE: ABCB)

Tracing its roots back to 1971 and expanding significantly through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions, Ameris Bancorp (NYSE: ABCB) is a financial holding company that provides a full range of banking services to retail and commercial customers across select markets in the southeastern United States.

Ameris Bancorp reported revenues of $309.9 million, up 6.4% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ net interest income estimates but a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Commenting on the Company’s results, Palmer Proctor, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are proud of our fourth quarter performance and the strong finish to another successful year for Ameris. We remained disciplined and focused on core profitability and enhancing franchise value for our shareholders. This is highlighted by our strong ROA of 1.54%, profitable asset growth that drove margin expansion and positive operating leverage, all accomplished while growing tangible book value over 14% during the year. We reinvested in ourselves, utilizing our share buyback authorization to purchase over $77 million of our common stock in 2025. Given our proven track record and robust capital levels, we are well positioned to capitalize on the growth opportunity across our Southeast footprint going forward. "

Interestingly, the stock is up 2% since reporting and currently trades at $82.93.

Read our full report on Ameris Bancorp here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ: MBIN)

With a strategic focus on low-risk, government-backed lending programs, Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQCM:MBIN) is an Indiana-based bank holding company specializing in multi-family mortgage banking, mortgage warehousing, and traditional banking services.

Merchants Bancorp reported revenues of $185.3 million, down 4.4% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7.8%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ net interest income estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 28.8% since reporting. It currently trades at $45.03.

Is now the time to buy Merchants Bancorp? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: The Bancorp (NASDAQ: TBBK)

Operating behind the scenes of many popular fintech apps and prepaid cards you might use daily, The Bancorp (NASDAQ: TBBK) is a bank holding company that specializes in providing banking services to fintech companies and offering specialty lending products.

The Bancorp reported revenues of $172.7 million, up 8.2% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 11%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 18% since the results and currently trades at $57.81.

Read our full analysis of The Bancorp’s results here.

First Hawaiian Bank (NASDAQ: FHB)

Dating back to 1858 as Hawaii's oldest bank with deep roots in the Pacific island communities, First Hawaiian (NASDAQ: FHB) operates a full-service community bank providing deposit accounts, commercial and consumer loans, credit cards, and wealth management services across Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan.

First Hawaiian Bank reported revenues of $225.9 million, up 5.4% year on year. This number met analysts’ expectations. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded a narrow beat of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates but EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.

The stock is down 4.9% since reporting and currently trades at $26.23.

Read our full, actionable report on First Hawaiian Bank here, it’s free.

Simmons First National (NASDAQ: SFNC)

With roots dating back to 1903 and a presence across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas, Simmons First National (NASDAQ: SFNC) is a regional bank holding company that provides banking and financial services to individuals and businesses.

Simmons First National reported revenues of $251.9 million, up 17.2% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 5.3%. It was a very strong quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is up 9.8% since reporting and currently trades at $21.17.

Read our full, actionable report on Simmons First National here, it’s free.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.