ABCB vs SSB: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: SSB is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. ABCB and SSB share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined ABCB and SSB exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Ameris Bancorp is the holding company for Ameris Bank, a relationship-focused Southeastern regional bank headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with roots going back to 1971 in Moultrie, Georgia. It operates roughly 380 banking centers across about eight Southeastern states (Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland), and makes money from commercial and consumer deposits, commercial real estate and residential lending, treasury management, mortgage banking, and other fee-based services. As of late 2025 it managed roughly $27 billion in total assets, with more than $22 billion in deposits and over $21 billion in loans.

Full ABCB guide

SouthState Corporation (NYSE: SSB) is the holding company for SouthState Bank, a regional bank headquartered in Winter Haven, Florida, with roughly 370 branches spread across nine states including South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado, and Texas. The bank offers standard commercial and consumer banking, mortgage lending, and wealth management, and it grew materially after closing its all-stock acquisition of Texas-based Independent Financial (formerly Independent Bank Group) on January 1, 2025, which pushed it into Texas and Colorado. As of Q1 2026 the company reported about $68 billion in total assets, roughly $49.5 billion in loans, and roughly $55.9 billion in deposits.

Full SSB guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• ABCB drivers: Southeast growth footprint; Margin and profitability expansion.
• SSB drivers: Independent Financial integration and scale; Net interest income and margin.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: As a regional bank, Ameris is sensitive to interest rate swings, which affect both its net interest margin and the value of its securities and deposit franchise. For SSB, as a regional bank, SSB carries the classic sector risks: rising deposit costs or an inverted yield curve can compress net interest margin, and a credit downturn (especially in commercial real estate, a meaningful part of most regional loan books) can drive higher provisions and losses.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick ABCB if you believe its drivers more; SSB if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the ABCB and SSB guides.

ABCB. Ameris reported Q1 2026 net income of about $110.5 million ($1.63 per diluted share), up from $1.27 a year earlier, on roughly $422 million of quarterly revenue. At a market cap near $5.9 billion the shares trade around a low-teens trailing P/E, a typical range for a profitable mid-cap regional bank. The modest ~0.9% dividend yield reflects a low payout ratio, leaving most earnings to fund growth and build capital.

SSB. SSB trades at a modest valuation typical of profitable regional banks, with a P/E around 10 to 11 times and a dividend yield near 2.5% at a share price around the high-$90s. Q1 2026 return on assets of about 1.37% and return on tangible common equity near 17.6% are solid for the sector. Figures are approximate and drawn from Q1 2026 reporting; bank earnings can swing quarter to quarter with provisions and rate moves.

Headline figures (approximate, July 2026): ABCB shows net interest income (q1 2026, annualized) ~$980M, total revenue (q1 2026) ~$422M, diluted eps (q1 2026) ~$1.63, market cap ~$5.9B; SSB shows total assets ~$68B, net revenue (q1 2026) ~$650M, net income (q1 2026) ~$226M, diluted eps (q1 2026) ~$2.28.

ABCB and SSB are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined ABCB and SSB exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.