Pierson Michael T 4

What Happened

• Michael T. Pierson, Chief Governance Officer of Ameris Bancorp (ABCB), received stock awards on Feb 19, 2026: a performance-based grant of 12,424 shares (PSU payout under a 2021 Omnibus plan) and a separate grant of 2,412 restricted shares. To cover tax withholding on the larger grant, 5,534 shares were surrendered/disposed at $82.93 per share, generating proceeds/value of $458,935. The 2,412-share grant vests in three equal annual installments of 804 shares on Feb 19 of 2027, 2028 and 2029.

Key Details

• Transaction date: Feb 19, 2026; Form 4 filed Feb 23, 2026 (timely within required business days).
• Awards: 12,424 shares (PSU settlement; originally granted Feb 23, 2023) and 2,412 shares (time-vesting).
• Tax withholding/disposition: 5,534 shares withheld at $82.93/share = $458,935 (reported as disposition to satisfy tax).
• Vesting for the 2,412-share award: 804 shares annually on Feb 19 in 2027, 2028, 2029.
• Footnotes: awards issued under the Ameris Bancorp 2021 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan. Filing notes totals include an extra 422.733642 shares from ESPP/dividend reinvestment and 60.55091 shares in the reporting person's 401(k).
• Shares owned after the transactions are not specified in the provided filing extract.

Context

• This was an equity award plus a routine tax-withholding share surrender (not an open-market sale). The withholding is a common way to satisfy tax obligations when awards vest and does not necessarily signal a view on the stock. The larger award was a PSU settlement tied to a prior (2023) grant; the smaller grant is time-vested over three years. Transaction codes: A = award/acquisition; F = withholding/tax disposition.