NOTE 3 – BUSINESS COMBINATIONS

On June 30, 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of The Coastal Bankshares, Inc. (“Coastal”), a bank holding company headquartered in Savannah, Georgia. Upon consummation of the acquisition, Coastal was merged with and into the Company, with Ameris as the surviving entity in the merger. At that time, Coastal’s wholly owned banking subsidiary, The Coastal Bank (“Coastal Bank”), was also merged with and into the Bank. The acquisition grew the Company’s existing market presence, as Coastal Bank had a total of six banking locations in Chatham, Liberty and Effingham Counties, Georgia. Coastal’s common shareholders received 0.4671 of a share of the Company’s common stock in exchange for each share of Coastal’s common stock. As a result, the Company issued 1,598,998 common shares at a fair value of $34.5 million and paid $2.8 million cash in exchange for outstanding warrants.

The acquisition of Coastal was accounted for using the purchase method of accounting in accordance with FASB ASC 805, Business Combinations. Assets acquired, liabilities assumed and consideration exchanged were recorded at their respective acquisition date fair values. Determining the fair value of assets and liabilities is a complicated process involving significant judgment regarding methods and assumptions used to calculate estimated fair values. Fair values are preliminary and subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of the acquisition as additional information regarding the closing date fair values becomes available. During the third quarter of 2014, management revised its initial estimates regarding the valuation of other real estate owned. In addition, during the third and fourth quarters of 2014, management continued its assessment and recorded the deferred tax assets resulting from differences in the carrying values of acquired assets and assumed liabilities for financial reporting purposes and their basis for income tax purposes. This estimate also reflects acquired net operating loss carryforwards and other acquired assets with built-in losses that are expected to be settled or otherwise recovered in future periods where the realization of such benefits would be subject to applicable limitations under Sections 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Management continues to evaluate fair value adjustments related to deferred tax assets, pending the filing of the final tax return for Coastal.

The following table presents the assets acquired and liabilities of Coastal assumed as of June 30, 2014 and their fair value estimates:


(Dollars in Thousands)	As Recorded by Coastal			Initial Fair Value Adjustments			Subsequent Fair Value Adjustments			As Recorded by Ameris
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$	3,895		$	—		$	—		$	3,895
Federal funds sold and interest-bearing balances		15,923			—			—			15,923
Investment securities		67,266			(500	)(a)		—			66,766
Other investments		975			—			—			975
Mortgage loans held for sale		7,288			—			—			7,288
Loans		296,141			(16,700	)(b)		—			279,441
Less allowance for loan losses		(3,218	)		3,218	(c)		—			—

Loans, net		292,923			(13,482	)		—			279,441
Other real estate owned		14,992			(3,528	)(d)		(2,600	)(g)		8,864
Premises and equipment		11,882			—			—			11,882
Intangible assets		507			4,266	(e)		(231	)(h)		4,542
Cash value of bank owned life insurance		7,812			—			—			7,812
Other assets		14,898			—			(752	)(i)		14,146

Total assets	$	438,361		$	(13,244	)	$	(3,583	)	$	421,534

Liabilities
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing	$	80,012		$	—		$	—		$	80,012
Interest-bearing		289,012			—			—			289,012

Total deposits		369,024			—			—			369,024
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase		5,428			—			—			5,428
Other borrowings		22,005			—			—			22,005
Other liabilities		6,192			—			—			6,192
Subordinated deferrable interest debentures		15,465			(6,413	)(f)		—			9,052

Total liabilities		418,114			(6,413	)		—			411,701

Net identifiable assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed		20,247			(6,831	)		(3,583	)		9,833
Goodwill		—			23,854			3,583			27,437

Net assets acquired over (under) liabilities assumed	$	20,247		$	17,023		$	—		$	37,270

Consideration:
Ameris Bancorp common shares issued		1,598,998
Purchase price per share of the Company’s common stock	$	21.56

Company common stock issued		34,474
Cash exchanged for shares		2,796

Fair value of total consideration transferred	$	37,270

Explanation of fair value adjustments

(a)	Adjustment reflects the fair value adjustments of the available for sale portfolio as of the acquisition date.

(b)	Adjustment reflects the fair value adjustments based on the Company’s evaluation of the acquired loan portfolio.

(c)	Adjustment reflects the elimination of Coastal’s allowance for loan losses.

(d)	Adjustment reflects the fair value adjustment based on the Company’s evaluation of the acquired OREO portfolio.

(e)	Adjustment reflects the recording of core deposit intangible on the acquired core deposit accounts.

(f)	Adjustment reflects the fair value adjustment to the subordinated deferrable interest debentures at the acquisition date.

(g)	Adjustment reflects the additional fair value adjustment based on the Company’s evaluation of the acquired OREO portfolio.

(h)	Adjustment reflects final recording of core deposit intangible on the acquired core deposit accounts.

(i)	Adjustment reflects the deferred taxes on the difference in the carrying values of acquired assets and assumed liabilities for financial reporting purposes and their basis for federal income tax purposes.

Goodwill of $27.4 million, which is the excess of the merger consideration over the fair value of net assets acquired, was recorded in the Coastal acquisition and is the result of expected operational synergies and other factors. This goodwill is not expected to be deductible for tax purposes.

The results of operations of Coastal subsequent to the acquisition date are included in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The following unaudited pro forma information reflects the Company’s estimated consolidated results of operations as if the acquisition had occurred on January 1, 2014, unadjusted for potential cost savings (in thousands).


	Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
Net interest income and noninterest income	$	52,590
Net income	$	9,052
Net income available to common stockholders	$	8,766
Income per common share available to common stockholders – basic	$	0.33
Income per common share available to common stockholders – diluted	$	0.32
Average number of shares outstanding, basic		26,743
Average number of shares outstanding, diluted		27,172

In the acquisition, the Company purchased $279.4 million of loans at fair value, net of $16.7 million, or 5.64%, estimated discount to the outstanding principal balance. Of the total loans acquired, management identified $29.3 million that were considered to be credit impaired and are accounted for under ASC Topic 310-30. The table below summarizes the total contractually required principal and interest cash payment, management’s estimate of expected total cash payments and fair value of the loans as of acquisition date for purchased credit impaired loans. Contractually required principal and interest payment have been adjusted for estimated prepayments.


Contractually required principal and interest	$	38,194
Non-accretable difference		(5,632	)

Cash flows expected to be collected		32,562
Accretable yield		(3,282	)

Total purchased credit-impaired loans acquired	$	29,280

A rollforward of purchased non-covered loans for the three months ended March 31, 2015, the year ended December 31, 2014 and the three months ended March 31, 2014 is shown below:


(Dollars in Thousands)	March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014			March 31, 2014
Balance, January 1	$	674,239		$	448,753		$	448,753
Charge-offs, net of recoveries		(244	)		(84	)		—
Additions due to acquisitions		—			279,441			—
Accretion		3,111			9,745			1,023
Transfers to purchased non-covered other real estate owned		(1,094	)		(4,160	)		(68	)
Transfer from covered loans due to loss-share expiration		—			15,475			—
Payments received		(32,920	)		(74,931	)		(12,439	)

Ending balance	$	643,092		$	674,239		$	437,269

The following is a summary of changes in the accretable discounts of purchased non-covered loans during the three months ended March 31, 2015, the year ended December 31, 2014 and the three months ended March 31, 2014:


(Dollars in Thousands)	March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014			March 31, 2014
Balance, January 1	$	25,716		$	26,189		$	26,189
Additions due to acquisitions		—			7,799			—
Accretion		(3,111	)		(9,745	)		(1,023	)
Transfers between non-accretable and accretable discounts, net		(2,376	)		1,473			2,680

Ending balance	$	20,229		$	25,716		$	27,846