Fidelity Southern shares set to post best day since 2009 after Ameris deal

Lionsgate Studios

17/12/2018 16:12

** Shares of Fidelity Southern Corp  LION.O  jump as much as
23 pct to hit a near 3-month high at $26.35 after Ameris Bancorp
 ABCB.O  agrees to buy the financial services co for about
$750.7 mln
    ** ACBC's all-stock offer of $27.22, or 0.80 ACBC share for
each LION common share, represents a premium of 27 pct to LION's
Fri close  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nPncfcVjwa
    ** LION shares on track to post best one-day gain since Aug
2009; second biggest pct gainer among all U.S. exchanges 
    ** Atlanta, Georgia-based Fidelity Southern, which provides
banking, wealth management and credit-related insurance products
will merge with Moultrie, Georgia-based Ameris Bancorp to form
co holding assets worth $16.2 bln
    ** Fidelity reported better-than-expected Q3 results, EPS of
47 cents on net interest income of $38.75 mln 
    ** Deal expected to close in Q2 2019, subject to regulatory
and shareholder approval
    ** Ameris Bancorp shares down 3.8 pct at $32.73, touches a
near 2-1/2 yr low

 (Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru)
 ((sruthi.shankar.reuters.com@reuters.net))