SouthState Bank (NYSE:SSB) Sees Large Volume Increase Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

SouthState Bank Corporation (NYSE:SSB) shares saw unusually-high trading volume on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. Approximately 745,432 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 16% from the previous session’s volume of 640,611 shares.The stock last traded at $104.0750 and had previously closed at $100.56.

The company reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.30 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $686.87 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $667.88 million. SouthState Bank had a net margin of 21.26% and a return on equity of 10.94%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.93 earnings per share.

SouthState Bank Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th will be issued a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 6th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. SouthState Bank’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.53%.

SouthState Bank News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting SouthState Bank this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — SouthState reported $2.47 EPS vs. $2.30 expected and revenue of $686.9M vs. ~$667.9M, driven by higher net interest income and fee revenue; EPS rose ~28% year-over-year. MarketBeat Q4 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns boosted — company declared a $0.60 quarterly dividend (ex-div Feb 6) and authorized a new stock repurchase plan, supporting capital return expectations. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Balance-sheet momentum — loan and deposit growth accelerated in the quarter, reinforcing revenue runway from higher earning assets. Investing.com Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Full detail available — the company’s Q4 earnings call transcript and slide presentation give management commentary and metrics for investors doing deeper diligence. Earnings Call Transcript Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst narrative shifting — coverage and price-target commentary are changing after the print; this could re-rate sentiment but the direction depends on follow-through from guidance and capital metrics. Yahoo Finance: Analyst Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Talent hire announced — new strategic hiring aimed at 2026 growth; likely helpful longer-term but low immediate impact on results. Talent Acquisition Release
• Negative Sentiment: Rising provisions and higher operating expenses — analysts and press coverage note increased loan-loss provisions and expense growth that weighed on margins despite the top-line beat, a key reason investors are cautious. Zacks Earnings Analysis

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on SSB. Barclays dropped their price target on SouthState Bank from $125.00 to $122.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 19th. Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of SouthState Bank from $121.00 to $118.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of SouthState Bank in a research report on Friday, December 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $115.00 price target for the company. DA Davidson lowered their price objective on shares of SouthState Bank from $117.00 to $112.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of SouthState Bank from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $115.07.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SouthState Bank

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SSB. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in SouthState Bank by 12.4% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 991 shares of the company’s stock worth $91,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management lifted its stake in SouthState Bank by 1.7% during the third quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management now owns 6,456 shares of the company’s stock worth $638,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of SouthState Bank by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 2,480 shares of the company’s stock worth $245,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Nicholson Wealth Management Group LLC increased its position in shares of SouthState Bank by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Nicholson Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 7,201 shares of the company’s stock valued at $663,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of SouthState Bank by 14.0% during the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,090 shares of the company’s stock valued at $100,000 after buying an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. 89.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

SouthState Bank Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $10.07 billion, a PE ratio of 12.75 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a 50 day moving average of $94.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

SouthState Bank Company Profile

SouthState Bank (NYSE: SSB) is a bank holding company headquartered in Winter Haven, Florida, that provides a range of commercial and retail banking services. Through its subsidiary, SouthState Bank, the company serves businesses, institutions and individuals with deposit, lending and treasury management solutions. Its core business lines include commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate lending, consumer mortgages and home equity loans.

In addition to traditional lending and deposit products, SouthState Bank offers specialized services such as treasury and cash management, merchant services, payment solutions and online banking.