United Community Banks, Inc. operates as the financial holding company for United Community Bank that provides financial products and services to commercial, retail, government, education, energy, health care, and real estate sectors. The company accepts various deposit products, including checking, savings, money market, and other deposit accounts. It also offers lending services, including real estate, consumer, and commercial loans, to individuals, small businesses, mid-sized commercial businesses, and non-profit organizations, as well as secured and unsecured, and mortgage loans. In addition, the company originate loans partially guaranteed by the SBA and USDA loan programs. Further, it provides wealth management services comprising financial planning, customized portfolio management, and investment advice; trust services to manage fiduciary assets; non-deposit investment products; and insurance products, including life insurance, long-term care insurance, and tax-deferred annuities, as well as invests in residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, the U.S. treasury, the U.S. agency, and municipal obligations. Additionally, the company offers reinsurance on a property insurance contract; insurance agency services; brokerage services; and payment processing, merchant, wire transfer, private banking, and other related financial services. It operates through a network of 171 branches in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. United Community Banks, Inc. was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Blairsville, Georgia.
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- Bank of America for Southeastern U.S. communities.
- Wells Fargo for local relationships in the Southeast.
- A regional Chase Bank, serving local communities in the Southeast.
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Deposit Accounts: Provides various checking, savings, money market, and certificate of deposit accounts for individuals and businesses to manage their funds.
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Consumer Lending: Offers loans to individual customers for personal needs, including residential mortgages, home equity loans, and auto financing.
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Commercial Lending: Supplies a range of loans and credit facilities to businesses for operations, expansion, and commercial real estate projects.
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Treasury Management Services: Delivers comprehensive cash management solutions, including payment processing, fraud protection, and liquidity management, for business clients.
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Wealth Management & Investment Services: Offers financial planning, investment advisory, and asset management services to help clients achieve their financial goals.
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United Community Banks (UCB) primarily serves a diverse base of direct customers, including individuals and businesses, rather than selling its services primarily to other companies as intermediaries. Therefore, the following categories of customers are served:
- Individuals/Consumers: This category encompasses retail customers seeking a wide array of personal financial products and services, including checking and savings accounts, mortgages, home equity loans, personal loans, and other consumer lending options.
- Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs): UCB provides comprehensive banking and financial solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises. This includes commercial loans, lines of credit, business checking and savings accounts, treasury management services, and various business banking products tailored to support local and regional companies.
- Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Investors and Developers: A significant segment of UCB's customer base consists of investors, developers, and businesses involved in commercial real estate. The bank offers financing for the acquisition, construction, and development of commercial properties.
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- FIS (FIS)
- Visa Inc. (V)
- Mastercard Incorporated (MA)
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H. Lynn Harton, Chairman and CEO
Mr. Harton has 40 years of experience in the banking industry. He joined United Community Banks in 2012 as Chief Operating Officer, became President in 2015, CEO of the Bank in 2017, CEO of United Community Banks in 2018, and Chairman in 2019. Prior to joining United, he served as Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Banking-South for TD Bank, N.A., and previously as President and CEO of The South Financial Group. His career also includes executive positions at BB&T, Union Planters Corporation, and Regions Financial Corporation.
Jefferson Harralson, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Harralson joined United Community Banks in 2017. He has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Before his role at United, he was a Managing Director and Vice President at Keefe, Bruyette and Woods (KBW), where he was responsible for rebuilding the firm's Southeastern Bank Research effort after September 11, 2001, and led their small and midsized bank research team.
Richard W. Bradshaw, President and Chief Banking Officer
Robert A. Edwards, Chief Risk Officer
Melinda Davis Lux, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Prior to joining United Community Banks, Ms. Lux was a partner at Womble Bond Dickinson in Greenville, S.C., and a corporate partner at Wyche, P.A.
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The key risks to United Community Banks (UCB) primarily revolve around macroeconomic conditions and specific loan portfolio exposures.
- Economic Downturn or Recession: A significant risk for UCB, as a cyclical banking business, is the possibility of a recession or broader economic downturn. Such an environment could negatively impact loan demand, increase credit losses, and reduce overall profitability. Elevated inflation, and the Federal Reserve's response through potential interest rate adjustments, also pose a risk to the bank's performance.
- Credit Quality in Commercial Real Estate (CRE) and Specialized Lending: UCB has concentrated exposure to commercial real estate and specialized lending portfolios. Unexpected credit deterioration within these segments could significantly challenge the bank's growth, margins, and overall valuation.
- Interest Rate and Yield Curve Risks: As a financial institution, UCB is sensitive to changes in interest rates and the yield curve. Fluctuations can impact the bank's net interest margin, as the cost of deposits and the yield on loans may not move in tandem. This includes risks from changes in economic conditions and monetary policy.
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Intensified competition from financial technology (fintech) companies and digital-only banks.
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The addressable markets for United Community Banks' main products and services, primarily within the United States, are as follows:
- Retail Banking: The U.S. Retail Banking Market is expected to reach approximately USD 0.87 trillion in 2025 and grow to USD 1.08 trillion by 2030. This market encompasses services such as checking accounts, savings accounts, personal loans, credit cards, and mortgages, which are core offerings of United Community Banks.
- Commercial Banking: The U.S. Commercial Banking Market was valued at USD 732.5 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 915.45 billion by 2030. This market includes services like commercial lending, treasury management, and other financial products for businesses, which United Community Banks provides to commercial, governmental, educational, energy, healthcare, and real estate sectors.
- Overall Financial Services: The broader United States Financial Services Market was valued at approximately USD 59.48 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to USD 88.71 billion by 2030. This market encompasses a wide range of financial activities, including banking services (retail, commercial, investment, private, digital/neo banking), insurance, and wealth management, all of which United Community Banks offers to some extent.
United Community Banks primarily operates across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The provided market sizes are for the entire United States.
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Here are 3-5 expected drivers of future revenue growth for United Community Banks (UCB) over the next 2-3 years:
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Strategic Market Expansion and Customer Growth: United Community Banks is focused on expanding its presence in high-growth Southeastern U.S. markets, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This expansion occurs through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions, such as the recent integration of American National Bank (ANB), which bolsters its footprint in Florida and presents opportunities for cross-selling a comprehensive suite of financial products and customer acquisition. The bank also emphasizes disciplined hiring of lending talent in these key markets to support growth.
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Targeted Loan Growth: UCB anticipates accelerated loan growth, supported by a robust pipeline and the recruitment of experienced commercial lenders. The company maintains a diversified loan portfolio, with commercial lending and residential mortgages being significant contributors. Growth in total loans, like the 12% increase from the previous year reported in Q1 2024, is a direct driver of interest income.
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Net Interest Margin (NIM) Expansion and Optimized Deposit Costs: Management expects further net interest margin expansion, primarily driven by continued reductions in deposit costs as higher-rate certificates of deposit mature. Efforts to stabilize non-interest-bearing balances and lower interest-bearing deposit rates are key to improving the cost of funds and, consequently, the net interest margin.
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Diversification of Income Streams: UCB aims to grow revenue through the diversification of its income streams, with a focus on increasing fee income. This includes activities such as wealth management and mortgage banking, which help to reduce reliance on traditional interest income and make profits more resilient. The bank offers a full range of consumer and commercial banking products, including specialized lending, advisory services, and treasury management.
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Share Repurchases
- United Community Banks repurchased 507,000 shares for $14 million in fiscal Q2 2025.
- As of August 2024, the board authorized an increase in the existing share repurchase plan to $100 million, extending the authorization until December 31, 2025.
- Prior to this, in November 2023, the company's board re-authorized a repurchase program of up to $50 million, which was set to expire on December 31, 2024.
Share Issuance
- In December 2024, United Community Banks announced an all-stock transaction to acquire American National Bank for approximately $80 million. Under the terms, ANB shareholders will receive 1.650 shares of United common stock for each share of ANB common stock outstanding. This acquisition was finalized in 2025.
- United Community Bank acquired Aquesta Financial Holdings Inc. in October 2021 for $131 million in a cash-and-stock transaction.
Outbound Investments
- United Community Banks agreed to acquire American National Bank, based in Oakland Park, Florida, for approximately $80 million in an all-stock transaction, which was finalized in 2025. This acquisition expands United Community's presence in the Miami metropolitan area.
- In 2023, United Community made an investment in the Miami market with the acquisition of First National Bank of South Miami.
- In early 2022, United completed a merger with Reliant Bancorp in Tennessee, followed by another with Progress Bank & Trust of Huntsville, Alabama, later that year.
Capital Expenditures
- United Community Banks reported capital expenditures of $39.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
- For the year ended December 31, 2022, capital expenditures were $31.8 million.
- Capital expenditures totaled $17.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.
