Core Viewpoint - SouthState Corporation (SSB) has shown strong performance with an 11.6% increase in shares over the past three months, outperforming the industry growth of 6.8% and its peers [1][8] Financial Performance - The Federal Reserve's recent interest rate cuts are expected to ease funding pressures and stabilize deposit costs, benefiting banks like SouthState [4] - SouthState's net interest income (NII) has achieved a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.9% through 2024, with continued improvement in the first half of 2025 [5] - The net interest margin (NIM) improved in the first half of 2025 due to balance sheet optimization, despite a decline in 2024 from elevated funding costs [5][6] - Revenue growth is projected to continue, with estimates suggesting a year-over-year increase of 51.93% for 2025 and 4.76% for 2026 [9][10] Growth Strategies - SouthState has expanded its market presence through acquisitions, including the significant acquisition of Independent Bank in January 2025, which increased total assets to $65.1 billion [10][11] - The company has maintained strong organic growth, with a revenue CAGR of 21.5% over the past five years, continuing into the first half of 2025 [6][7] Liquidity and Shareholder Returns - SouthState has a solid liquidity position, with total debt of $1.2 billion against cash and cash equivalents of $3.5 billion as of June 30, 2025 [12] - The company has consistently raised dividends since 2020, with a recent hike of 11.1% in July 2025, resulting in a payout ratio of 26% and a five-year annualized dividend growth of 3.30% [13][16] Risks and Concerns - Elevated non-interest expenses have shown a CAGR of 16.6% from 2019 to 2024, driven by various operational costs [18] - The loan portfolio is heavily concentrated in real estate, with 72.9% of loans having real estate as collateral, increasing exposure to commercial real estate risks [20][21] Valuation - SouthState's trailing price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 1.15X is below the industry average of 1.88X, indicating that shares are trading at a discount compared to peers [23]