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United Community Banks

ucbi · NASDAQ Financial Services
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Ticker ucbi
Exchange NASDAQ
Sector Financial Services
Industry Banks - Regional
Employees 1001-5000
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FY2017 Annual Report · United Community Banks
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ANNUAL 
REPORT
2017

  U N I T E D   C O M M U N I T Y   B A N K S ,  I N C .  2017  A N N UA L   R E P O R T    |   1 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 (in millions, except per share data) 

CORE EARNINGS SUMMARY 
 Net interest revenue 

 Fee revenue 

 Operating expenses (excluding merger-related and other non-operating charges) 

      Pre-tax, pre-credit earnings 

 Provision for credit losses 

 Merger-related and other non-operating charges, net of taxes

 Operating income tax expense (excl. benefit on merger, and other non-operating charges)

      Net income  

 Preferred dividends 

 2017 

 2016 

 $    355.9   

 $    309.8   

 88.3 

252.9 

 191.3

(3.8)  

(52.5)

 (67.2)

 67.8

 -

 93.7 

233.2 

 170.3

.8 

(6.0)

 (64.4)

100.7 

 (.1)

      Net income available to common shareholders 

  $      67.8 

 $   100.6 

PER COMMON SHARE 
 Diluted earnings—GAAP
 Diluted earnings—operating (1)
 Cash dividends declared

 Book value 

 Tangible book value 

PERFORMANCE MEASURES 
 Net interest margin 

 Allowance for loan losses to loans

 Return on assets—GAAP
 Return on assets—operating (1)
 Return on common equity—GAAP
 Return on tangible common equity—operating (1)
 Average equity to average assets
 Average tangible common equity to average assets
 Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio

AS OF YEAR-END 
 Loans 

 Investment securities 

 Total assets 

 Deposits 

 Shareholders’ equity 

 Common shares outstanding (thousands) 

 Beneficial owners 

 Employees 

 Banking offices 

 $           .92 
1.63

 $        1.40
1.48

.38

16.67

 13.65 

.30

15.06

 12.95 

 3.52  % 

 3.36  % 

.76

.62

 1.09 

5.67

 12.02 
10.71
9.29
12.24

.89

1.00

 1.06 

9.41

 11.86 
10.54
9.19
11.23

 $      7,736 

 $      6,921 

2,937

 11,915 

 9,808 

1,303 

 77,580 

17,700

2,175

 156

 2,762

 10,709 

 8,638 

1,076 

 70,899 

15,100

1,961

 139

(1)  Excludes the effect of merger-related and other non-operating charges of $14.7 million and $8.1 million, respectively, in 2017 and 2016; impact of remeasurement of net deferred 
tax asset resulting from 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of $38.2 million; release of disproportionate tax effects lodged in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) of $3.4 million in 
2017; impairment charge of $1.0 million in 2016 resulting from the cancellation of nonqualified stock options.

2   |    U N I T E D   C O M M U N I T Y   B A N K S ,  I N C . 2017  A N N UA L   R E P O R T

 
LET TER TO SHAREHOLDERS

For the past three years, I have opened this letter by describing our results as exceptional, 
outstanding and transformative. Thanks to the efforts of our bankers, the commitment of our 
shareholders and the goodwill and loyalty of our customers, I can characterize 2017 with all three 
of those adjectives once again, and a few more as well. It was truly a momentous year:

1.   After crossing the $10 billion-asset threshold, United Community Bank became regulated 

as a large financial institution. This transition has caused some banks to stumble; however, 
with careful planning and prudent management, we absorbed the impacts and generated 
outstanding financial and operating results. We improved operating efficiency, increased 
earnings and upped our dividend by 27 percent.

2.   We retained our position as J.D. Power’s top-ranked bank for customer satisfaction in the 
Southeast. Leading trade organizations and media recognized us as a top workplace in  
Georgia and South Carolina and across our industry.

3.   Organic growth and strategic acquisitions once again served us well. Our merger with Horry 

County State Bank solidifies our coastal strategy in South Carolina, and the acquisition of Four 
Oaks Bank & Trust Company grants entry into North Carolina’s fast-growing Raleigh-Durham 
market. We increased core deposits by more than $600 million and made key decisions on the 
lending side that allowed us to grow our portfolio while making a planned exit from the auto 
lending business.

So what else can we say about 2017? In a year so full of success, perhaps the best thing to say is 
“Thank you.” Thanks to our shareholders, our customers and our bankers for the opportunity to 
deliver these results. Let’s look at how we got there.

FINANCE & OPERATIONS

Crossing the $10 billion threshold and becoming regulated as a large financial institution under the 
Dodd-Frank Act in the third and fourth quarter was a hurdle for which we had been preparing since 
2016. That preparation paid off in a major way. The financial impact is significant to the tune of 
$3.3 million per quarter: lost revenue of approximately $2.7 million from the impact of the Durbin 
amendment—which caps the amount of interchange fees that banks can charge merchants for 
accepting their debit cards–and a $600,000 increase in quarterly expense due to the large bank 
deposit insurance assessment model. But not only did we absorb these impacts, we continued to 
grow earnings. Our work to establish the structure to manage this impact while putting strategies 
in place to enhance our strong performance is a truly monumental achievement. 

Our operating financial results were strong. We earned $120 million in net operating income, or 
$1.63 per share—a 10 percent increase from 2016. Operating return on assets was 1.09 percent, 
up from 1.06 percent in 2016. Operating return on tangible common equity also climbed, from 
11.86 percent in 2016 to 12.02 percent in 2017. Our accomplishments are even more remarkable 
considering the financial impact of the Durbin amendment and associated higher FDIC expenses. 

  U N I T E D   C O M M U N I T Y   B A N K S ,  I N C .  2017  A N N UA L   R E P O R T    |   3 

We continued to grow our loan portfolio steadily and prudently. At year-end, total loans were 
$7.736 billion, up $815 million from a year ago, including $702 million in loans from acquisitions. 
Masking strong organic loan growth for 2017 was our second-quarter decision to discontinue 
purchases of indirect auto loans, decreasing our outstanding balances by $101 million from 
last year-end. Although the credit quality of our indirect auto loans remains outstanding, rising 
interest rates made the returns less attractive. Allowing those loans to run off allows us to reinvest 
in higher-yielding opportunities generated by our mortgage, Commercial Banking Solutions and 
traditional lending groups (more on these plans later).  

We achieved strong core deposit growth in 2017, an achievement of which we are very proud. 
Core deposits are the lifeblood of the banking industry, and the true value of a banking franchise 
is found in its core deposit base. This is another area where our bankers truly excelled. Not only 
were we able to grow our core deposits by $623 million excluding acquisitions; we were able to do 
this in a rising rate environment without significantly increasing our deposit pricing. This helped 
increase our net interest margin by 16 basis points year-over-year. Our cost of total deposits is 13 
basis points lower than our peer group, driven primarily by the high-quality core deposit base 
of our company, which we continued to grow intentionally throughout the economic downturn. 
These high-quality core deposits and our year-end loan-to-deposit ratio of 79 percent allow plenty 
of room for additional loan growth.  

Our credit quality is among the best in our peer group, with non-performing assets to total assets 
at .23 percent, down five basis points year-over-year. Our net charge-offs to average loans were 
only eight basis points for the entire year—this is the best performance we have had in decades.

Fee revenue—including non-interest income—declined by 6 percent in 2017, largely due to the 
cap on interchange fees imposed by the Durbin amendment, but we more than covered this gap 
with strong growth in net interest revenue.

Our operating efficiency ratio improved to 56.67 percent as our bankers continued to find efficient 
ways to leverage their time, talents and technology to serve our customers extraordinarily well 
without adding overhead. Importantly, this improved efficiency has not come at the expense of 
United’s golden rule of banking:  to treat our customers as we would want to be treated.  We’ve 
made key investments in our online banking platform, telephone banking and branches so we can 
continue to offer top-notch service no matter how our customers engage with us.   

Traditional branching is still critical to serving our customers well—but it must be balanced 
with advancements in the rapidly growing online and mobile space. More than 150,000 United 
Community Bank customers are now enrolled in online and mobile banking, a 14 percent year-
over-year increase, with a 63 percent increase in the use of mobile banking alone in 2017. The 
average online and mobile user logs into his or her account more than 15 times per month, and 
in the fourth quarter we averaged 37,400 mobile deposits per month. This is a 38 percent year-
over-year increase. As our customers become increasingly comfortable with the convenience of 
mobile banking technology, we must continue investing in secure, user-friendly options to meet 
their needs. 

4   |    U N I T E D   C O M M U N I T Y   B A N K S ,  I N C . 2017  A N N UA L   R E P O R T

CULTURE & QUALITY

Our foundation is the connection between our bankers—who are the best in the business—and 
our customers. We are proud that J.D. Power has once again recognized United as the top bank in 
customer satisfaction in the Southeast, and one of the best in the nation. Also, Forbes has again 
highlighted us as one of the nation’s top 50 banks. 

As we continue to grow, we must focus relentlessly on our heritage of recruiting and retaining 
the very best people. That requires cultivating the right work environment, and it is a pleasure to 
watch United Community Bank President and CEO, Lynn Harton, continue to build and reinforce 
an unmatched culture. Those efforts do not go unnoticed: American Banker highlighted United as 
a “Best Bank to Work For in 2017,” while consulting firms and media outlets have named us among 
the top workplaces in South Carolina and metropolitan Atlanta. 

Our approach combines the resources and advantages of a regional bank with the customer 
service of a community bank. We may be regulated as a “big bank,” but our focus is on acting 
small while providing big-bank resources. Every day, our bankers in Tennessee, Georgia, North 
Carolina, South Carolina and beyond follow our golden rule of banking, reinforcing the foundation 
of ‘The Bank that Service Built®’. 

STRATEGY & GROWTH

While executing on financial, operational and service goals, our leadership team maintains 
focus on the larger picture—the future of United. Our formula, while not complex, is difficult 
to replicate: build and grow a footprint in high-growth metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) 
and in rural communities that generates core deposits and traditional and specialized lending 
opportunities. Two elements are crucial to our formula’s success: a high-quality balance sheet that 
provides flexibility in a rising rate environment, and our bankers’ relentless, caring customer focus.  

We added more bankers that share our focus in 2017 with the completion of two mergers. One 
was with Horry County State Bank in the Myrtle Beach MSA, solidifying our position as a leading 
bank along the fast-growing South Carolina coast. The second merger was with Four Oaks Bank & 
Trust Company, a 105-year-old bank in the Raleigh MSA, North Carolina’s fastest-growing market. 
Four Oaks is ranked number 2 in market share among local community banks in the MSA and 
has 12 locations in this highly attractive area. Both acquisitions are immediately accretive to fully 
diluted operating earnings per share. 

As a result of these moves, our footprint has grown once again, with significant operations in 
four states in some of the strongest metro areas in North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina and 
Georgia. The demographics of our markets are enviable—the anticipated five-year growth rate 
within our footprint is 5.1 percent (versus 3.5 percent nationally) with projected household income 
growth in those areas higher than the national average. Our ability to work in fast-growing urban 
and suburban areas—more than 80 percent of our branches are in metropolitan statistical areas—
as well as strong rural communities is a hallmark of the United brand and sets us apart from many 
of our competitors. 

  U N I T E D   C O M M U N I T Y   B A N K S ,  I N C .  2017  A N N UA L   R E P O R T    |   5 

Our Commercial Banking Solutions business—now entering its fourth year—continues to 
differentiate us and drive incremental growth. The power of this unit is not just the experienced 
and specialized lenders who staff it, but their remarkable partnership with our community 
bankers, who are able to bring large-bank products and resources to customers who often can’t 
access them without big-bank headaches. Just one example is our Small Business Administration 
lending efforts. Three years after starting this business and four months into the Small Business 
Administration’s fiscal year, we are ranked 13th in the country in SBA approvals. We have lenders 
with deep expertise focused on customers in industries from senior care to manufacturing. The 
Commercial Banking Solutions group’s growth is just part of the story; our traditional lending 
division—focused on real estate, construction, and small business—also continues to drive 
earnings with a healthy and diverse lending income stream. 

A GLANCE AHEAD

While no year is without challenges, we are optimistic that 2018 will continue to offer outstanding 
opportunities for our bankers to serve their customers.  

This belief is informed by several factors, but the most notable one is the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 
2017, which has the potential to significantly benefit the economy and our business in the years 
ahead. While the new tax law had a negative one-time impact on our fourth-quarter earnings (as 
it did for most banks), the new lower corporate rate will directly benefit our business. Even more 
importantly, if national projections and initial signs in the marketplace are accurate, the tax law 
will stimulate the economy, inspire consumer confidence, and strongly encourage investments by 
small, medium, and large businesses, generating the loan demand that fuels earnings growth.   

Secondly, our first-quarter 2018 acquisition of NLFC Holding Corp., the parent company of Navitas 
Credit Corp., allows us to offer a product we have sought to provide to our customers for some 
time. Navitas—led by founder and CEO, Gary Shivers, along with an exceptional management 
team—has expertise in equipment finance that adds significant capability to our Commercial 
Banking Solutions unit, covering a gap in our product mix. The commercial equipment business 
is evolving, with purchasers expecting point-of-sale financing options, and Navitas is uniquely 
qualified in this space. The acquisition’s timing is ideal for two reasons: 1) tax reform should lead 
to an increase in equipment purchases and more demand for equipment financing; and 2) Navitas’ 
healthy pipeline allows us to replace the lower yielding auto loans mentioned earlier as they roll 
off with higher yielding opportunities. The Navitas deal will be immediately accretive to earnings, 
with strong yields as we deploy our low-cost core deposits to fund its loans. 

We will continue to look for potential partners while remaining selective. Our partners must have 
a talent pool and location that complement our strategy, along with a high-quality asset base, 
strong leaders and a healthy culture. Navitas, Horry County and Four Oaks are ideal partners that 
understand, fit and embrace the United model.

With these positive impacts, a relentless focus on customer service and a strengthening economy, 
we have targeted a 1.40 percent return on assets and a 16 percent return on tangible common 
equity by the end of 2018. 

6   |    U N I T E D   C O M M U N I T Y   B A N K S ,  I N C . 2017  A N N UA L   R E P O R T

LEADERSHIP UPDATES

In July, Lynn Harton was named CEO of United Community Bank, our banking subsidiary.  
His leadership efforts to enhance our culture, drive efficiency and develop and execute our 
strategy cannot be overstated. Nor can the extraordinary quality of our senior leadership team:  
Chief Financial Officer, Jefferson Harralson; Chief Credit Officer, Rob Edwards; General Counsel  
and Chief Risk Officer, Brad Miller; Community Banking President, Bill Gilbert; and Commercial 
Banking Solutions President, Rich Bradshaw. This group makes sure we stay on-strategy and  
on-target while delivering the environment and success that engage our bankers, customers  
and you: our shareholders.  

One key factor in our success for more than 45 years has been W.C. Nelson. Starting as a bank 
director in 1973 when our bank had only one location in Union County, W.C. was one of the 
original directors of United Community Banks. He has served in many capacities through the years, 
including Chairman, Lead Director and Vice Chairman. On a personal note, he helped recruit me 
to United Community Bank more than 35 years ago, and I can promise our shareholders that this 
bank, and the communities we serve, would not be the same without him. W.C., we applaud you 
not just for your time served, but for your vision and dedication, and wish you well in retirement.  

As visionaries like W.C. depart, we will continue to focus on the path ahead, as he would no doubt 
remind us. On behalf of every member of the United team, thank you for your support. We pledge 
to you our commitment and best effort toward another exceptional year.

Sincerely,

Jimmy Tallent

  U N I T E D   C O M M U N I T Y   B A N K S ,  I N C .  2017  A N N UA L   R E P O R T    |   7 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

 (in thousands, except per share data) 

INTEREST REVENUE
  Loans, including fees
  Investment securities:
    Taxable
    Tax exempt
  Deposits in banks and short-term investments
    Total interest revenue
INTEREST EXPENSE
  Deposits:
    NOW
    Money market
    Savings
    Time
      Total deposit interest expense
  Short-term borrowings
  Federal Home Loan Bank advances
  Long-term debt
      Total interest expense
      Net interest revenue
(Release of ) provision for credit losses
      Net interest revenue after provision for credit losses
FEE REVENUE
  Service charges and fees
  Mortgage loan and other related fees
  Brokerage fees
  Gains from sales of government guaranteed loans
  Securities gains, net
  Losses on prepayment of borrowings
  Other
      Total fee revenue
         Total revenue
OPERATING EXPENSES
  Salaries and employee benefits
  Occupancy
  Communications and equipment
  FDIC assessments and other regulatory charges
  Professional fees
  Postage, printing and supplies
  Advertising and public relations 
  Amortization of intangibles
  Foreclosed property
  Merger-related and other charges
  Other
      Total operating expenses
      Income before income taxes
Income tax expense
      Net income

2017

2016

2015

 $  315,050

 $  268,382 

 $  223,256 

 70,172 
 2,216 
 2,282
 389,720 

 3,365 
 7,033
 135 
 6,529 
 17,062
 352 
 6,095 
 10,226 
 33,735 
 355,985 
 3,800
 352,185 

 38,295 
 18,320 
 4,633 
 10,493 
 42 
  -
 16,477 
 88,260 
  440,445  

 153,098 
 20,344 
 19,660 
 6,534 
 12,074 
 5,952 
 4,242 
 4,845 
 1,254 
 13,901 
 25,707 
 267,611  
  172,834  
  105,013  
  67,821  

 63,413 
 614 
 2,611
 335,020 

 1,903 
 4,982 
 135 
 3,136 
 10,156
 399 
 3,676 
 11,005 
 25,236 
 309,784 
 (800) 
 310,584 

 42,113 
 20,292 
 4,280 
 9,545 
 982 
 -
 16,485 
93,697 
 404,281  

 138,789 
 19,603 
 18,355 
 5,866 
 11,822 
 5,382 
 4,426 
 4,182 
 1,051 
 8,122 
 23,691 
 241,289  
  162,992  
  62,336
  100,656  

 51,143 
 705 
 3,428
 278,532 

 1,505 
 3,466 
 98 
 3,756 
 8,825
 364 
 1,743 
 10,177 
 21,109 
 257,423 
 3,700 
 253,723 

 36,825 
 13,592 
 5,041 
 6,276 
 2,255 
 (1,294)
 9,834 
 72,529 
  326,252  

 116,688 
 15,372 
 15,273 
 5,106 
 10,175 
 4,273 
 3,667 
 2,444 
 32 
 17,995 
 20,213 
 211,238  
  115,014  
  43,436  
  71,578  

      Net income available to common shareholders

 $    67,250 

 $ 100,635 

 $     71,511 

Income per common share:
     Basic
     Diluted
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
     Basic
     Diluted

8   |    U N I T E D   C O M M U N I T Y   B A N K S ,  I N C . 2017  A N N UA L   R E P O R T

 $           .92 
 .92 

 $         1.40 
 1.40 

 $         1.09 
 1.09 

 73,247
 73,259 

 71,910 
 71,915 

 65,488 
 65,492 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 (in thousands, except share data) 

ASSETS
Cash and due from banks
Interest-bearing deposits in banks

      Cash and cash equivalents

Securities available-for-sale
Securities held-to-maturity (fair value $321,276 and $333,170)
Mortgage loans held for sale (includes $26,252 and $27,891 at fair value)
Loans, net of unearned income
    Less allowance for loan losses
        Loans, net
Premises and equipment, net
Bank owned life insurance
Accrued interest receivable
Net deferred tax asset
Derivative financial instruments
Goodwill and other intangible assets
Other assets
            Total assets

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Liabilities:
   Deposits:
      Demand
      NOW
      Money market
      Savings
      Time
      Brokered
            Total deposits
   Short-term borrowings
   Federal Home Loan Bank advances
   Long-term debt
   Derivative financial instruments
   Accrued expenses and other liabilities
            Total liabilities

Commitments and contingencies

Shareholders’ equity:
   Preferred stock, $1 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized;
      Series H, $1,000 stated value; 0 shares issued and outstanding
   Common stock, $1 par value; 150,000,000 shares authorized;
        77,579,561 and 70,899,114 shares issued and outstanding
   Common stock, non-voting, $1 par value; 26,000,000 shares authorized;
        0 shares issued and outstanding
   Common stock issuable; 607,869 and 519,874 shares
   Capital surplus
   Accumulated deficit
   Accumulated other comprehensive loss
            Total shareholders’ equity
            Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

2017

2016

 $          129,108
 185,167 

 314,275 

 2,615,850 
 321,094
 32,734 
 7,735,572 
 (58,914)
 7,676,658
 208,852 
 188,970 
 32,459 
 88,049 
 22,721 
244,397
169,401
 $11,915,460

 $    3,087,797
 2,131,939 
 2,016,748 
 651,742 
1,548,460
 371,011
 9,807,697  
 50,000 
504,651 
 120,545 
 25,376 
 103,857 
 10,612,126

 $          99,489  
 117,859  

217,348  

  2,432,438  
 329,843 
 29,878 
6,920,636
(61,422)
6,859,214 
 189,938  
  143,543  
  28,018 
 154,336 
23,688 
156,222
144,189
 $10,708,655    

 $    2,637,004
 1,989,763 
 1,846,440 
 549,713 
1,287,142
 327,496 
 8,637,558  
 5,000 
 709,209 
 175,078 
 27,648 
 78,427 
 9,632,920 

 - 

 - 

 77,580

 70,899 

 - 
 9,083 
 1,451,814 
 (209,902)
 (25,241)
 1,303,334 
 $11,915,460 

 - 
 7,327 
 1,275,849 
 (251,857)
 (26,483)
 1,075,735 
 $10,708,655 

  U N I T E D   C O M M U N I T Y   B A N K S ,  I N C .  2017  A N N UA L   R E P O R T    |   9 

SELECTED DATA—QUARTERLY SUMMARY

(in millions, except per share data)

EARNINGS SUMMARY
Net interest revenue
Fee revenue
     Total revenue
Operating expenses (1)
     Pre-tax, pre-credit earnings (1)
Provision for credit losses
Merger-related and other non-operating charges, net of tax effect
Operating income tax expense (2)

Net income

PERFORMANCE MEASURES
Per common share:
    Diluted net income—GAAP 
    Diluted net income—operating (3)
    Cash dividends declared
    Book value
    Tangible book value (4)

Key performance ratios:
    Net interest margin (5)
    Return on assets —GAAP (5)
    Return on assets—operating (3)(5)
    Return on common equity—GAAP (5)(6)
    Return on common equity—operating (3)(5)(6)
    Return on tangible common equity—operating (3)(4)(5)(6)
    Average equity to assets
    Average tangible equity to assets (4)
    Average tangible common equity to assets (4)

ASSET QUALITY 
Non-performing loans
Foreclosed properties
    Total non-performing assets (NPAs)
Allowance for loan losses
Net charge-offs
Allowance for loan losses to loans
Net charge-offs to average loans (5)
NPAs to loans and foreclosed properties
NPAs to total assets

AT PERIOD END
  Loans
  Investment securities
  Total assets
  Deposits
  Shareholders’ equity
  Common shares outstanding

 2017

Q4

Q3

Q2

Q1

 $   97.5 
 21.9
 119.4
 68.5 
 50.9
(1.2)
(1.2)
 (44.4)
 (17.3)
 (12.0) 
 (12.0) 

 $   89.8
 20.6
 110.4 
 62.3 
 48.1 
(1.0) 
(1.0) 
 (2.3)
 (16.8)
 28.0 

 $   85.1 
 23.7 
 108.8 
 61.4 
 47.4 
(.8) 
(.8)   
 (1.1)
 (17.2)
 28.3 

 $   83.5 
22.1 
 105.6 
 60.7 
 44.9 
(.8)
(.8)
 (4.7)
 (15.9)
 23.5 

 2016
Q4

 $   80.9 
 25.2 
106.1 
 60.2 
 45.9 
 -
 (1.7)
 (17.0)
 27.2

 $    (.16) 
 (.16)
 .42 
.10
 16.67 
 13.65 

 $       .38 
 .41 
.10 
 16.50 
 14.11 

 $       .39 
 .41 
            .09
 15.83
 13.74 

 $       .33 
 .39 
           .09
 15.40 
 13.30 

 $       .38 
 .40 
            .08
 15.06 
 12.95 

 3.63  % 
 (.40) 
 (.40) 
 1.10 
 (3.57) 
 (3.57) 
 9.73 
 11.93 
 11.21 
 9.52 
  9.52

 3.54  % 
 1.01 
 1.09 
 9.22 
 9.97 
 11.93 
 10.86 
 9.45 
 9.45 

 3.47  % 
 1.06 
 1.10 
 9.98 
 10.39 
 12.19 
 10.49 
9.23 
 9.23 

 3.45  % 
 .89 
 1.07 
 8.54 
 10.25 
 12.10 
 10.24 
8.96 
 8.96 

 3.34  % 
 1.03 
1.10 
 9.89 
 10.51 
 12.47 
 10.35 
 9.04 
 9.04 

 $     23.7 
 3.2 
 26.9 
 58.9 
 1.1 
 .76  %
 .06 
 .35 
 .23 

 $     23.0
 2.7 
 25.7 
 58.6 
 1.6 
 .81  %
 .09 
 .36 
 .23 

 $     23.1 
 2.7 
 25.8 
 60.0 
 1.6 
 .85  %
 .09 
 .37 
 .24 

 $     19.8 
 5.1 
 24.9 
 60.5 
 2.7 
 .87  %
 .10 
 .36 
 .23 

 $     21.5 
 8.0 
 29.5 
 61.4 
 1.5 
 .89  %
 .09 
 .43 
 .28 

 $  7,736 
 2,937 
 11,915 
 9,808 
 1,303 
 77.6 

 $  7,203 
 2,847 
 11,129 
 9,127 
 1,221 
 73.4 

 $  7,041 
 2,787 
 10,837 
 8,736 
 1,133 
 71.0 

 $  6,965 
 2,767 
 10,732 
 8,752 
 1,102 
 71.0 

 $  6,921 
 2,762 
 10,709 
 8,638 
 1,076 
 70.9 

(1)  Excludes merger-related and other non-operating charges.  (2)  Excludes the fourth quarter 2017 impact of remeasurement of United’s net deferred tax asset following the  
passage of tax reform legislation, a first quarter 2017 release of disproportionate tax effects lodged in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and a fourth quarter 2016  
deferred tax asset impairment charge related to cancelled non-qualified stock options.  (3)  Excludes the impact of remeasurement of United net deferred tax asset following the  
passage of tax reform legislation and release of disproportionate tax effects lodged in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and after-tax effect of merger-related charges  
and a charge for impairment of deferred tax assets related to cancelled nonqualified stock options.  (4)  Excluded the effect of acquisition related intangible assets.  (5)  Annualized.   
(6)  Net income divided by average realized common equity, which excludes accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

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CORPORATE INFORMATION

FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Analysts and investors seeking financial 
information should contact: 
Jefferson L. Harralson 
Executive Vice President and CFO 
864-240-6208 
jefferson_harralson@ucbi.com

This Annual Report contains forward-looking 
statements that involve risk and uncertainty 
and actual results could differ materially from 
the anticipated results or other expectations 
expressed in the forward-looking statements. 
A discussion of factors that could cause actual 
results to differ materially from those expressed 
in the forward-looking statements is included in 
the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission.

This Annual Report also contains financial 
measures that were prepared on a basis 
different from accounting principles generally 
accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). 
References to operating performance measures 
are non-GAAP financial measures. Management 
has included such non-GAAP financial measures 
because such non-GAAP measures exclude 
certain non-recurring revenue and expense 
items and therefore provide a meaningful basis 
for analyzing financial trends. A reconciliation 
of these measures to financial measures 
determined using GAAP is included in the 
Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission.

STOCK PRICE

Quarter

High

Low

Close

Average Daily 
Volume

2016

2017

4th

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

 $   30.22 

 $    20.26 

 $   29.62 

 532,944 

  $   30.47 

$    25.29

 $   27.69 

 28.57 

29.02

29.60

25.39

24.47

25.76

27.80

28.54

28.14

459,018

402,802

365,102

365,725

INVESTOR INFORMATION
Investor information including this 
report, Form 10-K, quarterly financial 
results, press releases and various other 
reports are available at ir.ucbi.com. 
Alternatively, shareholders may contact 
Investor Relations at 866-270-5900 or 
investor_relations@ucbi.com.

LEGAL COUNSEL
Troutman Sanders LLP, Atlanta, GA

REGISTRAR TRANSFER AGENT 
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Co. 
17 Battery Park, 8th Floor 
New York, NY 10004 
212-509-4000  |  continentalstock.com

STOCK EXCHANGE
United Community Banks, Inc. (Ticker: 
UCBI) common stock is listed for trading on 
the NASDAQ Global Select Market. 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED 
PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Atlanta, GA

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY 
EMPLOYER
United Community Banks is an equal 
opportunity employer. All matters 
regarding recruiting, hiring, training, 
compensation, benefits, promotions, 
transfers and other personnel policies will 
remain free from discriminatory practices.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Thomas A. Richlovsky
Lead Director 
Retired Chief Financial  
Officer and Treasurer 
National City Corporation

Jimmy C. Tallent
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer

Robert H. Blalock
Chief Executive Officer 
Blalock Insurance Agency, Inc.

L. Cathy Cox
Dean 
School of Law, Mercer University

Kenneth L. Daniels
Retired Chief Credit Risk  
and Policy Officer 
BB&T Corporation

H. Lynn Harton
President, Chief Operating Officer

W.C. Nelson, Jr. 
Co-Owner and Operator
Nelson Tractor Co.

David C. Shaver
Chief Executive Officer 
Cost Segregation Advisors, LLC

Tim R. Wallis
Owner and President
Wallis Printing Company

David H. Wilkins
Partner
Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough, LLP

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Jimmy C. Tallent
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer

H. Lynn Harton
President, Chief Operating Officer

Jefferson L. Harralson
Executive Vice President,
Chief Financial Officer

Bill M. Gilbert
President of Community Banking

Robert A. Edwards 
Executive Vice President,  
Chief Credit Officer 

Bradley J. Miller
Executive Vice President,  
Chief Risk Officer, General Counsel

Richard W. Bradshaw 
President of Commercial  
Banking Solutions

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