ServisFirst Gets Axed by Champlain — a Minor Position in a Major Drawdown

On May 13, 2026, Champlain Investment Partners, LLC, reported selling its entire stake of 1,568,859 shares in ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS), an estimated $124.23 million trade based on quarterly average pricing.

• Sold 1,568,859 shares of ServisFirst Bancshares; estimated trade value ~$124.23 million (based on quarterly average price)
• Quarter-end position value decreased by $112.63 million, reflecting both trading activity and price movement
• The SFBS trade represented 1.58% of Champlain's reportable AUM during the quarter
• Post-trade stake: 0 shares, $0 value
• The position was previously 1.14% of the fund's AUM as of the prior quarter, marking a significant exit amid broader fund downsizing

What happened

According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission dated May 13, 2026, Champlain Investment Partners, LLC, sold its entire holding of 1,568,859 shares in ServisFirst Bancshares. The estimated trade value is approximately $124.23 million based on the average closing price for the first quarter of 2026. The stake’s quarter-end value dropped by $112.63 million, reflecting both the sale and changes in share price.

What else to know

• Champlain Investment Partners, LLC, completed a full exit from ServisFirst Bancshares, eliminating a position that had accounted for 1.1% of its assets in the previous quarter; Post-trade, Champlain holds no position in ServisFirst Bancshares.
• Top holdings after the filing:
  • NASDAQ:TW: $172.90 million (2.2% of AUM)
  • NYSE:PEN: $161.36 million (2.0% of AUM)
  • NYSE:EOG: $153.19 million (1.9% of AUM)
  • NASDAQ:SNPS: $152.57 million (1.9% of AUM)
  • NASDAQ:NTNX: $152.43 million (1.9% of AUM)
• As of May 15, 2026, shares of ServisFirst Bancshares were priced at $75.00, down 3.8% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 29 percentage points.

Company/Etf overview

Company snapshot

• SFBS offers a comprehensive suite of banking products, including commercial and consumer loans, deposit accounts, treasury management, and correspondent banking services.
• the company generates revenue primarily through net interest income from lending activities and fees from banking services provided to individuals and businesses.
• ServisFirst serves corporate clients, small to medium-sized enterprises, and individual customers across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc. is a regional bank holding company with a focus on commercial and retail banking services in the southeastern United States. The company leverages a relationship-driven approach, offering tailored financial solutions to businesses and individuals through its network of 23 full-service branches and additional loan production offices.

What this transaction means for investors

The SFBS exit looks more decisive than it is. At 1.14% of prior-quarter holdings, this was never a meaningful conviction position for Champlain, and the fund itself tells a bigger story than any single exit. Champlain's reportable AUM contracted by roughly $2 billion quarter-over-quarter — from about $9.9 billion to $7.9 billion — pointing to broad portfolio reduction rather than a targeted judgment on ServisFirst specifically. For anyone holding SFBS, that context matters. A sub-1.5% position liquidated during a period of wide-scale trimming carries less signal than a large conviction holding being unwound. The stock has lagged the broader market over the past year, but this filing alone isn't enough to draw a conclusion about why Champlain exited or whether that lag factored in. If you're tracking institutional sentiment on regional southeastern banks, you'd want to see whether other funds moved in the same direction before reading anything into this one.

Seena Hassouna has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Synopsys. The Motley Fool recommends EOG Resources, Nutanix, and Penumbra. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.