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Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania--(Newsfile Corp. - July 23, 2026) - Law office of Brodsky & Smith announces that it is investigating potential claims against the Board of Directors of Finward Bancorp ("Finward" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: FNWD) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of federal and state law in connection with the sale of the Company to First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ: FFBC) in an all-stock transaction where each outstanding share of Finward common stock will be converted into the right to receive 1.35 shares of First Financial common stock, valuing the transaction at approximately $208 million, based on First Financial's closing stock price on July 20, 2026.

The investigation concerns whether the Finward Board breached its fiduciary duties to shareholders by failing to conduct a fair process, including whether the proposed transaction is paying fair value to shareholders of the Company.

If you own shares of Finward stock and wish to discuss the legal ramifications of the investigation, or have any questions, you may e-mail or call the law office of Brodsky & Smith who will, without obligation or cost to you, attempt to answer your questions. You may contact Jason L. Brodsky, Esquire, or Marc L. Ackerman by email at [email protected], visit https://www.brodskysmith.com/cases/finward-bancorp-nasdaq-fnwd/, or call toll free 855-576-4847.

Brodsky & Smith is a litigation law firm with extensive expertise representing shareholders throughout the nation in securities and class action lawsuits. The attorneys at Brodsky & Smith have been appointed by numerous courts throughout the country to serve as lead counsel in class actions and have successfully recovered millions of dollars for our clients and shareholders. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/306348

Source: Brodsky & Smith

First Financial Bancorp. (FFBC) Q2 2026 Earnings Call July 22, 2026 8:30 AM EDT

Company Participants

Scott Crawley - Senior VP & Controller
Archie Brown - President, CEO & Director
James Anderson - Executive VP, CFO & COO

Conference Call Participants

Brendan Nosal - Hovde Group, LLC, Research Division
Daniel Tamayo - Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Research Division
Brandon Rud - Stephens Inc., Research Division
Brian Foran - Truist Securities, Inc., Research Division

Presentation

Operator

Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining us, and welcome to the First Financial Bancorp Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call and Webcast. [Operator Instructions]

I will now hand the conference over to Scott Crawley, Corporate Controller. Scott, please go ahead.

Scott Crawley
Senior VP & Controller

Thank you, Leah. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us on today's conference call to discuss First Financial Bancorp's second quarter financial results. Participating on today's call will be Archie Brown, President and Chief Executive Officer; Jamie Anderson, Chief Financial Officer; and Bill Harrod, Chief Credit Officer.

Both the press release we issued yesterday and the accompanying slide presentation are available on our website at www.bankatfirst.com under the Investor Relations section. We will make reference to the slides contained in the accompanying presentation during today's call. Additionally, please refer to the forward-looking statement disclosure contained in the second quarter 2026 earnings release as well as our SEC filings for a full discussion of the company's risk factors. The information we will provide today is accurate as of June 30, 2026, and we will not be updating any forward-looking statements to reflect facts or circumstances after this call.

I'll now turn the call over to Archie Brown.

Archie Brown
President, CEO & Director

Thanks, Scott. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us on today's call. With second quarter earnings and the Finward announcement, we

First Financial Bancorp (FFBC - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.8 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.81 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.74 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -1.24%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this holding company for First Financial Bank would post earnings of $0.7 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.77, delivering a surprise of +10%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.

First Financial, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Midwest industry, posted revenues of $265.33 million for the quarter ended June 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.37%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $227.58 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

First Financial shares have added about 41.8% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.7%.

What's Next for First Financial?While First Financial has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for First Financial was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.84 on $273.1 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $3.19 on $1.08 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Midwest is currently in the top 31% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

First Financial Corp. (THFF - Free Report) , another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026.

This holding company for First Financial Bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.71 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +8.9%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.5% higher over the last 30 days to the current level.

First Financial Corp.'s revenues are expected to be $72.05 million, up 14.3% from the year-ago quarter.

Investors in First Financial Bancorp. (FFBC - Free Report) need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Aug. 21, 2026 $40.00 Call had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today.

What is Implied Volatility?Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell-off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy.

What do the Analysts Think?Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for First Financial shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, First Financial is a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) in the Banks - Midwest industry that ranks in the Top 33% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 60 days, our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter has moved from 80 cents per share to 81 cents in that period.

Given the way analysts feel about First Financial right now, this huge implied volatility could mean there’s a trade developing. Oftentimes, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected.

, /PRNewswire/ -- First Financial Bancorp. (Nasdaq: FFBC) announced today that it expects to release second quarter 2026 financial results after the market close on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. A conference call and webcast to discuss these results will be held on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

Date:

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Time:

8:30 a.m. Eastern time

Optional Pre-Registration Link:

https://events.q4inc.com/analyst/657340574?pwd=6x7yt2jC

A unique PIN will be provided. Eliminates hold times.

Conference Call Dial-In:

(Meeting ID: 657340574)

+1 833-461-5787 (Toll Free)

Please dial in five to ten minutes prior to the start of the call.

Webcast:

To access the webcast, please visit http://ir.bankatfirst.com/CorporateProfile

Archived Webcast:

The webcast will be available one hour after the live call ends and will be archived at the Company's website for 12 months.

About First Financial Bancorp.
First Financial Bancorp. is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank holding company. As of March 31, 2026, the Company had $22.8 billion in assets, $13.5 billion in loans, $17.9 billion in deposits and $2.9 billion in shareholders' equity. The Company's subsidiary, First Financial Bank, founded in 1863, provides banking and financial services products through its six lines of business: Commercial, Retail Banking, Investment Commercial Real Estate, Mortgage Banking, Commercial Finance and Wealth Management. These business units provide traditional banking services to business and retail clients. Wealth Management provides wealth planning, portfolio management, trust and estate, brokerage and retirement plan services and had approximately $4.1 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2026. The Company operated 153 full service banking centers as of March 31, 2026, located in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, while the Commercial Finance business lends into targeted industry verticals on a nationwide basis. In 2025, First Financial Bank received its second consecutive Outstanding rating from the Federal Reserve for its performance under the Community Reinvestment Act and was recognized as a Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winner, one of only 70 Gallup clients worldwide to receive this designation. Additional information about the Company, including its products, services and banking locations, is available at www.bankatfirst.com.

SOURCE First Financial Bancorp.

All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. But for income investors, generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments is your primary focus.

Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and, of course, dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.

First Financial Bancorp (FFBC - Free Report) is headquartered in Cincinnati, and is in the Finance sector. The stock has seen a price change of 29.1% since the start of the year. The holding company for First Financial Bank is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.25 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.1%. This compares to the Banks - Midwest industry's yield of 2.59% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.41%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.00 is up 2% from last year. Over the last 5 years, First Financial Bancorp has increased its dividend 1 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 0.82%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. First Financial's current payout ratio is 33%, meaning it paid out 33% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

FFBC is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $3.20 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 9.22%.

Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. However, not all companies offer a quarterly payout.

For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers its shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that FFBC is not only an attractive dividend play, but also represents a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Posted by Defense World Staff on Apr 6th, 2026

SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC – Free Report) by 174.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 72,244 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 45,943 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC owned approximately 0.07% of First Financial Bancorp. worth $1,808,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of First Financial Bancorp. by 0.4% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,713,828 shares of the bank’s stock worth $270,524,000 after acquiring an additional 47,496 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of First Financial Bancorp. by 12.4% in the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 945,401 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $23,871,000 after acquiring an additional 104,550 shares during the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its stake in shares of First Financial Bancorp. by 22.7% during the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 786,319 shares of the bank’s stock worth $19,076,000 after purchasing an additional 145,575 shares in the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of First Financial Bancorp. by 4.6% in the third quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 739,666 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $18,677,000 after buying an additional 32,822 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in First Financial Bancorp. by 3.9% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 589,799 shares of the bank’s stock worth $14,733,000 after buying an additional 22,227 shares during the last quarter. 77.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Financial Bancorp. Stock Performance Shares of FFBC stock opened at $28.08 on Monday. First Financial Bancorp. has a 12-month low of $21.10 and a 12-month high of $31.38. The company has a market capitalization of $2.94 billion, a PE ratio of 10.56 and a beta of 0.94. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $28.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $26.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43.

First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The bank reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $251.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $249.00 million. First Financial Bancorp. had a return on equity of 10.77% and a net margin of 20.30%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.71 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that First Financial Bancorp. will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current year.

First Financial Bancorp. Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 2nd. First Financial Bancorp.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.59%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts have recently commented on FFBC shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of First Financial Bancorp. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Stephens started coverage on First Financial Bancorp. in a report on Friday, March 27th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $33.00 price target for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on First Financial Bancorp. from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on First Financial Bancorp. from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on First Financial Bancorp. from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $31.17.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on First Financial Bancorp.

Insider Transactions at First Financial Bancorp. In related news, insider Gregory A. Harris sold 1,821 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.43, for a total value of $53,592.03. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 42,431 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,248,744.33. The trade was a 4.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Richard S. Dennen sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.20, for a total transaction of $604,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 61,856 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,868,051.20. The trade was a 24.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 32,141 shares of company stock valued at $969,429. 1.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

First Financial Bancorp. Company Profile (Free Report)

First Financial Bancorp (NASDAQ: FFBC) is a bank holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the parent of First Financial Bank. The company provides a comprehensive suite of commercial and consumer banking services through a network of more than 100 full-service banking centers and mortgage offices across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Its core mission centers on delivering personalized relationship banking to businesses, individuals and public sector clients.

First Financial Bank’s product portfolio includes deposit solutions such as checking, savings and money market accounts, alongside a range of lending offerings that cover commercial and industrial loans, real estate and construction financing, home mortgages and home equity lines of credit.

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Earnings per diluted share of $0.71; $0.77 on an adjusted(1) basis Return on average assets of 1.34%; 1.45% on an adjusted(1) basis Net interest margin on FTE basis(1) of 3.99% Record quarterly revenue of $265.3 million on an adjusted(1) basis Noninterest income of $75.6 million on an adjusted(1) basis $150 million of subordinated debt redeemed ROTCE of 17.8%; 19.2% on adjusted(1) basis 2nd consecutive Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award for outstanding associate engagement BankFinancial acquisition closed January 1, 2026 Board of Directors authorized 5,000,000 share repurchase plan , /PRNewswire/ -- First Financial Bancorp. (Nasdaq: FFBC) ("First Financial" or the "Company") announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2026. 

For the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company reported net income of $74.4 million, or $0.71 per diluted common share.  These results compare to net income of $62.4 million, or $0.64 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter of 2025.

Return on average assets for the first quarter of 2026 was 1.34% while return on average tangible common equity was 17.78%(1).  These compare to return on average assets of 1.22% and return on average tangible common equity of 16.27%(1) in the fourth quarter of 2025. 

First quarter 2026 highlights include:

Robust net interest margin of 3.97%, or 3.99% on a fully tax-equivalent basis(1) 1 bp increase from fourth quarter Increase from linked quarter driven by a 13 bp decline in funding costs, which was partially offset by a 12 bp decrease in asset yields Noninterest income of $81.9 million; $75.6 million on an adjusted(1) basis Adjustments include a $1.3 million loss on securities, an $8.9 million gain on bargain purchase, and a $1.4 million loss on the surrender of a bank owned life insurance policy Leasing business income remains strong at $21.6 million, a 10.7% increase from fourth quarter Record wealth management income increased 12.9%, to $10.5 million Foreign exchange income of $16.3 million Noninterest expenses of $169.4 million, or $154.8 million as adjusted(1); 9.1% increase from linked quarter Adjustments(1) include $14.3 million of acquisition related expenses, $0.7 million of tax credit investment writedowns and $0.4 million of efficiency and other noninterest expenses Increase driven by the BankFinancial and Westfield acquisitions Efficiency ratio of 62.4%; 58.4% as adjusted(1)  Modest loan growth during the quarter End of period loan balances increased $70.8 million; includes $227.7 million acquired in BankFinancial transaction offset primarily by $151.9 million decrease in ICRE Decline in legacy loan balances driven by elevated payoffs Originations increased approximately 45% compared to the first quarter of 2025 Significant increase in loan pipelines since January ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Strong average deposit growth during the quarter Total average deposit balances increased $1.7 billion; includes $1.2 billion impact from the BankFinancial acquisition and full quarter impact from Westfield Seasonal decline in public funds Total Allowance for Credit Losses of $206.7 million; Total quarterly provision expense of $8.5 million Loans and leases - ACL of $183.7 million; $2.8 million initial ACL related to BankFinancial ACL to total loans of 1.36% Unfunded Commitments - ACL of $23.0 million; $0.3 million related to BankFinancial Annualized net charge-offs were 35 bps of total loans Nonperforming assets decreased slightly to 0.44% of total assets; Classified assets decreased to 1.02% of total assets Capital ratios remain strong Total capital ratio increased 25 bps to 15.71% Tier 1 common equity increased 91 bps to 12.23% Tangible common equity of 7.88%(1); 8.89%(1) excluding impact from AOCI Tangible book value per share of $16.15(1); 2.6% increase from linked quarter (1) Non-GAAP measure.  For details on the calculation of these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to the GAAP financial measure, see the sections titled "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" in this release and "Appendix: Non-GAAP to GAAP Reconciliation" in the accompanying slide presentation.

Additionally, the Board of Directors has authorized a new share repurchase program that replaces the previously authorized program.  Under the new plan, which expires in December 2027, management is authorized to purchase up to 5 million shares.

Archie Brown, President and CEO, commented on the First Quarter results, "I am very pleased with our overall performance in the first quarter.  The first quarter was a busy one as we closed the BankFinancial acquisition, completed the conversion of Westfield Bank, and wrapped up the sale of the BankFinancial multi-family loan portfolio.  Adjusted(1) earnings per share were $0.77, with an adjusted(1) return on assets of 1.45% and an adjusted(1) return on tangible common equity of 19.2%.  Adjusted(1) earnings per share increased 22% compared to the first quarter of last year, driven by a robust net interest margin and strong fee income.  Our net interest margin was resilient, despite the fed funds rate cut in December, as the expected decline in loan yields was offset by a similar decline in deposits costs.  Assuming no short-term rate reductions by the Federal Reserve, we expect the margin to remain stable in the near term."

Mr. Brown continued, "Loan balances increased slightly for the quarter due to the BankFinancial acquisition.  Excluding the BankFinancial portfolio, loans declined for the quarter as seasonally strong loan production was offset by extended payoff pressure in the ICRE portfolio.  Compared to the first quarter of 2025, originations increased by approximately 45%, and excluding Westfield and BankFinancial, originations were up by over 25%.  Our expectation for loan growth for 2026 has not materially changed.  Loan pipelines are very healthy, and we expect strong production in the second quarter.  We also expect payoff activity in ICRE to approach more normal levels, leading to solid loan growth in the second quarter."

Mr. Brown commented on fee income and expenses, "Adjusted(1) fee income was very strong for the quarter.  Historically, fee income significantly dips early in the year, however we successfully combated this trend in the first quarter.  Adjusted(1) noninterest income was $75.6 million, which was 24% higher than in the first quarter of 2025 and only a slight decline from the linked quarter.  These results were driven by record Wealth Management income, strong client derivative income and record leasing business income.  Additionally, expenses were well controlled during the quarter with total noninterest expenses coming in well below our expectations and acquisition-related cost savings exceeding our initial estimates." 

Mr. Brown commented on asset quality and capital, "Net charge-offs were 35 basis points of total loans and were impacted by one large commercial relationship.  Other asset quality indicators were stable with nonperforming assets slightly declining from the linked quarter to 44 basis points.  While there is more uncertainty in the economy due to the impact of the war in Iran, our current expectations are for asset quality to gradually improve throughout the year, similar to our performance in 2025.  Capital ratios are strong and continued to climb in the first quarter.  All regulatory ratios were well in excess of regulatory minimums and tangible common equity increased to 7.9%.  Tangible book value per share was $16.15, which was a 2.6% increase over the linked quarter, and a 9% increase compared to the first quarter of 2025.  Tangible book value was at approximately the same level as the third quarter of 2025, prior to the Westfield Bank acquisition.  This month, the Board of Directors authorized a 5 million share repurchase plan, replacing the plan we had in place through 2025, and we are evaluating opportunities to employ buybacks as part of our overall capital planning."

On the recent acquisitions, Mr. Brown commented, "During the first quarter we successfully completed the conversion of Westfield Bank.  For the first quarter, deposit and loan balances were stable, we maintained high associate retention, and we have achieved the financial results that we expected from the transaction to date.  We are happy with the quality of the bank we acquired and with the talented team that has joined us.  We also completed the purchase of BankFinancial on January 1st and plan to convert systems in early June.  We remain excited about the opportunities in the Chicago market and continue to see high growth potential from this transaction." 

Mr. Brown concluded, "In closing, I want to thank our associates for the incredible work they have done this year integrating Westfield into First Financial and the work they are now doing as they prepare for the BankFinancial conversion.  I also want to mention how proud I am that First Financial was selected for the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award for associate engagement.  This marks the second consecutive year that we have received this honor, which is awarded to 4% of the thousands of companies that Gallup works with worldwide.  We have partnered with Gallup for more than six years and we have made associate engagement a core tenant of our corporate strategy.  I want to commend our associates and leaders who work throughout the year to drive engagement, knowing that by doing so, we are also improving the client experience and shareholder value." 

Full detail of the Company's first quarter 2026 performance is provided in the accompanying financial statements and slide presentation.

(1) Non-GAAP measure.  For details on the calculation of these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to the GAAP financial measure, see the sections titled "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" in this release and "Appendix: Non-GAAP to GAAP Reconciliation" in the accompanying slide presentation.

Teleconference / Webcast Information
First Financial's executive management will host a conference call to discuss the Company's financial and operating results on Friday, April 24, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.  Members of the public who would like to listen to the conference call should dial (888) 550-5723 (U.S. toll free) or (646) 960-0471 (U.S. local), access code 5048068.  The number should be dialed five to ten minutes prior to the start of the conference call.  A replay of the conference call will be available beginning one hour after the completion of the live call at (800) 770-2030 (U.S. toll free), (609) 800-9099 (U.S. toll), access code 5048068.  The recording will be available until May 8, 2026.  The conference call will also be accessible as an audio webcast via the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at  www.bankatfirst.com.  The webcast will be archived on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website for 12 months.

Press Release and Additional Information on Website
This press release as well as supplemental information are available to the public through the Investor Relations section of First Financial's website at www.bankatfirst.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This earnings release contains GAAP financial measures and Non-GAAP financial measures where management believes it to be helpful in understanding the Company's results of operations or financial position.  Where Non-GAAP financial measures are used, the comparable GAAP financial measures, as well as a reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measure, can be found in the section titled "Appendix: Non-GAAP to GAAP Reconciliation" in the accompanying slide presentation.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this report which are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Words such as ''believes,'' ''anticipates,'' "likely," "expected," "estimated," ''intends'' and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements.  Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make about (i) our future operating or financial performance, including revenues, income or loss and earnings or loss per share, (ii) future common stock dividends, (iii) our capital structure, including future capital levels, (iv) our plans, objectives and strategies, and (v) the assumptions that underlie our forward-looking statements.

As with any forecast or projection, forward-looking statements are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead express only management's beliefs regarding future results or events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of management's control.  It is possible that actual results and outcomes may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results or outcomes indicated in these forward-looking statements.  Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements include the following, without limitation:

economic, market, liquidity, credit, interest rate, operational and technological risks associated with the Company's business; future credit quality and performance, including our expectations regarding future loan losses and our allowance for credit losses the effect of and changes in policies and laws or regulatory agencies, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and other legislation and regulation relating to the banking industry;
Management's ability to effectively execute its business plans; 
mergers and acquisitions, including costs or difficulties related to the integration of acquired companies;
the possibility that any of the anticipated benefits of the Company's acquisitions will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period;
the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices; 
changes in consumer spending, borrowing and saving and changes in unemployment; 
changes in customers' performance and creditworthiness;
the costs and effects of litigation and of unexpected or adverse outcomes in such litigation; 
current and future economic and market conditions, including the effects of changes in housing prices, fluctuations in unemployment rates, U.S. fiscal debt, budget and tax matters, geopolitical matters, trade and tariff policies, and any slowdown in global economic growth;
our capital and liquidity requirements (including under regulatory capital standards, such as the Basel III capital standards) and our ability to generate capital internally or raise capital on favorable terms;
financial services reform and other current, pending or future legislation or regulation that could have a negative effect on our revenue and businesses, including the Dodd-Frank Act and other legislation and regulation relating to bank products and services;
the effect of the current interest rate environment or changes in interest rates or in the level or composition of our assets or liabilities on our net interest income, net interest margin and our mortgage originations, mortgage servicing rights and mortgage loans held for sale;
the effect of a fall in stock market prices on our brokerage, asset and wealth management businesses;
a failure in or breach of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of our third-party vendors or other service providers, including as a result of cyber attacks;
the effect of changes in the level of checking or savings account deposits on our funding costs and net interest margin; and
our ability to develop and execute effective business plans and strategies. Additional factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those described in our forward-looking statements can be found in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, as well as our other filings with the SEC, which are available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.  

All forward-looking statements included in this filing are made as of the date hereof and are based on information available at the time of the filing.  Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

About First Financial Bancorp.
First Financial Bancorp. is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank holding company.  As of March 31, 2026, the Company had $22.8 billion in assets, $13.5 billion in loans, $17.9 billion in deposits and $2.9 billion in shareholders' equity.  The Company's subsidiary, First Financial Bank, founded in 1863, provides banking and financial services products through its six lines of business: Commercial, Retail Banking, Investment Commercial Real Estate, Mortgage Banking, Commercial Finance and Wealth Management.  These business units provide traditional banking services to business and retail clients.  Wealth Management provides wealth planning, portfolio management, trust and estate, brokerage and retirement plan services and had approximately $4.1 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2026.  The Company operated 153 full service banking centers as of March 31, 2026, located in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, while the Commercial Finance business lends into targeted industry verticals on a nationwide basis.  In 2025, First Financial Bank received its second consecutive Outstanding rating from the Federal Reserve for its performance under the Community Reinvestment Act and was recognized as a Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winner, one of only 70 Gallup clients worldwide to receive this designation.  Additional information about the Company, including its products, services and banking locations, is available at www.bankatfirst.com. 

FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.

CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended,

Mar. 31,

Dec. 31,

Sep. 30,

June 30,

Mar. 31,

2026

2025

2025

2025

2025

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Net income

$    74,445

$    62,393

$    71,923

$    69,996

$    51,293

Net earnings per share - basic

$      0.72

$      0.65

$      0.76

$      0.74

$      0.54

Net earnings per share - diluted

$      0.71

$      0.64

$      0.75

$      0.73

$      0.54

Dividends declared per share

$      0.25

$      0.25

$      0.25

$      0.24

$      0.24

KEY FINANCIAL RATIOS

Return on average assets

1.34 %

1.22 %

1.54 %

1.52 %

1.13 %

Return on average shareholders' equity

10.24 %

9.18 %

11.08 %

11.16 %

8.46 %

Return on average tangible shareholders' equity (1)

17.78 %

16.27 %

19.11 %

19.61 %

15.16 %

Net interest margin

3.97 %

3.96 %

3.99 %

4.01 %

3.84 %

Net interest margin (fully tax equivalent) (1)(2)

3.99 %

3.98 %

4.02 %

4.05 %

3.88 %

Ending shareholders' equity as a percent of ending assets

12.92 %

13.11 %

14.18 %

13.73 %

13.55 %

Ending tangible shareholders' equity as a percent of:

Ending tangible assets (1)

7.88 %

7.79 %

8.87 %

8.40 %

8.16 %

Risk-weighted assets (1)

10.52 %

9.76 %

10.94 %

10.44 %

10.10 %

Average shareholders' equity as a percent of average assets

13.12 %

13.31 %

13.87 %

13.66 %

13.38 %

Average tangible shareholders' equity as a percent of average tangible assets (1)

8.01 %

7.97 %

8.54 %

8.26 %

7.94 %

Book value per share

$     28.02

$     28.11

$     27.48

$     26.71

$     26.13

Tangible book value per share (1)

$     16.15

$     15.74

$     16.19

$     15.40

$     14.80

Common equity tier 1 ratio (3)

12.23 %

11.32 %

12.91 %

12.57 %

12.29 %

Tier 1 ratio (3)

12.51 %

11.60 %

13.23 %

12.89 %

12.61 %

Total capital ratio (3)

15.71 %

15.46 %

15.32 %

14.98 %

14.90 %

Leverage ratio (3)

9.39 %

9.53 %

10.50 %

10.28 %

10.01 %

AVERAGE BALANCE SHEET ITEMS

Loans (4)

$ 14,028,324

$ 12,812,267

$ 11,806,065

$ 11,792,840

$ 11,724,727

Investment securities

4,769,261

3,988,846

3,552,014

3,478,921

3,411,593

Interest-bearing deposits with other banks

596,094

647,347

610,074

542,815

615,812

  Total earning assets

$ 19,393,679

$ 17,448,460

$ 15,968,153

$ 15,814,576

$ 15,752,132

Total assets

$ 22,459,523

$ 20,256,539

$ 18,566,188

$ 18,419,437

$ 18,368,604

Noninterest-bearing deposits

$ 3,745,002

$ 3,436,709

$ 3,124,277

$ 3,143,081

$ 3,091,037

Interest-bearing deposits

13,900,550

12,521,948

11,387,648

11,211,694

11,149,633

  Total deposits

$ 17,645,552

$ 15,958,657

$ 14,511,925

$ 14,354,775

$ 14,240,670

Borrowings

$ 1,012,161

$   848,650

$   823,346

$   910,573

$ 1,001,337

Shareholders' equity

$ 2,947,585

$ 2,695,581

$ 2,575,203

$ 2,515,747

$ 2,457,785

CREDIT QUALITY RATIOS

Allowance to ending loans

1.36 %

1.39 %

1.38 %

1.34 %

1.33 %

Allowance to nonaccrual loans

182.73 %

183.18 %

213.18 %

206.08 %

261.07 %

Nonaccrual loans to total loans

0.75 %

0.76 %

0.65 %

0.65 %

0.51 %

Nonperforming assets to ending loans, plus OREO

0.75 %

0.76 %

0.65 %

0.65 %

0.51 %

Nonperforming assets to total assets

0.44 %

0.48 %

0.41 %

0.41 %

0.32 %

Classified assets to total assets

1.02 %

1.11 %

1.18 %

1.15 %

1.16 %

Net charge-offs to average loans (annualized)

0.35 %

0.27 %

0.18 %

0.21 %

0.36 %

(1) Non-GAAP measure.  For details on the calculation of these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to the GAAP financial measure, see the sections titled "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" in this release and "Appendix: Non-GAAP to GAAP Reconciliation" in the accompanying slide presentation.

(2) The tax equivalent adjustment to net interest income recognizes the income tax savings when comparing taxable and tax-exempt assets and assumes a 21% tax rate.  Management believes that it is a standard practice in the banking industry to present net interest margin and net interest income on a fully tax equivalent basis.  Therefore, management believes these measures provide useful information to investors by allowing them to make peer comparisons.  Management also uses these measures to make peer comparisons.

(3) March 31, 2026 regulatory capital ratios are preliminary.

(4) Includes loans held for sale.

FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.

CONSOLIDATED QUARTERLY STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

2026

2025

First

Fourth

Third

Second

First

Full

Quarter

Quarter

Quarter

Quarter

Quarter

Year

Interest income

  Loans and leases, including fees

$ 224,951

$ 215,663

$ 204,865

$ 201,460

$ 197,163

$ 819,151

  Investment securities

     Taxable

49,491

40,971

36,421

36,243

34,401

148,036

     Tax-exempt

2,526

2,363

2,195

2,233

2,204

8,995

        Total investment securities interest

52,017

43,334

38,616

38,476

36,605

157,031

  Other earning assets

5,450

6,334

6,773

5,964

6,651

25,722

       Total interest income

282,418

265,331

250,254

245,900

240,419

1,001,904

Interest expense

  Deposits

79,735

78,861

77,766

75,484

78,641

310,752

  Short-term borrowings

5,168

4,925

5,979

6,393

7,545

24,842

  Long-term borrowings

7,905

7,550

6,023

5,754

4,937

24,264

      Total interest expense

92,808

91,336

89,768

87,631

91,123

359,858

      Net interest income

189,610

173,995

160,486

158,269

149,296

642,046

  Provision for credit losses-loans and leases

6,030

9,688

8,612

9,084

9,141

36,525

  Provision for credit losses-unfunded commitments

2,510

412

453

718

(441)

1,142

      Net interest income after provision for credit losses

181,070

163,895

151,421

148,467

140,596

604,379

Noninterest income

  Service charges on deposit accounts

9,013

8,308

7,829

7,766

7,463

31,366

  Wealth management fees

10,482

9,288

7,351

7,787

8,137

32,563

  Bankcard income

3,580

3,590

3,589

3,737

3,310

14,226

  Client derivative fees

4,010

2,681

1,876

1,674

1,571

7,802

  Foreign exchange income

16,313

22,696

16,666

13,760

12,544

65,666

  Leasing business income

21,608

19,523

20,997

20,797

18,703

80,020

  Net gains from sales of loans

6,047

7,041

6,835

6,687

4,322

24,885

  Net gain (loss) on investment securities

(1,260)

(12,576)

(42)

243

(9,949)

(22,324)

  Gain on bargain purchase

8,892

0

0

0

0

0

  Other

3,221

4,216

8,424

5,612

4,982

23,234

      Total noninterest income

81,906

64,767

73,525

68,063

51,083

257,438

Noninterest expenses

  Salaries and employee benefits

99,856

85,123

80,607

74,917

75,238

315,885

  Net occupancy

7,553

6,315

6,003

5,845

6,019

24,182

  Furniture and equipment

4,693

3,940

3,582

3,441

3,813

14,776

  Data processing

12,654

10,465

9,591

9,020

8,759

37,835

  Marketing

2,652

3,056

2,359

2,737

2,018

10,170

  Professional services

3,986

6,231

2,314

3,549

2,739

14,833

  Amortization of tax credit investments

669

800

112

111

112

1,135

  FDIC assessments

3,645

2,923

2,611

2,611

3,059

11,204

  Intangible amortization

6,261

3,927

2,359

2,358

2,359

11,003

  Leasing business expense

14,129

13,837

13,911

13,155

12,802

53,705

  Other

13,310

12,914

10,820

10,927

11,158

45,819

      Total noninterest expenses

169,408

149,531

134,269

128,671

128,076

540,547

Income before income taxes

93,568

79,131

90,677

87,859

63,603

321,270

Income tax expense

19,123

16,738

18,754

17,863

12,310

65,665

      Net income

$  74,445

$  62,393

$  71,923

$  69,996

$  51,293

$ 255,605

ADDITIONAL DATA

Net earnings per share - basic

$    0.72

$    0.65

$    0.76

$    0.74

$    0.54

$    2.68

Net earnings per share - diluted

$    0.71

$    0.64

$    0.75

$    0.73

$    0.54

$    2.66

Dividends declared per share

$    0.25

$    0.25

$    0.25

$    0.24

$    0.24

$    0.98

Return on average assets

1.34 %

1.22 %

1.54 %

1.52 %

1.13 %

1.35 %

Return on average shareholders' equity

10.24 %

9.18 %

11.08 %

11.16 %

8.46 %

9.98 %

Interest income

$ 282,418

$ 265,331

$ 250,254

$ 245,900

$ 240,419

$ 1,001,904

Tax equivalent adjustment

1,186

1,227

1,248

1,246

1,213

4,934

   Interest income - tax equivalent

283,604

266,558

251,502

247,146

241,632

1,006,838

Interest expense

92,808

91,336

89,768

87,631

91,123

359,858

   Net interest income - tax equivalent

$ 190,796

$ 175,222

$ 161,734

$ 159,515

$ 150,509

$ 646,980

Net interest margin

3.97 %

3.96 %

3.99 %

4.01 %

3.84 %

3.95 %

Net interest margin (fully tax equivalent) (1)

3.99 %

3.98 %

4.02 %

4.05 %

3.88 %

3.98 %

Full-time equivalent employees

2,319

2,164

1,986

2,033

2,021

(1) The tax equivalent adjustment to net interest income recognizes the income tax savings when comparing taxable and tax-exempt assets and assumes a 21% tax rate. Management believes that it is a standard practice in the banking industry to present net interest income on a fully tax equivalent basis.  Therefore, management believes these measures provide useful information to investors by allowing them to make peer comparisons.  Management also uses these measures to make peer comparisons.

FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CONDITION

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Mar. 31,

Dec. 31,

Sep. 30,

June 30,

Mar. 31,

% Change

% Change

2026

2025

2025

2025

2025

Linked Qtr.

Comp Qtr.

ASSETS

     Cash and due from banks

$    170,641

$    178,553

$    174,659

$    210,187

$    190,610

(4.4) %

(10.5) %

     Interest-bearing deposits with other banks

1,032,259

597,338

565,080

570,173

633,349

72.8 %

63.0 %

     Investment securities available-for-sale

4,953,023

3,971,932

3,422,595

3,386,562

3,260,981

24.7 %

51.9 %

     Investment securities held-to-maturity

49,631

58,545

71,595

72,994

76,469

(15.2) %

(35.1) %

     Other investments

137,018

129,564

117,120

122,322

120,826

5.8 %

13.4 %

     Loans held for sale

18,280

16,953

21,466

26,504

17,927

7.8 %

2.0 %

     Loans and leases

       Commercial and industrial

4,693,786

4,632,241

3,838,630

3,927,771

3,832,350

1.3 %

22.5 %

       Lease financing

649,645

638,527

596,734

587,176

573,608

1.7 %

13.3 %

       Construction real estate

591,080

677,339

627,960

732,777

824,775

(12.7) %

(28.3) %

       Commercial real estate

4,473,468

4,384,556

4,048,370

3,961,513

3,956,880

2.0 %

13.1 %

       Residential real estate

1,831,338

1,832,184

1,494,464

1,492,688

1,479,704

0.0 %

23.8 %

       Home equity

1,026,839

1,005,204

935,975

903,299

872,502

2.2 %

17.7 %

       Installment

162,314

188,694

109,764

116,598

119,672

(14.0) %

35.6 %

       Credit card

66,371

65,325

62,654

64,374

64,639

1.6 %

2.7 %

          Total loans

13,494,841

13,424,070

11,714,551

11,786,196

11,724,130

0.5 %

15.1 %

       Less:

          Allowance for credit losses

(183,716)

(186,487)

(161,916)

(158,522)

(155,482)

(1.5) %

18.2 %

                Net loans

13,311,125

13,237,583

11,552,635

11,627,674

11,568,648

0.6 %

15.1 %

     Premises and equipment

228,384

204,760

198,251

197,741

197,968

11.5 %

15.4 %

     Operating leases

220,061

214,003

214,667

217,100

213,648

2.8 %

3.0 %

     Goodwill

1,099,543

1,099,524

1,007,656

1,007,656

1,007,656

0.0 %

9.1 %

     Other intangibles

145,927

118,832

73,797

75,458

77,002

22.8 %

89.5 %

     Accrued interest and other assets

1,396,114

1,301,792

1,134,985

1,119,884

1,089,983

7.2 %

28.1 %

       Total Assets

$ 22,762,006

$ 21,129,379

$ 18,554,506

$ 18,634,255

$ 18,455,067

7.7 %

23.3 %

LIABILITIES

     Deposits

       Interest-bearing demand

$  3,658,155

$  3,360,613

$  2,983,132

$  3,057,232

$  3,004,601

8.9 %

21.8 %

       Savings

6,460,546

5,973,532

5,029,097

4,979,124

4,886,613

8.2 %

32.2 %

       Time

3,817,268

3,622,227

3,293,707

3,201,711

3,144,440

5.4 %

21.4 %

          Total interest-bearing deposits

13,935,969

12,956,372

11,305,936

11,238,067

11,035,654

7.6 %

26.3 %

       Noninterest-bearing

3,982,753

3,465,470

3,127,512

3,131,926

3,161,302

14.9 %

26.0 %

          Total deposits

17,918,722

16,421,842

14,433,448

14,369,993

14,196,956

9.1 %

26.2 %

     FHLB short-term borrowings

550,000

675,000

550,000

680,000

735,000

(18.5) %

(25.2) %

     Other

70,457

332

45,167

4,699

64,792

21,122.0 %

8.7 %

          Total short-term borrowings

620,457

675,332

595,167

684,699

799,792

(8.1) %

(22.4) %

     Long-term debt

380,176

514,052

221,823

344,955

345,878

(26.0) %

9.9 %

          Total borrowed funds

1,000,633

1,189,384

816,990

1,029,654

1,145,670

(15.9) %

(12.7) %

     Accrued interest and other liabilities

902,026

748,937

672,213

676,453

611,206

20.4 %

47.6 %

       Total Liabilities

19,821,381

18,360,163

15,922,651

16,076,100

15,953,832

8.0 %

24.2 %

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

     Common stock

1,789,676

1,647,618

1,641,315

1,638,796

1,637,041

8.6 %

9.3 %

     Retained earnings

1,485,573

1,437,286

1,399,577

1,351,674

1,304,636

3.4 %

13.9 %

     Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

(217,430)

(189,942)

(223,000)

(246,384)

(253,888)

14.5 %

(14.4) %

     Treasury stock, at cost

(117,194)

(125,746)

(186,037)

(185,931)

(186,554)

(6.8) %

(37.2) %

       Total Shareholders' Equity

2,940,625

2,769,216

2,631,855

2,558,155

2,501,235

6.2 %

17.6 %

       Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity

$ 22,762,006

$ 21,129,379

$ 18,554,506

$ 18,634,255

$ 18,455,067

7.7 %

23.3 %

FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.

AVERAGE CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CONDITION

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Quarterly Averages

Mar. 31,

Dec. 31,

Sep. 30,

June 30,

Mar. 31,

2026

2025

2025

2025

2025

ASSETS

     Cash and due from banks

$    227,115

$    178,403

$    165,210

$    174,375

$    164,734

     Interest-bearing deposits with other banks

596,094

647,347

610,074

542,815

615,812

     Investment securities

4,769,261

3,988,846

3,552,014

3,478,921

3,411,593

     Loans held for sale

451,139

32,425

26,366

25,026

10,212

     Loans and leases

       Commercial and industrial

4,771,066

4,310,399

3,890,886

3,881,001

3,787,207

       Lease financing

630,204

617,518

592,510

581,091

585,119

       Construction real estate

643,270

679,884

711,011

784,028

797,100

       Commercial real estate

4,446,231

4,240,042

3,993,549

3,958,730

4,018,211

       Residential real estate

1,834,467

1,717,439

1,489,942

1,485,479

1,475,703

       Home equity

1,016,080

981,406

919,368

891,761

858,153

       Installment

166,979

164,013

114,058

117,724

127,192

       Credit card

68,888

69,141

68,375

68,000

65,830

          Total loans

13,577,185

12,779,842

11,779,699

11,767,814

11,714,515

       Less:

          Allowance for credit losses

(200,745)

(179,275)

(162,417)

(158,170)

(158,206)

                Net loans

13,376,440

12,600,567

11,617,282

11,609,644

11,556,309

     Premises and equipment

230,154

202,956

199,167

198,407

198,998

     Operating leases

215,318

211,091

217,404

212,684

205,181

     Goodwill

1,099,543

1,069,781

1,007,656

1,007,656

1,007,656

     Other intangibles

149,631

104,184

74,448

76,076

78,220

     Accrued interest and other assets

1,344,828

1,220,939

1,096,567

1,093,833

1,119,889

       Total Assets

$ 22,459,523

$ 20,256,539

$ 18,566,188

$ 18,419,437

$ 18,368,604

LIABILITIES

     Deposits

       Interest-bearing demand

$  3,626,103

$  3,276,425

$  3,036,296

$  3,066,986

$  3,090,526

       Savings

6,406,223

5,740,651

5,054,563

5,005,526

4,918,004

       Time

3,868,224

3,504,872

3,296,789

3,139,182

3,141,103

          Total interest-bearing deposits

13,900,550

12,521,948

11,387,648

11,211,694

11,149,633

       Noninterest-bearing

3,745,002

3,436,709

3,124,277

3,143,081

3,091,037

          Total deposits

17,645,552

15,958,657

14,511,925

14,354,775

14,240,670

     Federal funds purchased and securities sold

          under agreements to repurchase

16,278

2,283

12,434

4,780

2,055

     FHLB short-term borrowings

538,084

444,511

497,092

532,198

553,667

     Other

0

13,891

21,519

26,226

99,378

          Total short-term borrowings

554,362

460,685

531,045

563,204

655,100

     Long-term debt

457,799

387,965

292,301

347,369

346,237

       Total borrowed funds

1,012,161

848,650

823,346

910,573

1,001,337

     Accrued interest and other liabilities

854,225

753,651

655,714

638,342

668,812

       Total Liabilities

19,511,938

17,560,958

15,990,985

15,903,690

15,910,819

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

     Common stock

1,795,255

1,644,923

1,639,986

1,637,782

1,641,016

     Retained earnings

1,448,012

1,406,388

1,369,069

1,322,168

1,282,300

     Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(173,065)

(209,767)

(247,746)

(257,873)

(275,068)

     Treasury stock, at cost

(122,617)

(145,963)

(186,106)

(186,330)

(190,463)

       Total Shareholders' Equity

2,947,585

2,695,581

2,575,203

2,515,747

2,457,785

       Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity

$ 22,459,523

$ 20,256,539

$ 18,566,188

$ 18,419,437

$ 18,368,604

FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.

NET INTEREST MARGIN RATE/VOLUME ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

 Quarterly Averages

March 31, 2026

December 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Balance

Interest

Yield

Balance

Interest

Yield

Balance

Interest

Yield

Earning assets

    Investments:

      Investment securities

$ 4,769,261

$ 52,017

4.42 %

$ 3,988,846

$ 43,334

4.31 %

$ 3,411,593

$ 36,605

4.35 %

      Interest-bearing deposits with other banks

596,094

5,450

3.71 %

647,347

6,334

3.88 %

615,812

6,651

4.38 %

    Gross loans (1)

14,028,324

224,951

6.50 %

12,812,267

215,663

6.68 %

11,724,727

197,163

6.82 %

       Total earning assets

19,393,679

282,418

5.91 %

17,448,460

265,331

6.03 %

15,752,132

240,419

6.19 %

Nonearning assets

    Allowance for credit losses

(200,745)

(179,275)

(158,206)

    Cash and due from banks

227,115

178,403

164,734

    Accrued interest and other assets

3,039,474

2,808,951

2,609,944

       Total assets

$ 22,459,523

$ 20,256,539

$ 18,368,604

Interest-bearing liabilities

    Deposits:

      Interest-bearing demand

$ 3,626,103

$ 13,281

1.49 %

$ 3,276,425

$ 13,818

1.67 %

$ 3,090,526

$ 15,188

1.99 %

      Savings

6,406,223

32,480

2.06 %

5,740,651

32,343

2.24 %

4,918,004

30,355

2.50 %

      Time

3,868,224

33,974

3.56 %

3,504,872

32,700

3.70 %

3,141,103

33,098

4.27 %

    Total interest-bearing deposits

13,900,550

79,735

2.33 %

12,521,948

78,861

2.50 %

11,149,633

78,641

2.86 %

    Borrowed funds

      Short-term borrowings

554,362

5,168

3.78 %

460,685

4,925

4.24 %

655,100

7,545

4.67 %

      Long-term debt

457,799

7,905

7.00 %

387,965

7,550

7.72 %

346,237

4,937

5.78 %

        Total borrowed funds

1,012,161

13,073

5.24 %

848,650

12,475

5.83 %

1,001,337

12,482

5.06 %

       Total interest-bearing liabilities

14,912,711

92,808

2.52 %

13,370,598

91,336

2.71 %

12,150,970

91,123

3.04 %

Noninterest-bearing liabilities

    Noninterest-bearing demand deposits

3,745,002

3,436,709

3,091,037

    Other liabilities

854,225

753,651

668,812

    Shareholders' equity

2,947,585

2,695,581

2,457,785

       Total liabilities & shareholders' equity

$ 22,459,523

$ 20,256,539

$ 18,368,604

Net interest income

$   189,610

$   173,995

$   149,296

Net interest spread

3.39 %

3.32 %

3.15 %

Net interest margin

3.97 %

3.96 %

3.84 %

Tax equivalent adjustment

0.02 %

0.02 %

0.04 %

Net interest margin (fully tax equivalent)

3.99 %

3.98 %

3.88 %

(1) Loans held for sale and nonaccrual loans are included in gross loans.

FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.

NET INTEREST MARGIN RATE/VOLUME ANALYSIS  (1)

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

 Linked Qtr. Income Variance

 Comparable Qtr. Income Variance

Rate

Volume

Total

Rate

Volume

Total

Earning assets

    Investment securities

$   1,138

$   7,545

$   8,683

$     604

$  14,808

$  15,412

    Interest-bearing deposits with other banks

(284)

(600)

(884)

(1,021)

(180)

(1,201)

    Gross loans (2)

(5,646)

14,934

9,288

(9,151)

36,939

27,788

       Total earning assets

(4,792)

21,879

17,087

(9,568)

51,567

41,999

Interest-bearing liabilities

    Total interest-bearing deposits

$  (5,438)

$   6,312

$     874

$ (14,686)

$  15,780

$   1,094

    Borrowed funds

    Short-term borrowings

(535)

778

243

(1,438)

(939)

(2,377)

    Long-term debt

(702)

1,057

355

1,042

1,926

2,968

       Total borrowed funds

(1,237)

1,835

598

(396)

987

591

       Total interest-bearing liabilities

(6,675)

8,147

1,472

(15,082)

16,767

1,685

          Net interest income (1)

$   1,883

$  13,732

$  15,615

$   5,514

$  34,800

$  40,314

(1) Not tax equivalent.

(2) Loans held for sale and nonaccrual loans are included in gross loans.

FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.

CREDIT QUALITY

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended,

Mar. 31,

Dec. 31,

Sep. 30,

June 30,

Mar. 31,

2026

2025

2025

2025

2025

ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSS ACTIVITY

Balance at beginning of period

$ 186,487

$ 161,916

$ 158,522

$ 155,482

$ 156,791

Initial allowance on purchased loans

2,829

23,652

0

0

0

  Provision for credit losses

6,030

9,688

8,612

9,084

9,141

  Gross charge-offs

    Commercial and industrial

10,788

6,636

2,165

4,996

8,178

    Lease financing

43

918

298

606

1,454

    Construction real estate

0

0

245

0

0

    Commercial real estate

29

433

3,105

0

0

    Residential real estate

127

151

0

16

0

    Home equity

119

95

92

100

86

    Installment

1,058

1,197

1,194

1,120

1,321

    Credit card

496

729

577

489

474

      Total gross charge-offs

12,660

10,159

7,676

7,327

11,513

  Recoveries

    Commercial and industrial

100

264

202

290

195

    Lease financing

23

201

291

11

29

    Construction real estate

0

0

0

0

0

    Commercial real estate

28

5

1,138

70

24

    Residential real estate

30

13

58

42

24

    Home equity

116

117

94

74

144

    Installment

598

682

609

716

563

    Credit card

135

108

66

80

84

      Total recoveries

1,030

1,390

2,458

1,283

1,063

  Total net charge-offs

11,630

8,769

5,218

6,044

10,450

Ending allowance for credit losses

$ 183,716

$ 186,487

$ 161,916

$ 158,522

$ 155,482

NET CHARGE-OFFS TO AVERAGE LOANS AND LEASES (ANNUALIZED)

  Commercial and industrial

0.91 %

0.59 %

0.20 %

0.49 %

0.85 %

  Lease financing

0.01 %

0.46 %

0.00 %

0.41 %

0.99 %

  Construction real estate

0.00 %

0.00 %

0.14 %

0.00 %

0.00 %

  Commercial real estate

0.00 %

0.04 %

0.20 %

(0.01) %

0.00 %

  Residential real estate

0.02 %

0.03 %

(0.02) %

(0.01) %

(0.01) %

  Home equity

0.00 %

(0.01) %

0.00 %

0.01 %

(0.03) %

  Installment

1.12 %

1.25 %

2.03 %

1.38 %

2.42 %

  Credit card

2.13 %

3.56 %

2.97 %

2.41 %

2.40 %

     Total net charge-offs

0.35 %

0.27 %

0.18 %

0.21 %

0.36 %

COMPONENTS OF NONACCRUAL LOANS, NONPERFORMING ASSETS, AND UNDERPERFORMING ASSETS

  Nonaccrual loans

    Commercial and industrial

$  22,576

$  27,461

$  23,832

$  24,489

$   7,649

    Lease financing

5,857

5,660

5,885

6,243

6,487

    Construction real estate

715

1,120

1,120

1,365

0

    Commercial real estate

49,481

45,590

24,443

23,905

25,736

    Residential real estate

17,439

18,302

16,452

16,995

16,044

    Home equity

3,687

2,927

3,567

3,226

2,920

    Installment

786

748

652

701

719

      Total nonaccrual loans

100,541

101,808

75,951

76,924

59,555

  Other real estate owned (OREO)

238

184

111

204

213

     Total nonperforming assets

100,779

101,992

76,062

77,128

59,768

  Accruing loans past due 90 days or more

1,366

411

592

714

228

     Total underperforming assets

$ 102,145

$ 102,403

$  76,654

$  77,842

$  59,996

Total classified assets

$ 232,368

$ 235,451

$ 218,794

$ 214,346

$ 213,351

CREDIT QUALITY RATIOS

Allowance for credit losses to

     Nonaccrual loans

182.73 %

183.18 %

213.18 %

206.08 %

261.07 %

     Total ending loans

1.36 %

1.39 %

1.38 %

1.34 %

1.33 %

Nonaccrual loans to total loans

0.75 %

0.76 %

0.65 %

0.65 %

0.51 %

Nonperforming assets to

     Ending loans, plus OREO

0.75 %

0.76 %

0.65 %

0.65 %

0.51 %

     Total assets

0.44 %

0.48 %

0.41 %

0.41 %

0.32 %

Classified assets to total assets

1.02 %

1.11 %

1.18 %

1.15 %

1.16 %

FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.

CAPITAL ADEQUACY

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended,

Mar. 31,

Dec. 31,

Sep. 30,

June 30,

Mar. 31,

2026

2025

2025

2025

2025

PER COMMON SHARE

Market Price

  High

$     31.16

$     26.98

$     26.79

$     25.19

$     29.04

  Low

$     25.09

$     23.26

$     23.55

$     22.05

$     24.25

  Close

$     27.88

$     25.02

$     25.25

$     24.26

$     24.98

Average shares outstanding - basic

103,705,269

96,724,148

94,889,341

94,860,428

94,645,787

Average shares outstanding - diluted

104,615,405

97,593,800

95,753,798

95,741,696

95,524,262

Ending shares outstanding

104,932,829

98,521,726

95,757,250

95,760,617

95,730,353

Total shareholders' equity

$ 2,940,625

$ 2,769,216

$ 2,631,855

$ 2,558,155

$ 2,501,235

REGULATORY CAPITAL

Preliminary

Common equity tier 1 capital

$ 1,970,561

$ 1,798,266

$ 1,828,843

$ 1,776,038

$ 1,724,134

Common equity tier 1 capital ratio

12.23 %

11.32 %

12.91 %

12.57 %

12.29 %

Tier 1 capital

$ 2,016,070

$ 1,843,672

$ 1,874,191

$ 1,821,316

$ 1,769,357

Tier 1 ratio

12.51 %

11.60 %

13.23 %

12.89 %

12.61 %

Total capital

$ 2,531,124

$ 2,457,377

$ 2,170,546

$ 2,116,180

$ 2,090,211

Total capital ratio

15.71 %

15.46 %

15.32 %

14.98 %

14.90 %

Total capital in excess of minimum requirement

$   839,542

$   788,889

$   683,018

$   632,563

$   617,347

Total risk-weighted assets

$ 16,110,302

$ 15,890,363

$ 14,166,935

$ 14,129,683

$ 14,027,274

Leverage ratio

9.39 %

9.53 %

10.50 %

10.28 %

10.01 %

OTHER CAPITAL RATIOS

Ending shareholders' equity to ending assets

12.92 %

13.11 %

14.18 %

13.73 %

13.55 %

Ending tangible shareholders' equity to ending tangible assets (1)

7.88 %

7.79 %

8.87 %

8.40 %

8.16 %

Average shareholders' equity to average assets

13.12 %

13.31 %

13.87 %

13.66 %

13.38 %

Average tangible shareholders' equity to average tangible assets (1)

8.01 %

7.97 %

8.54 %

8.26 %

7.94 %

REPURCHASE PROGRAM (2)

Shares repurchased

0

0

0

0

0

Average share repurchase price

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Total cost of shares repurchased

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

(1) Non-GAAP measure.  For details on the calculation of these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to the GAAP financial measure, see the sections titled "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" in this release and "Appendix: Non-GAAP to GAAP Reconciliation" in the accompanying slide presentation.

(2) Represents share repurchases as part of publicly announced plans.

N/A = Not applicable

SOURCE First Financial Bancorp.

First Financial Bancorp (FFBC - Free Report) reported $272.7 million in revenue for the quarter ended March 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 35.3%. EPS of $0.77 for the same period compares to $0.63 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $259.5 million, representing a surprise of +5.09%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +10.52%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.70.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how First Financial performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Efficiency Ratio: 62.4% compared to the 60.8% average estimate based on three analysts.Net Interest Margin: 4% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 4%.Average Balance - Total earning assets: $19.39 billion versus $18.99 billion estimated by two analysts on average.Net charge-offs to average loans (annualized): 0.4% compared to the 0.3% average estimate based on two analysts.Total Noninterest Income: $81.91 million compared to the $72.16 million average estimate based on three analysts.Net interest income - tax equivalent: $190.8 million compared to the $184.63 million average estimate based on two analysts.Service charges on deposit accounts: $9.01 million compared to the $8.45 million average estimate based on two analysts.Bankcard income: $3.58 million compared to the $3.68 million average estimate based on two analysts.View all Key Company Metrics for First Financial here>>>

Shares of First Financial have returned +5.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +9.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

, /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the board of directors of First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ: FFBC) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per common share. The dividend is payable on June 15, 2026 to shareholders of record as of June 1, 2026.

About First Financial Bancorp.
First Financial Bancorp. is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank holding company. As of March 31, 2026, the Company had $22.8 billion in assets, $13.5 billion in loans, $17.9 billion in deposits and $2.9 billion in shareholders' equity. The Company's subsidiary, First Financial Bank, founded in 1863, provides banking and financial services products through its six lines of business: Commercial, Retail Banking, Investment Commercial Real Estate, Mortgage Banking, Commercial Finance and Wealth Management. These business units provide traditional banking services to business and retail clients. Wealth Management provides wealth planning, portfolio management, trust and estate, brokerage and retirement plan services and had approximately $4.1 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2026. The Company operated 153 full service banking centers as of March 31, 2026, located in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, while the Commercial Finance business lends into targeted industry verticals on a nationwide basis. In 2025, First Financial Bank received its second consecutive Outstanding rating from the Federal Reserve for its performance under the Community Reinvestment Act. First Financial was recognized in 2025 and 2026 as a Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winner, one of only a select few organizations to receive this designation. Additional information about the Company, including its products, services and banking locations, is available at www.bankatfirst.com.

SOURCE First Financial Bancorp.

First Financial Bancorp maintains a return on tangible common equity in the high teens, and we were able to buy the stock at an attractive valuation. We purchased shares of Guardant Health, as recent due diligence highlighted a stable competitive environment and underscored a number of positive catalysts for the company over the next several years. We exited our position in Dynatrace, Inc. to redeploy capital to other higher conviction names following the broad software de-rating.

Growth investors focus on stocks that are seeing above-average financial growth, as this feature helps these securities garner the market's attention and deliver solid returns. But finding a great growth stock is not easy at all.

In addition to volatility, these stocks carry above-average risk by their very nature. Also, one could end up losing from a stock whose growth story is actually over or nearing its end.

However, the task of finding cutting-edge growth stocks is made easy with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects.

Our proprietary system currently recommends First Financial Bancorp (FFBC - Free Report) as one such stock. This company not only has a favorable Growth Score, but also carries a top Zacks Rank.

Studies have shown that stocks with the best growth features consistently outperform the market. And for stocks that have a combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), returns are even better.

Here are three of the most important factors that make the stock of this holding company for First Financial Bank a great growth pick right now.

Earnings GrowthArguably nothing is more important than earnings growth, as surging profit levels is what most investors are after. For growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is highly preferable, as it is often perceived as an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.

While the historical EPS growth rate for First Financial is 6.8%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 9.2% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 7.4%.

Impressive Asset Utilization RatioGrowth investors often overlook asset utilization ratio, also known as sales-to-total-assets (S/TA) ratio, but it is an important feature of a real growth stock. This metric shows how efficiently a firm is utilizing its assets to generate sales.

Right now, First Financial has an S/TA ratio of 0.07, which means that the company gets $0.07 in sales for each dollar in assets. Comparing this to the industry average of 0.06, it can be said that the company is more efficient.

While the level of efficiency in generating sales matters a lot, so does the sales growth of a company. And First Financial is well positioned from a sales growth perspective too. The company's sales are expected to grow 19.7% this year versus the industry average of 9.4%.

Promising Earnings Estimate RevisionsBeyond the metrics outlined above, investors should consider the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is a plus here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

The current-year earnings estimates for First Financial have been revising upward. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 7.2% over the past month.

Bottom LineWhile the overall earnings estimate revisions have made First Financial a Zacks Rank #2 stock, it has earned itself a Growth Score of B based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above.

You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

This combination positions First Financial well for outperformance, so growth investors may want to bet on it.

Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and, of course, dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.

Based in Cincinnati, First Financial Bancorp (FFBC - Free Report) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 23.26%. Currently paying a dividend of $0.25 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 3.24%. In comparison, the Banks - Midwest industry's yield is 2.61%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.44%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.00 is up 2% from last year. Over the last 5 years, First Financial Bancorp has increased its dividend 1 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 0.82%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. First Financial's current payout ratio is 33%, meaning it paid out 33% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Looking at this fiscal year, FFBC expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $3.20 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 9.22%.

Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.

For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers its shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, FFBC presents a compelling investment opportunity; it's not only an attractive dividend play, but the stock also boasts a strong Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

, /PRNewswire/ -- First Financial Bank (Nasdaq: FFBC) has completed the conversion of BankFinancial's operating systems and is now offering consumer banking, commercial banking, specialty banking and wealth management services under the First Financial brand in the Chicagoland area. All retail branches and ATMs have been rebranded as First Financial Bank as of today, and clients can begin to directly access First Financial's wide variety of banking and financial services. First Financial has also committed $1 million to the First Financial Foundation for the benefit of organizations in the Chicagoland area now being served by the bank.

First Financial completes conversion of BankFinancial at locations including this one in Libertyville, Illinois. "BankFinancial clients who have transitioned to First Financial are learning more about our focus on creating opportunities for our clients and communities to thrive," said Archie Brown, president and CEO of First Financial Bank. "We are serving Chicagoland with a community-first approach while offering our deep banking expertise and a comprehensive suite of financial services."

First Financial retail locations are now open in Calumet City at 1901 Sibley Blvd., Calumet Park at 1333 W. 127th St., Chicago Ridge at 6415 W. 95th St., Deerfield at 630 N. Waukegan Rd., Downers Grove at 5140 Main St., Flossmoor at 2743 Flossmoor Rd., Hyde Park at 1354 E. 55th St., Joliet at 1401 N. Larkin Ave., Libertyville-North at 1409 W. Peterson Rd., Lincoln Park at 2424 N. Clark St., Lincolnshire at One Marriott Dr., Lincolnwood at 3443 W. Touhy, Olympia Fields at 21110 S. Western Ave., Orland Park at 48 Orland Square Dr. and Westmont at 6301 Fairview Ave. First Financial also maintains a commercial real estate lending office at 60 N. Frontage Rd. in Burr Ridge.

The conversion consolidated products, processes and operating systems from the two banks, and BankFinancial clients can continue banking through their local branches as they always have. Clients also can take advantage of a wider range of solutions to meet their financial needs, including expanded mortgage lending, commercial banking, wealth management and specialty banking services. First Financial has been communicating with BankFinancial clients in recent weeks to help them through the conversion.

First Financial's new retail locations in Chicagoland expand its presence in the area, where it already has locations in Northwest Indiana and in Kankakee, Watseka and Hoopeston in Northeast Illinois. First Financial also operates a commercial lending office in Fulton Market; an office for Bannockburn Capital Markets division in Chicago's downtown Loop; and its recently acquired Agile Premium Finance division in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Additional specialty banking services include Oak Street Funding, providing customized business financing, and Summit Funding Group, specializing in equipment leasing and financing.

About First Financial Bancorp.
First Financial Bancorp. is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank holding company. As of March 31, 2026, the Company had $22.8 billion in assets, $13.5 billion in loans, $17.9 billion in deposits and $2.9 billion in shareholders' equity. The Company's subsidiary, First Financial Bank, founded in 1863, provides banking and financial services products through its six lines of business: Commercial, Retail Banking, Investment Commercial Real Estate, Mortgage Banking, Commercial Finance and Wealth Management. These business units provide traditional banking services to business and retail clients. Wealth Management provides wealth planning, portfolio management, trust and estate, brokerage and retirement plan services and had approximately $4.1 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2026. The Company operated 153 full service banking centers as of March 31, 2026, located in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, while the Commercial Finance business lends into targeted industry verticals on a nationwide basis. In 2025, First Financial Bank received its second consecutive Outstanding rating from the Federal Reserve for its performance under the Community Reinvestment Act and was recognized as a Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winner, one of only 70 Gallup clients worldwide to receive this designation. Additional information about the Company, including its products, services and banking locations, is available at www.bankatfirst.com.

SOURCE First Financial Bancorp.

Momentum investing is all about the idea of following a stock's recent trend, which can be in either direction. In the "long context," investors will essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." And for investors following this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving in that direction. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

Even though momentum is a popular stock characteristic, it can be tough to define. Debate surrounding which are the best and worst metrics to focus on is lengthy, but the Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at First Financial Bancorp (FFBC - Free Report) , a company that currently holds a Momentum Style Score of B. We also talk about price change and earnings estimate revisions, two of the main aspects of the Momentum Style Score.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. First Financial Bancorp currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.

You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>

Set to Beat the Market? In order to see if FFBC is a promising momentum pick, let's examine some Momentum Style elements to see if this holding company for First Financial Bank holds up.

A good momentum benchmark for a stock is to look at its short-term price activity, as this can reflect both current interest and if buyers or sellers currently have the upper hand. It's also helpful to compare a security to its industry; this can show investors the best companies in a particular area.

For FFBC, shares are up 0.29% over the past week while the Zacks Banks - Midwest industry is up 0.9% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 2.36% compares favorably with the industry's 2.57% performance as well.

While any stock can see a spike in price, it takes a real winner to consistently outperform the market. Over the past quarter, shares of First Financial Bancorp have risen 14.53%, and are up 27.78% in the last year. On the other hand, the S&P 500 has only moved 10.22% and 24.7%, respectively.

Investors should also pay attention to FFBC's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. FFBC is currently averaging 810,317 shares for the last 20 days.

Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score also takes into account trends in estimate revisions, in addition to price changes. Please note that estimate revision trends remain at the core of Zacks Rank as well. A nice path here can help show promise, and we have recently been seeing that with FFBC.

Over the past two months, 2 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost FFBC's consensus estimate, increasing from $3.10 to $3.20 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 3 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.

Bottom LineTaking into account all of these elements, it should come as no surprise that FFBC is a #2 (Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of B. If you've been searching for a fresh pick that's set to rise in the near-term, make sure to keep First Financial Bancorp on your short list.