Millennium Management LLC Buys 60,732 Shares of First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF)

Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF - Free Report) by 231.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 86,972 shares of the bank's stock after purchasing an additional 60,732 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC owned approximately 0.74% of First Financial worth $4,017,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of First Financial by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 6,509 shares of the bank's stock worth $301,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG grew its holdings in shares of First Financial by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 17,566 shares of the bank's stock worth $811,000 after acquiring an additional 721 shares during the period. Dean Capital Management grew its position in shares of First Financial by 5.1% in the fourth quarter. Dean Capital Management now owns 42,058 shares of the bank's stock valued at $1,943,000 after purchasing an additional 2,027 shares during the last quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Financial during the fourth quarter worth about $264,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC lifted its position in First Financial by 27.6% during the fourth quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 5,586 shares of the bank's stock worth $258,000 after buying an additional 1,209 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.74% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Financial

In other First Financial news, Director James O. Mcdonald bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $48.99 per share, for a total transaction of $48,990.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 9,462 shares in the company, valued at $463,543.38. This represents a 11.82% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders have purchased 1,708 shares of company stock worth $83,350 over the last three months. Company insiders own 3.69% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on THFF shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a "market perform" rating and issued a $55.00 target price (up previously from $52.00) on shares of First Financial in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Janney Montgomery Scott upgraded shares of First Financial from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $58.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded First Financial from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th.

First Financial Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:THFF traded down $0.12 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $50.98. 2,492 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 55,005. The firm has a market cap of $604.16 million, a P/E ratio of 12.75 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. First Financial Co. has a 1-year low of $34.61 and a 1-year high of $53.60. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $48.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $48.76.

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $62.49 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $62.04 million. First Financial had a net margin of 15.37% and a return on equity of 8.77%. Analysts anticipate that First Financial Co. will post 5.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

First Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st were issued a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.00%. First Financial's payout ratio is presently 44.16%.

First Financial Profile

First Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides various financial services. The company offers non-interest-bearing demand, interest-bearing demand, savings, time, and other time deposits. It also provides commercial loans primarily to expand a business or finance asset purchases; residential real estate and residential real estate construction loans; and home equity loans and lines, secured loans, and cash/CD secured and unsecured loans.