First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF) Shares Bought by Two Sigma Advisers LP

Two Sigma Advisers LP grew its holdings in First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF - Free Report) by 31.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 34,399 shares of the bank's stock after purchasing an additional 8,300 shares during the quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP owned about 0.29% of First Financial worth $1,589,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of THFF. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of First Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of First Financial in the 4th quarter worth $73,000. Ieq Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Financial in the 4th quarter worth $205,000. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in shares of First Financial during the 4th quarter worth $213,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC boosted its position in shares of First Financial by 27.6% during the 4th quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 5,586 shares of the bank's stock valued at $258,000 after acquiring an additional 1,209 shares during the last quarter. 72.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Financial

In other First Financial news, Director James O. Mcdonald acquired 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $48.99 per share, for a total transaction of $48,990.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 9,462 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $463,543.38. This trade represents a 11.82% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders bought a total of 1,708 shares of company stock valued at $83,350 in the last three months. 3.69% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

First Financial Trading Down 1.8%

THFF stock traded down $0.92 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $50.54. 50,387 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 55,266. First Financial Co. has a 12-month low of $34.61 and a 12-month high of $53.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $598.95 million, a P/E ratio of 12.64 and a beta of 0.41. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $48.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $48.79. 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 (NASDAQ:THFF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.26. First Financial had a return on equity of 8.77% and a net margin of 15.37%. The company had revenue of $62.49 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $62.04 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that First Financial Co. will post 5.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

First Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st were given a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.04%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 1st. First Financial's dividend payout ratio is currently 44.16%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on THFF. Janney Montgomery Scott upgraded shares of First Financial from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $58.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of First Financial from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a "market perform" rating and issued a $55.00 price objective (up from $52.00) on shares of First Financial in a research report on Thursday, February 6th.

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.