Two Sigma Investments LP Buys 5,079 Shares of First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF)

Two Sigma Investments LP increased its position in First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF - Free Report) by 17.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 34,122 shares of the bank's stock after buying an additional 5,079 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP owned 0.29% of First Financial worth $1,576,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in THFF. Kennedy Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Financial in the fourth quarter worth about $3,855,000. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in First Financial by 231.4% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 86,972 shares of the bank's stock valued at $4,017,000 after purchasing an additional 60,732 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in First Financial by 9.2% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 235,412 shares of the bank's stock valued at $10,874,000 after purchasing an additional 19,867 shares during the period. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL raised its position in First Financial by 88.9% during the fourth quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 37,787 shares of the bank's stock valued at $1,745,000 after purchasing an additional 17,782 shares during the period. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in First Financial during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $707,000. 72.74% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Financial Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of NASDAQ THFF traded up $0.01 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $50.55. The company's stock had a trading volume of 38,287 shares, compared to its average volume of 55,199. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The business's 50 day moving average is $48.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.79. First Financial Co. has a 12-month low of $34.61 and a 12-month high of $53.60. The firm has a market cap of $599.07 million, a P/E ratio of 12.64 and a beta of 0.41.

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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. As a group, equities research analysts expect that First Financial Co. will post 5.41 EPS for the current year.

First Financial Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director James O. Mcdonald acquired 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $48.99 per share, with a total value of $48,990.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 9,462 shares in the company, valued at $463,543.38. This trade represents a 11.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders have bought a total of 1,675 shares of company stock valued at $81,719 over the last quarter. 3.69% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About First Financial

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.