First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday.

THFF has been the topic of several other reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $55.00 price target (up 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 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 24th.

First Financial Price Performance

Shares of THFF traded up $1.23 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $50.68. 47,458 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 54,165. 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 has a 52-week low of $34.61 and a 52-week high of $53.60. The company has a market cap of $600.71 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.67 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $47.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $47.81.

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $62.49 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $62.04 million. First Financial had a return on equity of 8.77% and a net margin of 15.37%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that First Financial will post 5.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st were given a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.03%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 1st. First Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.16%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director James O. Mcdonald purchased 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 directly owns 9,462 shares of the company's stock, valued at $463,543.38. The trade was a 11.82 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Mark Allen Franklin bought 1,100 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $52.53 per share, with a total value of $57,783.00. Following the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 9,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $517,157.85. This trade represents a 12.58 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders purchased 2,837 shares of company stock valued at $142,701 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 3.69% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Financial

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of THFF. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in First Financial by 10.7% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 230,332 shares of the bank's stock valued at $10,100,000 after acquiring an additional 22,287 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its stake in First Financial by 62.1% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 37,457 shares of the bank's stock worth $1,643,000 after buying an additional 14,349 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in First Financial by 9.2% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 235,412 shares of the bank's stock worth $10,874,000 after buying an additional 19,867 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in First Financial by 73.1% in the 4th quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 11,009 shares of the bank's stock worth $509,000 after buying an additional 4,650 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Financial during the fourth quarter valued at about $582,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.74% of the company's stock.

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.