First Financial Bancorp. (FFBC) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Company Overview

First Financial Bancorp (NASDAQ:FFBC) is a diversified financial services holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Through its principal subsidiary, First Financial Bank, the company offers a broad range of banking and financial solutions to individuals, small businesses, and middle-market corporations. Its core services include commercial and consumer lending, deposit and cash management, mortgage origination, and wealth management, complemented by digital banking platforms designed to enhance client convenience and operational efficiency.

In the commercial sector, First Financial Bancorp delivers tailored lending products such as term loans, lines of credit, and equipment financing, alongside treasury management and merchant services that support business growth and cash flow optimization. Personal banking clients have access to checking and savings accounts, home equity loans, residential mortgages, online and mobile banking, and a suite of investment and trust services administered by its wealth management division. The company also provides insurance solutions and retirement planning through strategic partnerships with independent agencies.

Founded nearly a century ago in southern Indiana, First Financial Bancorp has expanded organically and through targeted acquisitions to serve communities across Ohio, eastern Indiana and northern Kentucky. Milestones in its growth include the integration of regional banks and community institutions, each reinforcing its commitment to localized decision-making and personalized service. The company’s branch network and digital footprint reflect a balanced approach to traditional community banking and innovative financial technology.

Guided by President and Chief Executive Officer Harold J. Eaton Jr., First Financial Bancorp emphasizes strong corporate governance, community engagement and talent development. Its leadership team fosters a culture of client-focused service and prudent risk management, ensuring the company remains responsive to evolving market needs while upholding its heritage as a regional banking partner.

Key Stats

• Today's Range: $25.61 to $26.05
• 50-Day Range: $23.07 to $25.84
• 52-Week Range: $21.10 to $31.18
• Volume: 258,507 shs
• Average Volume: 420,502 shs
• Market Capitalization: $2.47 billion
• P/E Ratio: 10.72
• Dividend Yield: 3.72%
• Price Target: $28.75
• Consensus Rating: Hold

First Financial Bancorp. Stock Analysis - MarketRank™

First Financial Bancorp. scored higher than 90% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 146th out of 907 stocks in the finance sector. Scores are calculated by averaging available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

Analyst's Opinion

• Score: 2.1 / 5
• Analyst Rating: Hold

Consensus Rating

First Financial Bancorp. has received a consensus rating of Hold. The company's average rating score is 2.25, and is based on 1 buy rating, 3 hold ratings, and no sell ratings.

Amount of Analyst Coverage

First Financial Bancorp. has only been the subject of 4 research reports in the past 90 days.

Earnings and Valuation

• Score: 1.9 / 5
• Proj. Earnings Growth: 4.92%

Earnings Growth

Earnings for First Financial Bancorp. are expected to grow by 4.92% in the coming year, from $2.64 to $2.77 per share.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

The P/E ratio of First Financial Bancorp. is 10.72, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 25.66.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

The P/E ratio of First Financial Bancorp. is 10.72, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Finance sector average P/E ratio of about 20.05.

Price to Book Value per Share Ratio

First Financial Bancorp. has a P/B Ratio of 1.01. P/B Ratios below 3 indicates that a company is reasonably valued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

Short Interest

• Score: 5.0 / 5
• Short Interest Level: Healthy

Percentage of Shares Shorted

1.26% of the float of First Financial Bancorp. has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

First Financial Bancorp. has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 3, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in First Financial Bancorp. has recently decreased by 11.85%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

Dividend

• Score: 3.3 / 5
• Dividend Strength: Strong

Dividend Leadership

First Financial Bancorp. is a leading dividend payer. It pays a dividend yield of 3.71%, putting its dividend yield in the top 25% of dividend-paying stocks.

Dividend Growth

First Financial Bancorp. has only been increasing its dividend for 1 years.

Dividend Coverage

The dividend payout ratio of First Financial Bancorp. is 39.83%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.

Dividend Sustainability

Based on earnings estimates, First Financial Bancorp. will have a dividend payout ratio of 34.66% next year. This indicates that First Financial Bancorp. will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Sustainability and ESG

• Score: 2.4 / 5
• Environmental Score: -0.68

Percentage of Shares Shorted

1.26% of the float of First Financial Bancorp. has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

First Financial Bancorp. has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 3, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in First Financial Bancorp. has recently decreased by 11.85%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

News and Social Media

• Score: 1.3 / 5
• News Sentiment: 0.30

News Sentiment

First Financial Bancorp. has a news sentiment score of 0.30. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a lower news sentiment than the 0.74 average news sentiment score of Finance companies.

News Coverage This Week

MarketBeat has tracked 3 news articles for First Financial Bancorp. this week, compared to 4 articles on an average week.

Company Ownership

• Score: 2.5 / 5
• Insider Trading: Selling Shares

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

In the past three months, First Financial Bancorp. insiders have sold more of their company's stock than they have bought. Specifically, they have bought $0.00 in company stock and sold $39,580.00 in company stock.

Percentage Held by Insiders

Only 1.13% of the stock of First Financial Bancorp. is held by insiders.

Percentage Held by Institutions

77.23% of the stock of First Financial Bancorp. is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

FFBC Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

How have FFBC shares performed this year?

First Financial Bancorp.'s stock was trading at $26.88 on January 1st, 2025. Since then, FFBC stock has decreased by 3.9% and is now trading at $25.84.

How were First Financial Bancorp.'s earnings last quarter?

First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April, 24th. The bank reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.63. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year.
Read the conference call transcript.

Who are First Financial Bancorp.'s major shareholders?

First Financial Bancorp.'s top institutional investors include First Financial Bank Trust Division (0.93%). Insiders that own company stock include William G Barron, Richard S Dennen, Claude E Davis, Scott T Crawley, James R Shank, Dawn C Morris and Gary W Warzala.
View institutional ownership trends.

How do I buy shares of First Financial Bancorp.?

Shares of FFBC stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.

What other stocks do shareholders of First Financial Bancorp. own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some other companies that First Financial Bancorp. investors own include Waste Connections (WCN), DiamondRock Hospitality (DRH), American Water Works (AWK), AU Optronics (AUOTY), The RMR Group (RMR), iShares Micro-Cap ETF (IWC) and Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR).

Company Calendar

• Last Earnings: 4/24/2025
• Record date for 6/16 Dividend: 6/02/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 6/16 Dividend: 6/02/2025
• Dividend Payable: 6/16/2025
• Today: 7/06/2025
• Next Earnings (Estimated): 7/24/2025
• Fiscal Year End: 12/31/2025

Industry, Sector and Symbol

• Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
• Sector: Finance
• Industry: BANKS - MIDWEST
• Sub-Industry: Regional Banks
• Current Symbol: NASDAQ:FFBC
• CIK: 708955
• Web: www.bankatfirst.com
• Phone: (877) 322-9530
• Fax: 513-867-3111
• Employees: 2,090
• Year Founded: 1863

Price Target and Rating

• Average Stock Price Target: $28.75
• High Stock Price Target: $32.00
• Low Stock Price Target: $27.00
• Potential Upside/Downside: +11.3%
• Consensus Rating: Hold
• Rating Score (0-4): 2.25
• Research Coverage: 4 Analysts

Profitability

• EPS (Trailing Twelve Months): $2.41
• Trailing P/E Ratio: 10.72
• Forward P/E Ratio: 9.79
• P/E Growth: N/A
• Net Income: $228.83 million
• Net Margins: 18.65%
• Pretax Margin: 21.97%
• Return on Equity: 10.44%
• Return on Assets: 1.38%

Debt

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 0.43
• Current Ratio: 0.91
• Quick Ratio: 0.91

Sales & Book Value

• Annual Sales: $840.71 million
• Price / Sales: 2.94
• Cash Flow: $2.96 per share
• Price / Cash Flow: 8.72
• Book Value: $25.53 per share
• Price / Book: 1.01

Miscellaneous

• Outstanding Shares: 95,736,000
• Free Float: 94,654,000
• Market Cap: $2.47 billion
• Optionable: Optionable
• Beta: 0.96