Richard Dennen Sells 20,000 Shares of First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) Stock

First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) insider Richard Dennen sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.20, for a total value of $604,000.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 61,856 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,868,051.20. This represents a 24.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

First Financial Bancorp. Stock Performance

NASDAQ FFBC opened at $30.06 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. First Financial Bancorp. has a twelve month low of $21.10 and a twelve month high of $30.56. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $26.50 and a 200-day moving average price of $25.48. The firm has a market cap of $2.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.30 and a beta of 1.00.

First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The bank reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.02. First Financial Bancorp. had a return on equity of 10.77% and a net margin of 20.30%.The company had revenue of $251.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $249.00 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.71 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that First Financial Bancorp. will post 2.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Financial Bancorp. Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. First Financial Bancorp.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.59%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Hovde Group increased their price objective on shares of First Financial Bancorp. from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings raised First Financial Bancorp. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $28.00 target price (down from $30.00) on shares of First Financial Bancorp. in a report on Monday, October 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of First Financial Bancorp. from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of First Financial Bancorp. from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Financial Bancorp. currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $30.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of First Financial Bancorp. in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Bogart Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in First Financial Bancorp. in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. MAI Capital Management raised its position in First Financial Bancorp. by 530.6% in the 3rd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 1,545 shares of the bank’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 1,300 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of First Financial Bancorp. by 2,741.3% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,790 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 1,727 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Consulate Inc. purchased a new position in shares of First Financial Bancorp. during the third quarter valued at approximately $47,000. 77.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Financial Bancorp. News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting First Financial Bancorp. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/price‑target raises — several firms have lifted targets (examples include Truist and Hovde), supporting upside expectations and likely contributing to buying momentum. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and investor presentation showed beats and intact guidance — management’s January quarter beat on EPS/revenue and the Q4 investor presentation reinforced steady core performance, which underpins analyst support. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and yield remain supportive — the company recently declared a quarterly dividend (annualized ~$1.00, ~3.3% yield), a positive for income‑oriented holders. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Local community giving and PR items — modest donations reported (~$124k) help reputation but have negligible direct financial impact. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Peer comparisons and sector notes — coverage comparing regional peers provides context for valuation but is unlikely to move the stock on its own. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sale by Richard S. Dennen — Dennen sold 20,000 shares (~$604k at ~$30.20), trimming his stake by ~24%; sizable insider sales can create near‑term concern about insider conviction. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider selling (Gregory A. Harris) — a smaller sale (1,821 shares) was also filed, adding to the narrative of insiders trimming positions. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Layoffs at newly acquired Seville operations center — the bank will cut 56 roles at a recent acquisition site; while it may lower costs over time, the move brings integration and execution risk in the near term. Read More.

First Financial Bancorp. Company Profile

First Financial Bancorp (NASDAQ: FFBC) is a bank holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the parent of First Financial Bank. The company provides a comprehensive suite of commercial and consumer banking services through a network of more than 100 full-service banking centers and mortgage offices across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Its core mission centers on delivering personalized relationship banking to businesses, individuals and public sector clients.

First Financial Bank’s product portfolio includes deposit solutions such as checking, savings and money market accounts, alongside a range of lending offerings that cover commercial and industrial loans, real estate and construction financing, home mortgages and home equity lines of credit.