First Financial Bank Announces Leadership Promotions Designed to Strengthen its Future

CINCINNATI, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- First Financial Bancorp.

PRNewsWire • Sep 15, 2026

First Financial Bancorp.: Strong Profitability With Room For Further Upside

First Financial Bancorp presents an attractive risk/reward profile, combining strong profitability, a robust 3.98% net interest margin, and disciplined loan growth. FFBC trades at a discounted 10.4x P/E and 1.15x P/B, below sector medians, despite high operational efficiency and a record $83.9 million adjusted net income in Q2 2026. Acquisitions, including BankFinancial and the upcoming $208 million Finward Bancorp deal, are expected to drive further loan growth and cost synergies.

Seeking Alpha • Sep 2, 2026

Finward Bancorp Investor Alert: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of Finward Bancorp - FNWD

NEW YORK CITY & NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (“KSF”) are investigating the proposed sale of Finward Bancorp (NasdaqCM: FNWD) to First Financial Bancorp. (NasdaqGS: FFBC). Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of Finward will receive 1.35 shares of First Financial for each share of Finward that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the.

Business Wire • Jul 24, 2026

SHAREHOLDER NOTICE: Brodsky & Smith Announces an Investigation of Finward Bancorp (FNWD)

Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania--(Newsfile Corp. - July 23, 2026) - Law office of Brodsky & Smith announces that it is investigating potential claims against the Board of Directors of Finward Bancorp ("Finward" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: FNWD) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of federal and state law in connection with the sale of the Company to First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ: FFBC) in an all-stock transaction where each outstanding share of Finward common stock will be converted into the right to receive 1.35 shares of First Financial common stock, valuing the transaction at approximately $208 million, based on First Financial's closing stock price on July 20, 2026.

Newsfile Corp • Jul 23, 2026

First Financial Bancorp. Q2 Earnings Call Highlights

First Financial Bancorp. NASDAQ: FFBC reported record adjusted second-quarter earnings and outlined plans to expand further in the Chicago and Northwest Indiana markets through its planned acquisition of Finward Bancorp, executives said on the company's earnings call.

MarketBeat • Jul 22, 2026

First Financial Bancorp. (FFBC) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

First Financial Bancorp. (FFBC) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Seeking Alpha • Jul 22, 2026

First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) Q2 Earnings and Revenues Lag Estimates

First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.8 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.81 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.74 per share a year ago.

Zacks Investment Research • Jul 21, 2026

First Financial (FFBC) Reports Q2 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say

The headline numbers for First Financial (FFBC) give insight into how the company performed in the quarter ended June 2026, but it may be worthwhile to compare some of its key metrics to Wall Street estimates and the year-ago actuals.

Zacks Investment Research • Jul 22, 2026

First Financial Bancorp Announces Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results, Quarterly Dividend Increase & Acquisition of Finward Bancorp

Earnings per diluted share of $0.73; $0.80 on an adjusted(1) basis is highest in Company history  Return on average assets of 1.37%; 1.50% on an adjusted(1) basis  Net interest margin on FTE basis(1) of 3.98%  Loan growth of $240 million, or 7.1% on an annualized basis  Net charge-offs 0.20% of total loans  ROTCE of 18.0%; 19.7% on adjusted(1) basis  Board of Directors approved quarterly dividend increase to $0.26 to be paid in 3Q26  Agreement to acquire Finward Bancorp, the holding company for Peoples Bank, in all stock transaction  CINCINNATI, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- First Financial Bancorp. (Nasdaq: FFBC) ("First Financial" or the "Company") announced financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026, as well as the pending acquisition of Finward Bancorp ("Finward").

PRNewsWire • Jul 21, 2026

Finward Bancorp Acquisition

MUNSTER, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First Financial Bancorp. (Nasdaq: FFBC) and Finward Bancorp (Nasdaq: FNWD) jointly announced today that they have entered into an agreement by which First Financial will acquire Munster-based Finward in an all-stock transaction, further expanding First Financial's presence in the economically robust Chicagoland market with a strong core deposit franchise including 24 financial centers and a 116 year presence in the Northwest Indiana and Chicago markets. Combined w.

Business Wire • Jul 21, 2026