Bailard Inc. Decreases Stake in First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC)

Bailard Inc. reduced its holdings in First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC - Free Report) by 43.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,800 shares of the bank's stock after selling 12,100 shares during the period. Bailard Inc.'s holdings in First Financial Bancorp. were worth $425,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Point72 DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in First Financial Bancorp. during the third quarter worth about $30,000. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new stake in First Financial Bancorp. during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Allworth Financial LP acquired a new stake in First Financial Bancorp. during the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in First Financial Bancorp. by 221.9% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,717 shares of the bank's stock worth $73,000 after purchasing an additional 1,873 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new stake in First Financial Bancorp. during the fourth quarter worth about $76,000. 77.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Financial Bancorp. Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of FFBC traded down $0.04 during trading on Friday, reaching $25.45. 330,675 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 404,629. First Financial Bancorp. has a twelve month low of $20.59 and a twelve month high of $31.18. The stock has a market cap of $2.43 billion, a PE ratio of 10.60 and a beta of 1.02. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $27.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $26.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.

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First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 23rd. The bank reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.06. First Financial Bancorp. had a net margin of 18.67% and a return on equity of 10.52%. On average, analysts anticipate that First Financial Bancorp. will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current year.

First Financial Bancorp. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.77%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. First Financial Bancorp.'s payout ratio is 40.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $33.00 price objective on shares of First Financial Bancorp. in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of First Financial Bancorp. from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and set a $30.00 price target on shares of First Financial Bancorp. in a research report on Monday, January 27th.

About First Financial Bancorp.

First Financial Bancorp. operates as the bank holding company for First Financial Bank that provides commercial banking and related services to individuals and businesses in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. The company offers checking, savings, and money-market accounts; and accepts various deposit products, such as interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing accounts, time deposits, and cash management services for commercial customers.