Empowered Funds LLC Increases Holdings in First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC)

Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC - Free Report) by 5.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 308,749 shares of the bank's stock after buying an additional 15,037 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC owned approximately 0.32% of First Financial Bancorp. worth $8,299,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Financial Management Professionals Inc. purchased a new stake in First Financial Bancorp. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Point72 DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of First Financial Bancorp. in the third quarter worth $30,000. ORG Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Financial Bancorp. in the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its stake in First Financial Bancorp. by 2,976.9% during the third quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 2,000 shares of the bank's stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 1,935 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV boosted its stake in First Financial Bancorp. by 82.8% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 5,150 shares of the bank's stock valued at $138,000 after buying an additional 2,333 shares during the period. 77.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other First Financial Bancorp. news, insider Richard S. Dennen sold 4,068 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.01, for a total value of $122,080.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 70,652 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,120,266.52. The trade was a 5.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.04% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

First Financial Bancorp. Price Performance

Shares of FFBC traded up $0.27 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $28.07. The stock had a trading volume of 285,741 shares, compared to its average volume of 434,281. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a market capitalization of $2.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.70 and a beta of 1.02. The company's 50-day moving average is $27.72 and its 200 day moving average is $26.77. First Financial Bancorp. has a 12-month low of $20.59 and a 12-month high of $31.18.

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

First Financial Bancorp. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.42%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. First Financial Bancorp.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on FFBC shares. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $30.00 price target on shares of First Financial Bancorp. in a report on Monday, January 27th. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $33.00 target price on shares of First Financial Bancorp. in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price 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.

First Financial Bancorp. Profile

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.