First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) Shares Purchased by Vanguard Group Inc.

Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC - Free Report) by 0.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,892,158 shares of the bank's stock after purchasing an additional 72,367 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 11.41% of First Financial Bancorp. worth $292,781,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. LPL Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of First Financial Bancorp. by 12.0% during the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 67,898 shares of the bank's stock valued at $1,825,000 after purchasing an additional 7,253 shares in the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new stake in First Financial Bancorp. during the 4th quarter valued at $549,000. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of First Financial Bancorp. by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 381,582 shares of the bank's stock valued at $10,257,000 after acquiring an additional 21,870 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of First Financial Bancorp. in the 4th quarter worth $335,000. Finally, Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its stake in shares of First Financial Bancorp. by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 87,345 shares of the bank's stock worth $2,348,000 after purchasing an additional 4,781 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 77.23% of the company's stock.

First Financial Bancorp. Stock Performance

Shares of First Financial Bancorp. stock traded up $1.24 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $23.34. The company had a trading volume of 678,789 shares, compared to its average volume of 405,250. The stock has a market cap of $2.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.73 and a beta of 0.85. First Financial Bancorp. has a 12-month low of $20.59 and a 12-month high of $31.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $25.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $26.72.

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

First Financial Bancorp. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.11%. First Financial Bancorp.'s payout ratio is presently 40.00%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider James R. Shank sold 7,600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.92, for a total value of $189,392.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 11,141 shares in the company, valued at $277,633.72. This represents a 40.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.04% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on FFBC shares. Royal Bank of Canada reissued 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. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised 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 note on Monday, January 27th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $33.00 price target on shares of First Financial Bancorp. in a research report on Friday, January 24th.

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.