First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF) Insider Mark Allen Franklin Purchases 1,100 Shares

First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF - Get Free Report) insider Mark Allen Franklin bought 1,100 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $52.53 per share, with a total value of $57,783.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider now directly owns 9,845 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $517,157.85. This trade represents a 12.58 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

First Financial Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of First Financial stock traded down $0.17 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $51.80. The company had a trading volume of 11,108 shares, compared to its average volume of 51,798. The company has a market cap of $611.76 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.97 and a beta of 0.51. The firm's fifty day moving average is $47.97 and its 200-day moving average is $45.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. First Financial Co. has a fifty-two week low of $34.58 and a fifty-two week high of $53.60.

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The bank reported $1.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.08. First Financial had a net margin of 15.37% and a return on equity of 8.77%. On average, analysts anticipate that First Financial Co. will post 5.41 EPS for the current year.

First Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Investors of record on Friday, January 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.51 per share. This is a positive change from First Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 3rd. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.94%. First Financial's dividend payout ratio is 51.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

THFF has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James upgraded shares of First Financial from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $54.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a "market perform" rating and issued a $55.00 target price (up previously from $52.00) on shares of First Financial in a research note on Thursday, February 6th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Financial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of THFF. Kennedy Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in First Financial during the fourth quarter worth about $3,855,000. Dean Investment Associates LLC acquired a new stake in First Financial during the third quarter worth about $2,856,000. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in First Financial by 231.4% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 86,972 shares of the bank's stock worth $4,017,000 after acquiring an additional 60,732 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in First Financial by 10.7% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 230,332 shares of the bank's stock worth $10,100,000 after acquiring an additional 22,287 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in First Financial by 9.2% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 235,412 shares of the bank's stock worth $10,874,000 after acquiring an additional 19,867 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.74% of the company's stock.

About First Financial

First Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides various financial services. The company offers non-interest-bearing demand, interest-bearing demand, savings, time, and other time deposits. It also provides commercial loans primarily to expand a business or finance asset purchases; residential real estate and residential real estate construction loans; and home equity loans and lines, secured loans, and cash/CD secured and unsecured loans.