First Financial Bancorp.(US:FFBC)2026-01-28 21:16Financial Performance - For Q4 2025, First Financial Bancorp reported net income of $62.4 million, or $0.64 per diluted share, compared to $71.9 million, or $0.75 per diluted share in Q3 2025[3] - The company achieved record revenue of $251.3 million on an adjusted basis, with noninterest income reaching $77.3 million, also a record[5] - Net income for the three months ended December 31, 2025, was $62,393 thousand, a decrease from $71,923 thousand in the previous quarter[24] - Diluted net earnings per share decreased to $0.64 from $0.75 in the previous quarter[24] - Net income for the twelve months ended December 31 was $255,605, with a net earnings per share (diluted) of $2.66[26] - Net income for the year was $228,830, with the fourth quarter reporting $64,885[31] Asset and Deposit Growth - Total assets increased to $20,256,539 thousand from $18,566,188 thousand in the previous quarter, reflecting a growth of approximately 9.1%[24] - Total deposits rose to $15,958,657 thousand, up from $14,511,925 thousand in the previous quarter, indicating a growth of about 10.0%[24] - Total assets increased to $21,129,379 thousand, a 13.9% increase from the previous quarter and a 13.8% increase year-over-year[33] - Total deposits rose to $16,421,842 thousand, marking a 13.8% increase from the previous quarter and a 14.6% increase year-over-year[33] Loan Performance - Loan balances increased by 4% on an annualized basis during the quarter, with end-of-period loan balances rising by $1.7 billion, including $1.6 billion from the Westfield acquisition[6] - Net loans reached $13,237,583 thousand, reflecting a 14.6% increase from the previous quarter and a 14.1% increase year-over-year[33] - Commercial and industrial loans increased to $4,632,241 thousand, a 20.7% increase from the previous quarter and a 21.4% increase year-over-year[33] Interest Income and Margin - The net interest margin was reported at 3.98% on a fully tax-equivalent basis, reflecting a 4 basis point decrease from Q3 2025[6] - Total interest income for the twelve months ended December 31 was $1,001,904, reflecting a 5.5% increase compared to the previous year[26] - Total interest income for Q4 2025 reached $265,331,000, reflecting a 6.0% increase from the previous quarter[28] Credit Quality and Allowance for Credit Losses - The total allowance for credit losses (ACL) stood at $206.7 million, with an ACL to total loans ratio of 1.39%[9] - The allowance for credit losses increased to $186,487 thousand, a 15.2% increase from the previous quarter and an 18.9% increase year-over-year[33] - The ratio of nonaccrual loans to total loans was 0.76%, compared to 0.65% in the previous quarter, indicating a deterioration in credit quality[41] Shareholder Returns - The Board of Directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per common share, payable on March 16, 2026[7] - The company declared dividends of $0.25 per share[26] - Dividends declared per share for the year were $0.94, with the fourth quarter at $0.24[31] Employee Metrics - Full-time equivalent employees increased to 2,164 compared to 2,064 in the previous year[26] - Full-time equivalent employees increased to 2,164, up from 1,986 in the previous quarter[28] Capital Ratios and Equity - Common equity tier 1 ratio decreased to 11.32% from 12.91% in the previous quarter[24] - Total shareholders' equity grew to $2,769,216 thousand, a 5.2% increase from the previous quarter and a 13.6% increase year-over-year[33] - Total capital ratio improved to 15.46%, up from 15.32% in the previous quarter, reflecting an increase of 0.9%[43]