Seeking Clues to First Financial (FFBC) Q4 Earnings? A Peek Into Wall Street Projections for Key Metrics

Core Viewpoint - Wall Street analysts predict First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) will report quarterly earnings of $0.65 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 4.8$214.7 million, which is a 6.1% increase compared to the previous year [1]. Earnings Estimates - The consensus EPS estimate has remained unchanged over the last 30 days, indicating a collective reevaluation by analysts [2]. - Revisions to earnings estimates are crucial for predicting investor actions, as empirical research shows a strong correlation between earnings estimate trends and short-term stock price performance [3]. Key Financial Metrics - Analysts expect the 'Net Interest Margin' to be 3.9%, down from 4.2% in the same quarter last year [5]. - The 'Efficiency Ratio' is projected to reach 58.7%, an improvement from the year-ago figure of 59.3% [5]. - The average prediction for 'Total Noninterest Income' is $63.55 million, significantly higher than the year-ago figure of$46.99 million [5]. Stock Performance - Over the past month, shares of First Financial have returned +2.3%, while the Zacks S&P 500 composite has seen a -0.4% change [6]. - FFBC currently holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), suggesting potential outperformance in the near future [6].