First Financial Bancorp.-Here's What Key Metrics Tell Us About First Financial (FFBC) Q4 Earnings

Core Insights - First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) reported revenue of $225.53 million for the quarter ended December 2024, reflecting an 11.4% increase year-over-year and a surprise of +5.04% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of$ 214.7 million [1] - Earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter was $0.71, compared to$ 0.62 in the same quarter last year, resulting in an EPS surprise of +9.23% against the consensus estimate of $0.65 [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Net Interest Margin stood at 3.9%, matching the average estimate based on two analysts [4] - Efficiency Ratio was reported at 66%, higher than the two-analyst average estimate of 58.7% [4] - Total Noninterest Income reached$ 69.85 million, exceeding the two-analyst average estimate of $63.55 million [4] Stock Performance - Shares of First Financial have returned +2% over the past month, compared to a +2.7% change in the Zacks S&P 500 composite [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating potential for outperformance against the broader market in the near term [3]