First Financial (FFBC) Q3 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

Core Insights - First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) reported a revenue of $235.26 million for the quarter ended September 2025, marking a year-over-year increase of 16.1% and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $229.75 million by 2.4% [1] - The earnings per share (EPS) for the same period was $0.76, compared to $0.67 a year ago, resulting in an EPS surprise of 1.33% against the consensus estimate of $0.75 [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Net Interest Margin was reported at 4%, aligning with the average estimate of three analysts [4] - Efficiency Ratio stood at 57.4%, slightly better than the estimated 58.1% by three analysts [4] - Total Noninterest Income reached $73.53 million, surpassing the average estimate of $67.9 million from three analysts [4] - Net interest income (tax equivalent) was $161.73 million, close to the estimated $162 million by two analysts [4] Stock Performance - Over the past month, shares of First Financial have returned -6.2%, contrasting with the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.2% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term [3]