Here’s Gator Capital Management’s Investment Thesis for First Financial Bancorp (FFBC)

Group 1 - Gator Capital Management reported an 11.30% return in Q3 2025, outperforming broader market and Financials sector benchmarks [1] - The fund highlighted First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) as a notable investment, despite its recent performance showing a -3.33% return over the last month and a 17.89% decline over the past 52 weeks [2] - First Financial Bancorp. has a market capitalization of $2.319 billion and closed at $23.54 per share on November 18, 2025 [2] Group 2 - Gator Capital Management purchased a position in First Financial Bancorp. in September, viewing it as a well-run commercial bank with $18 billion in assets, trading at a cheap valuation [3] - The bank is considered better than average, and small-to-mid cap bank stocks are viewed as attractive investments [3] - First Financial Bancorp. is not among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds, with 28 hedge fund portfolios holding it at the end of Q2 2025, an increase from 24 in the previous quarter [4]