Prnewswire·2025-12-15 15:26Core Viewpoint - First Financial Bancorp has received regulatory approval for its acquisition of BankFinancial, with the closing expected around January 1, 2026 [1][7]. Group 1: Acquisition Details - The acquisition of BankFinancial is an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $142 million as of the merger agreement date in August 2025 [2]. - The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and approval by BankFinancial shareholders [1]. Group 2: Company Overview - First Financial Bancorp is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, and had $18.6 billion in assets, $11.7 billion in loans, $14.4 billion in deposits, and $2.6 billion in shareholders' equity as of September 30, 2025 [3]. - The company operates through six lines of business: Commercial, Retail Banking, Investment Commercial Real Estate, Mortgage Banking, Commercial Finance, and Wealth Management, with approximately $4.0 billion in assets under management in Wealth Management [3]. - As of September 30, 2025, First Financial operated 127 full-service banking centers across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois [3].