First Financial (FFBC) Q4 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

Core Viewpoint - First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) reported a revenue increase of 6.4% year-over-year for the quarter ended December 2025, but fell short of Wall Street expectations [1] Financial Performance - Revenue for the quarter was $239.99 million, which was a surprise of -3.35% compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $248.3 million [1] - Earnings per share (EPS) was reported at $0.80, an increase from $0.71 in the same quarter last year, resulting in an EPS surprise of +2.56% against the consensus estimate of $0.78 [1] - Net Interest Margin stood at 4%, matching the average estimate from three analysts [4] - Efficiency Ratio was reported at 62.6%, higher than the average estimate of 57.6% from three analysts [4] - Total Noninterest Income was $64.77 million, below the average estimate of $77.63 million from three analysts [4] - Net interest income (tax equivalent) was $175.22 million, slightly above the average estimate of $173 million from two analysts [4] Stock Performance - Shares of First Financial have returned +8.1% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.8% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the broader market in the near term [3]