First Financial Bancorp Announces First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

PR Newswire

  • Earnings per diluted share of $0.54; $0.63 on an adjusted(1) basis
  • Return on average assets of 1.13%; 1.33% on an adjusted(1) basis
  • Net interest margin on FTE basis(1) of 3.88%
  • Noninterest income of

    $51.1 million

    ; $61.0 million on an adjusted(1) basis
  • Noninterest expenses $128.1 million; $126.6 million on an adjusted(1) basis; 3% decline 
  • Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winner for outstanding associate engagement
  • Second consecutive “Outstanding” CRA rating


CINCINNATI
, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — First Financial Bancorp. (Nasdaq: FFBC) (“First Financial” or the “Company”) announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2025. 

For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company reported net income of $51.3 million, or $0.54 per diluted common share.  These results compare to net income of $64.9 million, or $0.68 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter of 2024. 

Return on average assets for the first quarter of 2025 was 1.13% while return on average tangible common equity was 15.16%(1).  These compare to return on average assets of 1.41% and return on average tangible common equity of 19.08%(1) in the fourth quarter of 2024.

First quarter 2025 highlights include:

  • Robust net interest margin of 3.84%, or 3.88% on a fully tax-equivalent basis(1)
    • 6 bp decline from fourth quarter, in line with expectations 
    • 12 bp decline in cost of deposits and 18 bp decline in asset yields
  • Noninterest income of $51.1 million, or $61.0 million as adjusted(1) 
    • Adjustments include $9.9 million loss on sales of investment securities
      • Sold $164.9 million of securities during the quarter; expected earnback of 2.3 years
    • Record wealth management income
    • Strong results from leasing business
  • Noninterest expenses of $128.1 million, or $126.6 million as adjusted(1); 3.3% decrease from linked quarter
    • First quarter adjustments(1) include $0.5 million of efficiency related costs and $1.0 million of other costs not expected to recur such as tax credit investment write-downs and severance costs
    • Decline from linked quarter driven by decreased incentive compensation and lower fraud losses 
    • Efficiency ratio of 63.9%; 60.2% as adjusted(1)
  • Stable loan balances during the quarter
    • Loan balances decreased $37.6 million compared to the linked quarter
    • Payoffs in Commercial and ICRE lines of business, as well as seasonal production declines, offset modest increases in other portfolios
    • Average loan balances increased 1.5% on an annualized basis compared to linked quarter
  • Modest seasonal average deposit decline in the first quarter, as expected
    • Average deposits decreased $99.0 million, or 2.8% on an annualized basis
    • Decline driven by non-interest bearing deposits, brokered deposits and public funds
    • Excluding brokered deposits, total average deposits increased $62.8 million over linked quarter

____________________________________________________________________________________________
(1) Non-GAAP measure.  For details on the calculation of these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to the GAAP financial measure, see the sections titled “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” in this release and “Appendix: Non-GAAP to GAAP Reconciliation” in the accompanying slide presentation.

  • Total Allowance for Credit Losses of $171.9 million; Total quarterly provision expense of $8.7 million
    • Loans and leases – ACL of $155.5 million; ratio to total loans of 1.33%; flat compared to prior quarter
    • Unfunded Commitments – ACL of $16.4 million
    • Provision expense driven by net charge offs
    • Nonperforming assets decreased 4 bps to 0.32% of total assets
    • Annualized net charge-offs were 36 bps of total loans; 4 bp decline from linked quarter
  • Capital ratios stable and strong 
    • Total capital ratio increased 26 bps to 14.90%
    • Tier 1 common equity increased 13 bps to 12.29% 
    • Tangible common equity of 8.16%(1); 9.62%(1) excluding impact from AOCI
    • Tangible book value per share of $14.80(1); 4.6% increase from linked quarter

Archie Brown, President and CEO, commented on the first quarter results, “We had another solid quarter, and I am pleased with our performance.  Adjusted(1) earnings per share were $0.63, with an adjusted(1) return on assets of 1.33% and an adjusted(1) return on tangible common equity of 17.8%.  Our net interest margin remains strong, but declined slightly for the quarter as the decline in loan yields outpaced the decrease in deposit costs.  Given current short-term interest rates, we expect the margin to expand in the near-term.” 

Mr. Brown continued, “Loan balances were stable during the quarter.  First quarter loan production was seasonally lower.  This combined with the workout of several C&I credits and accelerated payoff pressure in the ICRE portfolio to impact loan growth for the period.  We expect a modest level of growth in the second quarter as loan pipelines in our Consumer, C&I, and ICRE business lines are very healthy, however elevated prepayments in ICRE are expected to continue.”

Mr. Brown commented on fee income and expenses, “Adjusted(1) fee income was in line with our expectations at $61 million, representing a decline from the linked quarter due to seasonal fluctuations and less foreign exchange income, which offset another record quarter from our Wealth Management business.  We expect seasonal rebounds in the second quarter and a healthy increase in fee income overall.  We were very pleased with our expense management during the quarter, as adjusted(1) noninterest expenses declined by 3.3% due to a decrease in incentive compensation and lower fraud losses.  Our efficiency efforts are ongoing, and, excluding the acquisition of Agile in the first quarter of last year, have resulted in a 7% reduction in FTE.  We remain diligent in managing our expenses and expect additional benefits from our optimization efforts in the coming periods.”

Mr. Brown commented on asset quality and capital, “We were pleased with improvements in our asset quality metrics for the first quarter.  Net charge-offs declined 4 bps from the linked quarter, while nonperforming assets declined by 9.5%.  In the near-term, we expect asset quality to continue to improve.  With respect to tariffs, we do not yet know their impact, and remain in close contact with our clients to assist them through any uncertainty.  Capital ratios are strong and continued to grow in the first quarter.  All regulatory ratios were well in excess of regulatory minimums and our tangible common equity ratio increased to 8.2%.  Tangible book value per share increased to $14.80, representing a 5% increase from the linked quarter and 18% over the last year.  We are focused on growing our tangible book value and are pleased that in the last three years, tangible book value per share has increased by 35%.”

Mr. Brown concluded, “I also want to mention how proud I am of two other first quarter events.  First Financial has been selected for the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award for associate engagement.  This distinction is earned by less than 3% of the thousands of companies that Gallup partners with worldwide.  Engagement is a core part of our strategy and I want to acknowledge and thank our associates who work tirelessly to drive associate engagement, which directly leads to highly satisfied clients and increased shareholder value.  Additionally, we have received another “Outstanding” Community Reinvestment Act rating from the Federal Reserve.  This rating reflects our commitment to our communities, which is the foundation of our strategic plan.  I am proud of our strength in service, investments, and lending, particularly to low and moderate income areas of our footprint.

In closing, while there is much uncertainty regarding the outlook for the economy, I believe we are well positioned to manage through any turbulence.  We have very robust capital levels, strong and improving asset quality, diverse revenue streams, well-managed expenses, strong liquidity and industry leading profitability.  I am very pleased with our start to the year and look forward to growing and serving clients in this challenging environment.”

Full detail of the Company’s first quarter 2025 performance is provided in the accompanying financial statements and slide presentation.

Teleconference / Webcast Information
First Financial’s executive management will host a conference call to discuss the Company’s financial and operating results on Friday, April 25, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.  Members of the public who would like to listen to the conference call should dial (888) 550-5723 (U.S. toll free) or (646) 960-0471 (U.S. local), access code 5048068.  The number should be dialed five to ten minutes prior to the start of the conference call.  A replay of the conference call will be available beginning one hour after the completion of the live call at (800) 770-2030 (U.S. toll free), (609) 800-9099 (U.S. toll), access code 5048068.  The recording will be available until May 9, 2025.  The conference call will also be accessible as an audio webcast via the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at  www.bankatfirst.com.  The webcast will be archived on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website for 12 months.

Press Release and Additional Information on Website
This press release as well as supplemental information are available to the public through the Investor Relations section of First Financial’s website at www.bankatfirst.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This earnings release contains GAAP financial measures and Non-GAAP financial measures where management believes it to be helpful in understanding the Company’s results of operations or financial position.  Where Non-GAAP financial measures are used, the comparable GAAP financial measures, as well as a reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measure, can be found in the section titled “Appendix: Non-GAAP to GAAP Reconciliation” in the accompanying slide presentation.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this report which are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Words such as ”believes,” ”anticipates,” “likely,” “expected,” “estimated,” ”intends” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make about (i) our future operating or financial performance, including revenues, income or loss and earnings or loss per share, (ii) future common stock dividends, (iii) our capital structure, including future capital levels, (iv) our plans, objectives and strategies, and (v) the assumptions that underlie our forward-looking statements.

As with any forecast or projection, forward-looking statements are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead express only management’s beliefs regarding future results or events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of management’s control. It is possible that actual results and outcomes may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results or outcomes indicated in these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements include the following, without limitation:

  • economic, market, liquidity, credit, interest rate, operational and technological risks associated with the Company’s business;
  • future credit quality and performance, including our expectations regarding future loan losses and our allowance for credit losses
  • the effect of and changes in policies and laws or regulatory agencies, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and other legislation and regulation relating to the banking industry; 
  • Management’s ability to effectively execute its business plans;
  • mergers and acquisitions, including costs or difficulties related to the integration of acquired companies;
  • the possibility that any of the anticipated benefits of the Company’s acquisitions will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period;
  • the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices;
  • changes in consumer spending, borrowing and saving and changes in unemployment;
  • changes in customers’ performance and creditworthiness;
  • the costs and effects of litigation and of unexpected or adverse outcomes in such litigation;  
  • current and future economic and market conditions, including the effects of changes in housing prices, fluctuations in unemployment rates, U.S. fiscal debt, budget and tax matters, geopolitical matters, trade and tariff policies, and any slowdown in global economic growth;
  • the adverse impact on the U.S. economy, including the markets in which we operate, of the novel coronavirus, which causes the Coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”), global pandemic, and the impact  on the performance of our loan and lease portfolio, the market value of our investment securities, the availability of sources of funding and the demand for our products;
  • our capital and liquidity requirements (including under regulatory capital standards, such as the Basel III capital standards) and our ability to generate capital internally or raise capital on favorable terms;
  • financial services reform and other current, pending or future legislation or regulation that could have a negative effect on our revenue and businesses, including the Dodd-Frank Act and other legislation and regulation relating to bank products and services;
  • the effect of the current interest rate environment or changes in interest rates or in the level or composition of our assets or liabilities on our net interest income, net interest margin and our mortgage originations, mortgage servicing rights and mortgage loans held for sale;
  • the effect of a fall in stock market prices on our brokerage, asset and wealth management businesses;
  • a failure in or breach of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of our third-party vendors or other service providers, including as a result of cyber attacks;
  • the effect of changes in the level of checking or savings account deposits on our funding costs and net interest margin; and
  • our ability to develop and execute effective business plans and strategies.

Additional factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those described in our forward-looking statements can be found in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as well as our other filings with the SEC, which are available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov

All forward-looking statements included in this filing are made as of the date hereof and are based on information available at the time of the filing.  Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

About First Financial Bancorp.
First Financial Bancorp. is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank holding company.  As of March 31, 2025, the Company had $18.5 billion in assets, $11.7 billion in loans, $14.2 billion in deposits and $2.5 billion in shareholders’ equity.  The Company’s subsidiary, First Financial Bank, founded in 1863, provides banking and financial services products through its six lines of business: Commercial, Retail Banking, Investment Commercial Real Estate, Mortgage Banking, Commercial Finance and Wealth Management.  These business units provide traditional banking services to business and retail clients.  Wealth Management provides wealth planning, portfolio management, trust and estate, brokerage and retirement plan services and had approximately $3.7 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2025.  The Company operated 127 full service banking centers as of March 31, 2025, located in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, while the Commercial Finance business lends into targeted industry verticals on a nationwide basis.  Additional information about the Company, including its products, services and banking locations, is available at www.bankatfirst.com.


FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.


CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended,

Mar. 31,

Dec. 31,

Sep. 30,

June 30,

Mar. 31,

2025

2024

2024

2024

2024


RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Net income

$      51,293

$      64,885

$      52,451

$      60,805

$      50,689

Net earnings per share – basic

$         0.54

$         0.69

$         0.56

$         0.64

$         0.54

Net earnings per share – diluted

$         0.54

$         0.68

$         0.55

$         0.64

$         0.53

Dividends declared per share

$         0.24

$         0.24

$         0.24

$         0.23

$         0.23


KEY FINANCIAL RATIOS

Return on average assets

1.13 %

1.41 %

1.17 %

1.38 %

1.18 %

Return on average shareholders’ equity

8.46 %

10.57 %

8.80 %

10.72 %

9.00 %

Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity (1)

15.16 %

19.08 %

16.29 %

20.57 %

17.35 %

Net interest margin

3.84 %

3.91 %

4.05 %

4.06 %

4.05 %

Net interest margin (fully tax equivalent) (1)(2)

3.88 %

3.94 %

4.08 %

4.10 %

4.10 %

Ending shareholders’ equity as a percent of ending assets

13.55 %

13.13 %

13.50 %

12.81 %

12.99 %

Ending tangible shareholders’ equity as a percent of:

Ending tangible assets (1)

8.16 %

7.73 %

7.98 %

7.23 %

7.23 %

Risk-weighted assets (1)

10.10 %

9.61 %

9.86 %

8.95 %

8.80 %

Average shareholders’ equity as a percent of average assets

13.38 %

13.36 %

13.28 %

12.87 %

13.09 %

Average tangible shareholders’ equity as a percent of average tangible assets (1)

7.94 %

7.87 %

7.64 %

7.15 %

7.25 %

Book value per share

$        26.13

$        25.53

$        25.66

$        24.36

$        23.95

Tangible book value per share (1)

$        14.80

$        14.15

$        14.26

$        12.94

$        12.50

Common equity tier 1 ratio (3)

12.29 %

12.16 %

12.04 %

11.78 %

11.67 %

Tier 1 ratio (3)

12.61 %

12.48 %

12.37 %

12.11 %

12.00 %

Total capital ratio (3)

14.90 %

14.64 %

14.58 %

14.47 %

14.31 %

Leverage ratio (3)

10.01 %

9.98 %

9.93 %

9.73 %

9.75 %


AVERAGE BALANCE SHEET ITEMS

Loans (4)

$  11,724,727

$  11,687,886

$  11,534,000

$  11,440,930

$  11,066,184

Investment securities

3,411,593

3,372,539

3,274,498

3,131,541

3,137,665

Interest-bearing deposits with other banks

615,812

654,251

483,880

599,348

553,654

  Total earning assets

$  15,752,132

$  15,714,676

$  15,292,378

$  15,171,819

$  14,757,503

Total assets

$  18,368,604

$  18,273,419

$  17,854,191

$  17,728,251

$  17,306,221

Noninterest-bearing deposits

$  3,091,037

$  3,162,643

$  3,106,239

$  3,144,198

$  3,169,750

Interest-bearing deposits

11,149,633

11,177,010

10,690,265

10,486,068

10,109,416

  Total deposits

$  14,240,670

$  14,339,653

$  13,796,504

$  13,630,266

$  13,279,166

Borrowings

$  1,001,337

$    855,083

$  1,053,737

$  1,171,246

$  1,139,014

Shareholders’ equity

$  2,457,785

$  2,441,045

$  2,371,125

$  2,281,040

$  2,265,562


CREDIT QUALITY RATIOS

Allowance to ending loans

1.33 %

1.33 %

1.37 %

1.36 %

1.29 %

Allowance to nonaccrual loans

261.07 %

237.66 %

242.72 %

249.21 %

243.55 %

Nonaccrual loans to total loans

0.51 %

0.56 %

0.57 %

0.54 %

0.53 %

Nonperforming assets to ending loans, plus OREO

0.51 %

0.56 %

0.57 %

0.54 %

0.53 %

Nonperforming assets to total assets

0.32 %

0.36 %

0.36 %

0.35 %

0.34 %

Classified assets to total assets

1.16 %

1.21 %

1.14 %

1.07 %

0.92 %

Net charge-offs to average loans (annualized)

0.36 %

0.40 %

0.25 %

0.15 %

0.38 %


(1) Non-GAAP measure.  For details on the calculation of these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to the GAAP financial measure, see the sections titled “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” in this release and “Appendix: Non-GAAP to GAAP Reconciliation” in the accompanying slide presentation.


(2) The tax equivalent adjustment to net interest income recognizes the income tax savings when comparing taxable and tax-exempt assets and assumes a 21% tax rate.  Management believes that it is a standard practice in the banking industry to present net interest margin and net interest income on a fully tax equivalent basis.  Therefore, management believes these measures provide useful information to investors by allowing them to make peer comparisons.  Management also uses these measures to make peer comparisons.


(3) March 31, 2025 regulatory capital ratios are preliminary.


(4) Includes loans held for sale.

 


FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.


CONSOLIDATED QUARTERLY STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

2025

2024

First

Fourth

Third

Second

First

Full

Quarter

Quarter

Quarter

Quarter

Quarter

Year

Interest income

  Loans and leases, including fees

$ 197,163

$ 207,508

$  215,433

$  211,760

$  201,840

$  836,541

  Investment securities

     Taxable

34,401

33,978

32,367

30,295

28,296

124,936

     Tax-exempt

2,204

2,423

2,616

2,704

3,092

10,835

        Total investment securities interest

36,605

36,401

34,983

32,999

31,388

135,771

  Other earning assets

6,651

7,662

6,703

7,960

7,458

29,783

       Total interest income

240,419

251,571

257,119

252,719

240,686

1,002,095

Interest expense

  Deposits

78,641

85,441

86,554

83,022

76,075

331,092

  Short-term borrowings

7,545

6,586

9,932

11,395

10,943

38,856

  Long-term borrowings

4,937

5,145

5,073

4,991

4,928

20,137

      Total interest expense

91,123

97,172

101,559

99,408

91,946

390,085

      Net interest income

149,296

154,399

155,560

153,311

148,740

612,010

  Provision for credit losses-loans and leases

9,141

9,705

9,930

16,157

13,419

49,211

  Provision for credit losses-unfunded commitments

(441)

(273)

694

286

(2,259)

(1,552)

      Net interest income after provision for credit losses

140,596

144,967

144,936

136,868

137,580

564,351

Noninterest income

  Service charges on deposit accounts

7,463

7,632

7,547

7,188

6,912

29,279

  Wealth management fees

8,137

7,962

6,910

7,172

6,676

28,720

  Bankcard income

3,310

3,659

3,698

3,900

3,142

14,399

  Client derivative fees

1,571

1,528

1,160

763

1,250

4,701

  Foreign exchange income

12,544

16,794

12,048

16,787

10,435

56,064

  Leasing business income

18,703

19,413

16,811

16,828

14,589

67,641

  Net gains from sales of loans

4,322

4,634

5,021

4,479

3,784

17,918

  Net gain (loss) on investment securities

(9,949)

144

(17,468)

(64)

(5,187)

(22,575)

  Other

4,982

8,088

9,974

4,448

4,911

27,421

      Total noninterest income

51,083

69,854

45,701

61,501

46,512

223,568

Noninterest expenses

  Salaries and employee benefits

75,238

80,314

74,813

75,225

74,037

304,389

  Net occupancy

6,019

5,415

5,919

5,793

5,923

23,050

  Furniture and equipment

3,813

3,476

3,617

3,646

3,688

14,427

  Data processing

8,759

9,139

8,857

8,877

8,305

35,178

  Marketing

2,018

2,204

2,255

2,605

1,962

9,026

  Communication

812

767

851

816

795

3,229

  Professional services

2,739

6,631

2,303

2,885

2,268

14,087

  Amortization of tax credit investments

112

14,303

31

31

31

14,396

  State intangible tax

877

(104)

876

875

877

2,524

  FDIC assessments

3,059

2,736

3,036

2,657

2,780

11,209

  Intangible amortization

2,359

2,395

2,395

2,396

2,301

9,487

  Leasing business expense

12,802

12,536

11,899

10,128

9,754

44,317

  Other

9,469

8,095

8,907

7,640

9,634

34,276

      Total noninterest expenses

128,076

147,907

125,759

123,574

122,355

519,595

Income before income taxes

63,603

66,914

64,878

74,795

61,737

268,324

Income tax expense (benefit)

12,310

2,029

12,427

13,990

11,048

39,494

      Net income

$   51,293

$   64,885

$   52,451

$   60,805

$   50,689

$  228,830


ADDITIONAL DATA

Net earnings per share – basic

$      0.54

$      0.69

$      0.56

$      0.64

$      0.54

$       2.42

Net earnings per share – diluted

$      0.54

$      0.68

$      0.55

$      0.64

$      0.53

$       2.40

Dividends declared per share

$      0.24

$      0.24

$      0.24

$      0.23

$      0.23

$       0.94

Return on average assets

1.13 %

1.41 %

1.17 %

1.38 %

1.18 %

1.29 %

Return on average shareholders’ equity

8.46 %

10.57 %

8.80 %

10.72 %

9.00 %

9.78 %

Interest income

$ 240,419

$ 251,571

$  257,119

$  252,719

$  240,686

$  1,002,095

Tax equivalent adjustment

1,213

1,274

1,362

1,418

1,535

5,589

   Interest income – tax equivalent

241,632

252,845

258,481

254,137

242,221

1,007,684

Interest expense

91,123

97,172

101,559

99,408

91,946

390,085

   Net interest income – tax equivalent

$ 150,509

$ 155,673

$  156,922

$  154,729

$  150,275

$  617,599

Net interest margin

3.84 %

3.91 %

4.05 %

4.06 %

4.05 %

4.02 %

Net interest margin (fully tax equivalent) (1)

3.88 %

3.94 %

4.08 %

4.10 %

4.10 %

4.05 %

Full-time equivalent employees

2,021

2,064

2,084

2,144

2,116


(1) The tax equivalent adjustment to net interest income recognizes the income tax savings when comparing taxable and tax-exempt assets and assumes a 21% tax rate.  Management believes that it is a standard practice in the banking industry to present net interest income on a fully tax equivalent basis.  Therefore, management believes these measures provide useful information to investors by allowing them to make peer comparisons.  Management also uses these measures to make peer comparisons.

 


FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.


CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CONDITION

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Mar. 31,

Dec. 31,

Sep. 30,

June 30,

Mar. 31,

% Change

% Change

2025

2024

2024

2024

2024

Linked Qtr.

Comp Qtr.


ASSETS

     Cash and due from banks

$      190,610

$      174,258

$      190,618

$      193,794

$      199,407

9.4 %

(4.4) %

     Interest-bearing deposits with other banks

633,349

730,228

660,576

738,555

751,290

(13.3) %

(15.7) %

     Investment securities available-for-sale

3,260,981

3,183,776

3,157,265

3,036,758

2,850,667

2.4 %

14.4 %

     Investment securities held-to-maturity

76,469

76,960

77,985

78,921

79,542

(0.6) %

(3.9) %

     Other investments

120,826

114,598

120,318

132,412

125,548

5.4 %

(3.8) %

     Loans held for sale

17,927

13,181

12,685

16,911

11,534

36.0 %

55.4 %

     Loans and leases

       Commercial and industrial

3,832,350

3,815,858

3,678,546

3,782,487

3,591,428

0.4 %

6.7 %

       Lease financing

573,608

598,045

587,415

534,557

492,862

(4.1) %

16.4 %

       Construction real estate

824,775

779,446

802,264

741,406

641,596

5.8 %

28.6 %

       Commercial real estate

3,956,880

4,061,744

4,034,820

4,076,596

4,145,969

(2.6) %

(4.6) %

       Residential real estate

1,479,704

1,462,284

1,422,186

1,377,290

1,344,677

1.2 %

10.0 %

       Home equity

872,502

849,039

825,431

800,860

773,811

2.8 %

12.8 %

       Installment

119,672

133,051

141,270

148,530

153,838

(10.1) %

(22.2) %

       Credit card

64,639

62,311

61,140

59,477

60,939

3.7 %

6.1 %

          Total loans

11,724,130

11,761,778

11,553,072

11,521,203

11,205,120

(0.3) %

4.6 %

       Less:

          Allowance for credit losses

(155,482)

(156,791)

(158,831)

(156,185)

(144,274)

(0.8) %

7.8 %

                Net loans

11,568,648

11,604,987

11,394,241

11,365,018

11,060,846

(0.3) %

4.6 %

     Premises and equipment

197,968

197,965

196,692

197,873

198,428

0.0 %

(0.2) %

     Operating leases

213,648

209,119

201,080

167,472

161,473

2.2 %

32.3 %

     Goodwill

1,007,656

1,007,656

1,007,656

1,007,656

1,007,656

0.0 %

0.0 %

     Other intangibles

77,002

79,291

81,547

83,528

85,603

(2.9) %

(10.0) %

     Accrued interest and other assets

1,089,983

1,178,242

1,045,669

1,147,282

1,067,244

(7.5) %

2.1 %


       Total Assets

$  18,455,067

$ 18,570,261

$  18,146,332

$ 18,166,180

$  17,599,238

(0.6) %

4.9 %


LIABILITIES

     Deposits

       Interest-bearing demand

$   3,004,601

$   3,095,724

$   2,884,971

$   2,922,540

$   2,916,518

(2.9) %

3.0 %

       Savings

4,886,613

4,948,768

4,710,223

4,628,320

4,467,894

(1.3) %

9.4 %

       Time

3,144,440

3,152,265

3,244,861

3,049,635

2,896,860

(0.2) %

8.5 %

          Total interest-bearing deposits

11,035,654

11,196,757

10,840,055

10,600,495

10,281,272

(1.4) %

7.3 %

       Noninterest-bearing

3,161,302

3,132,381

3,107,699

3,061,427

3,175,876

0.9 %

(0.5) %

          Total deposits

14,196,956

14,329,138

13,947,754

13,661,922

13,457,148

(0.9) %

5.5 %

     FHLB short-term borrowings

735,000

625,000

765,000

1,040,000

700,000

17.6 %

5.0 %

     Other

64,792

130,452

46,653

139,172

162,145

(50.3) %

(60.0) %

          Total short-term borrowings

799,792

755,452

811,653

1,179,172

862,145

5.9 %

(7.2) %

     Long-term debt

345,878

347,509

344,086

338,556

343,236

(0.5) %

0.8 %

          Total borrowed funds

1,145,670

1,102,961

1,155,739

1,517,728

1,205,381

3.9 %

(5.0) %

     Accrued interest and other liabilities

611,206

700,121

592,401

660,091

649,706

(12.7) %

(5.9) %


       Total Liabilities

15,953,832

16,132,220

15,695,894

15,839,741

15,312,235

(1.1) %

4.2 %


SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

     Common stock

1,637,041

1,642,055

1,639,045

1,635,705

1,632,971

(0.3) %

0.2 %

     Retained earnings

1,304,636

1,276,329

1,234,375

1,204,844

1,166,065

2.2 %

11.9 %

     Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

(253,888)

(289,799)

(232,262)

(323,409)

(321,109)

(12.4) %

(20.9) %

     Treasury stock, at cost

(186,554)

(190,544)

(190,720)

(190,701)

(190,924)

(2.1) %

(2.3) %


       Total Shareholders’ Equity

2,501,235

2,438,041

2,450,438

2,326,439

2,287,003

2.6 %

9.4 %


       Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

$  18,455,067

$ 18,570,261

$  18,146,332

$ 18,166,180

$  17,599,238

(0.6) %

4.9 %

 


FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.


AVERAGE CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CONDITION

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Quarterly Averages

Mar. 31,

Dec. 31,

Sep. 30,

June 30,

Mar. 31,

2025

2024

2024

2024

2024


ASSETS

     Cash and due from banks

$      164,734

$      182,242

$      179,321

$      174,435

$      204,119

     Interest-bearing deposits with other banks

615,812

654,251

483,880

599,348

553,654

     Investment securities

3,411,593

3,372,539

3,274,498

3,131,541

3,137,665

     Loans held for sale

10,212

17,284

16,399

14,075

12,069

     Loans and leases

       Commercial and industrial

3,787,207

3,727,549

3,723,761

3,716,083

3,543,475

       Lease financing

585,119

587,110

550,634

509,758

480,540

       Construction real estate

797,100

826,936

763,779

683,780

603,974

       Commercial real estate

4,018,211

4,045,347

4,059,939

4,146,764

4,101,238

       Residential real estate

1,475,703

1,442,799

1,399,932

1,361,133

1,336,749

       Home equity

858,153

837,863

811,265

790,384

765,410

       Installment

127,192

136,927

143,102

151,753

157,663

       Credit card

65,830

66,071

65,189

67,200

65,066

          Total loans

11,714,515

11,670,602

11,517,601

11,426,855

11,054,115

       Less:

          Allowance for credit losses

(158,206)

(161,477)

(159,252)

(147,666)

(143,950)

                Net loans

11,556,309

11,509,125

11,358,349

11,279,189

10,910,165

     Premises and equipment

198,998

197,664

197,881

199,096

198,482

     Operating leases

205,181

202,110

180,118

156,457

154,655

     Goodwill

1,007,656

1,007,658

1,007,654

1,007,657

1,006,477

     Other intangibles

78,220

80,486

82,619

84,577

84,109

     Accrued interest and other assets

1,119,889

1,050,060

1,073,472

1,081,876

1,044,826


       Total Assets

$  18,368,604

$ 18,273,419

$  17,854,191

$  17,728,251

$  17,306,221


LIABILITIES

     Deposits

       Interest-bearing demand

$   3,090,526

$   3,081,148

$   2,914,934

$   2,888,252

$   2,895,768

       Savings

4,918,004

4,886,784

4,694,923

4,617,658

4,399,768

       Time

3,141,103

3,209,078

3,080,408

2,980,158

2,813,880

          Total interest-bearing deposits

11,149,633

11,177,010

10,690,265

10,486,068

10,109,416

       Noninterest-bearing

3,091,037

3,162,643

3,106,239

3,144,198

3,169,750

          Total deposits

14,240,670

14,339,653

13,796,504

13,630,266

13,279,166

     Federal funds purchased and securities sold

          under agreements to repurchase

2,055

2,282

10,807

750

4,204

     FHLB short-term borrowings

553,667

415,652

626,490

669,111

646,187

     Other

99,378

93,298

76,859

161,913

146,127

          Total short-term borrowings

655,100

511,232

714,156

831,774

796,518

     Long-term debt

346,237

343,851

339,581

339,472

342,496

       Total borrowed funds

1,001,337

855,083

1,053,737

1,171,246

1,139,014

     Accrued interest and other liabilities

668,812

637,638

632,825

645,699

622,479


       Total Liabilities

15,910,819

15,832,374

15,483,066

15,447,211

15,040,659


SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

     Common stock

1,641,016

1,640,280

1,637,045

1,634,183

1,637,835

     Retained earnings

1,282,300

1,249,263

1,210,924

1,179,827

1,144,447

     Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(275,068)

(257,792)

(285,978)

(341,941)

(319,601)

     Treasury stock, at cost

(190,463)

(190,706)

(190,866)

(191,029)

(197,119)


       Total Shareholders’ Equity

2,457,785

2,441,045

2,371,125

2,281,040

2,265,562


       Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

$  18,368,604

$ 18,273,419

$  17,854,191

$  17,728,251

$  17,306,221

 


FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.


NET INTEREST MARGIN RATE/VOLUME ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

 Quarterly Averages

March 31, 2025

December 31, 2024

March 31, 2024

Balance

Interest

Yield

Balance

Interest

Yield

Balance

Interest

Yield


Earning assets

    Investments:

      Investment securities

$  3,411,593

$  36,605

4.35 %

$  3,372,539

$  36,401

4.28 %

$  3,137,665

$  31,388

4.01 %

      Interest-bearing deposits with other banks

615,812

6,651

4.38 %

654,251

7,662

4.65 %

553,654

7,458

5.40 %

    Gross loans (1)

11,724,727

197,163

6.82 %

11,687,886

207,508

7.04 %

11,066,184

201,840

7.32 %


       Total earning assets

15,752,132

240,419

6.19 %

15,714,676

251,571

6.35 %

14,757,503

240,686

6.54 %


Nonearning assets

    Allowance for credit losses

(158,206)

(161,477)

(143,950)

    Cash and due from banks

164,734

182,242

204,119

    Accrued interest and other assets

2,609,944

2,537,978

2,488,549


       Total assets

$ 18,368,604

$ 18,273,419

$ 17,306,221


Interest-bearing liabilities

    Deposits:

      Interest-bearing demand

$  3,090,526

$  15,188

1.99 %

$  3,081,148

$  15,092

1.94 %

$  2,895,768

$  14,892

2.06 %

      Savings

4,918,004

30,355

2.50 %

4,886,784

33,924

2.75 %

4,399,768

29,486

2.69 %

      Time

3,141,103

33,098

4.27 %

3,209,078

36,425

4.50 %

2,813,880

31,697

4.52 %

    Total interest-bearing deposits

11,149,633

78,641

2.86 %

11,177,010

85,441

3.03 %

10,109,416

76,075

3.02 %

    Borrowed funds

      Short-term borrowings

655,100

7,545

4.67 %

511,232

6,586

5.11 %

796,518

10,943

5.51 %

      Long-term debt

346,237

4,937

5.78 %

343,851

5,145

5.94 %

342,496

4,928

5.77 %

        Total borrowed funds

1,001,337

12,482

5.06 %

855,083

11,731

5.44 %

1,139,014

15,871

5.59 %


       Total interest-bearing liabilities

12,150,970

91,123

3.04 %

12,032,093

97,172

3.20 %

11,248,430

91,946

3.28 %


Noninterest-bearing liabilities

    Noninterest-bearing demand deposits

3,091,037

3,162,643

3,169,750

    Other liabilities

668,812

637,638

622,479

    Shareholders’ equity

2,457,785

2,441,045

2,265,562


       Total liabilities & shareholders’ equity

$ 18,368,604

$ 18,273,419

$ 17,306,221

Net interest income

$     149,296

$     154,399

$     148,740

Net interest spread

3.15 %

3.15 %

3.26 %

Net interest margin

3.84 %

3.91 %

4.05 %

Tax equivalent adjustment

0.04 %

0.03 %

0.05 %

Net interest margin (fully tax equivalent)

3.88 %

3.94 %

4.10 %


(1) Loans held for sale and nonaccrual loans are included in gross loans.

 


FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.


NET INTEREST MARGIN RATE/VOLUME ANALYSIS  (1)

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

 Linked Qtr. Income Variance

 Comparable Qtr. Income Variance

Rate

Volume

Total

Rate

Volume

Total


Earning assets

    Investment securities

$        589

$      (385)

$        204

$     2,652

$     2,565

$     5,217

    Interest-bearing deposits with other banks

(439)

(572)

(1,011)

(1,412)

605

(807)

    Gross loans (2)

(6,597)

(3,748)

(10,345)

(13,683)

9,006

(4,677)


       Total earning assets

(6,447)

(4,705)

(11,152)

(12,443)

12,176

(267)


Interest-bearing liabilities

    Total interest-bearing deposits

$    (4,855)

$    (1,945)

$    (6,800)

$    (3,979)

$     6,545

$     2,566

    Borrowed funds

    Short-term borrowings

(567)

1,526

959

(1,667)

(1,731)

(3,398)

    Long-term debt

(133)

(75)

(208)

10

(1)

9

       Total borrowed funds

(700)

1,451

751

(1,657)

(1,732)

(3,389)


       Total interest-bearing liabilities

(5,555)

(494)

(6,049)

(5,636)

4,813

(823)


          Net interest income (1)

$      (892)

$    (4,211)

$    (5,103)

$    (6,807)

$     7,363

$        556


(1) Not tax equivalent.


(2) Loans held for sale and nonaccrual loans are included in gross loans.

 


FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.


CREDIT QUALITY

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Mar. 31,

Dec. 31,

Sep. 30,

June 30,

Mar. 31,

2025

2024

2024

2024

2024


ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSS ACTIVITY

Balance at beginning of period

$  156,791

$  158,831

$  156,185

$  144,274

$  141,433

  Provision for credit losses

9,141

9,705

9,930

16,157

13,419

  Gross charge-offs

    Commercial and industrial

8,178

4,333

5,471

2,149

2,695

    Lease financing

1,454

2,831

368

190

3

    Construction real estate

0

0

0

0

0

    Commercial real estate

0

5,051

261

2

5,319

    Residential real estate

0

12

60

6

65

    Home equity

86

210

90

122

25

    Installment

1,321

1,680

1,510

2,034

2,236

    Credit card

474

492

768

532

794

      Total gross charge-offs

11,513

14,609

8,528

5,035

11,137

  Recoveries

    Commercial and industrial

195

1,779

434

236

162

    Lease financing

29

17

11

1

59

    Construction real estate

0

0

0

0

0

    Commercial real estate

24

19

25

137

38

    Residential real estate

24

23

22

37

24

    Home equity

144

222

240

118

80

    Installment

563

499

421

219

145

    Credit card

84

305

91

41

51

      Total recoveries

1,063

2,864

1,244

789

559

  Total net charge-offs

10,450

11,745

7,284

4,246

10,578

Ending allowance for credit losses

$  155,482

$  156,791

$  158,831

$  156,185

$  144,274


NET CHARGE-OFFS TO AVERAGE LOANS AND LEASES (ANNUALIZED)

  Commercial and industrial

0.85 %

0.27 %

0.54 %

0.21 %

0.29 %

  Lease financing

0.99 %

1.91 %

0.26 %

0.15 %

(0.05) %

  Construction real estate

0.00 %

0.00 %

0.00 %

0.00 %

0.00 %

  Commercial real estate

0.00 %

0.49 %

0.02 %

(0.01) %

0.52 %

  Residential real estate

(0.01) %

0.00 %

0.01 %

(0.01) %

0.01 %

  Home equity

(0.03) %

(0.01) %

(0.07) %

0.00 %

(0.03) %

  Installment

2.42 %

3.43 %

3.03 %

4.81 %

5.33 %

  Credit card

2.40 %

1.13 %

4.13 %

2.94 %

4.59 %

     Total net charge-offs

0.36 %

0.40 %

0.25 %

0.15 %

0.38 %


COMPONENTS OF NONACCRUAL LOANS, NONPERFORMING ASSETS, AND UNDERPERFORMING ASSETS

  Nonaccrual loans

    Commercial and industrial

$     7,649

$     6,641

$    10,703

$    17,665

$    14,532

    Lease financing

6,487

6,227

11,632

5,374

3,794

    Construction real estate

0

0

0

0

0

    Commercial real estate

25,736

32,303

23,608

22,942

23,055

    Residential real estate

16,044

16,700

14,596

12,715

12,836

    Home equity

2,920

3,418

4,074

3,295

4,036

    Installment

719

684

826

682

984

      Total nonaccrual loans

59,555

65,973

65,439

62,673

59,237

  Other real estate owned (OREO)

213

64

30

30

161

     Total nonperforming assets

59,768

66,037

65,469

62,703

59,398

  Accruing loans past due 90 days or more

228

361

463

1,573

820

     Total underperforming assets

$    59,996

$    66,398

$    65,932

$    64,276

$    60,218

Total classified assets

$  213,351

$  224,084

$  206,194

$  195,277

$  162,348


CREDIT QUALITY RATIOS

Allowance for credit losses to

     Nonaccrual loans

261.07 %

237.66 %

242.72 %

249.21 %

243.55 %

     Total ending loans

1.33 %

1.33 %

1.37 %

1.36 %

1.29 %

Nonaccrual loans to total loans

0.51 %

0.56 %

0.57 %

0.54 %

0.53 %

Nonperforming assets to

     Ending loans, plus OREO

0.51 %

0.56 %

0.57 %

0.54 %

0.53 %

     Total assets

0.32 %

0.36 %

0.36 %

0.35 %

0.34 %

Classified assets to total assets

1.16 %

1.21 %

1.14 %

1.07 %

0.92 %

 


FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP.


CAPITAL ADEQUACY

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended,

Mar. 31,

Dec. 31,

Sep. 30,

June 30,

Mar. 31,

2025

2024

2024

2024

2024


PER COMMON SHARE

Market Price

  High

$        29.04

$        30.34

$        28.09

$        23.78

$        23.68

  Low

$        24.25

$        23.98

$        21.70

$        20.79

$        21.04

  Close

$        24.98

$        26.88

$        25.23

$        22.22

$        22.42

Average shares outstanding – basic

94,645,787

94,486,838

94,473,666

94,438,235

94,218,067

Average shares outstanding – diluted

95,524,262

95,487,564

95,479,510

95,470,093

95,183,998

Ending shares outstanding

95,730,353

95,494,840

95,486,317

95,486,010

95,473,595

Total shareholders’ equity

$  2,501,235

$  2,438,041

$  2,450,438

$  2,326,439

$  2,287,003


REGULATORY CAPITAL


Preliminary

Common equity tier 1 capital

$  1,724,134

$  1,709,422

$  1,661,759

$  1,626,345

$  1,582,113

Common equity tier 1 capital ratio

12.29 %

12.16 %

12.04 %

11.78 %

11.67 %

Tier 1 capital

$  1,769,357

$  1,754,584

$  1,706,796

$  1,671,258

$  1,626,899

Tier 1 ratio

12.61 %

12.48 %

12.37 %

12.11 %

12.00 %

Total capital

$  2,090,211

$  2,057,877

$  2,012,349

$  1,997,378

$  1,940,762

Total capital ratio

14.90 %

14.64 %

14.58 %

14.47 %

14.31 %

Total capital in excess of minimum requirement

$    617,347

$    581,659

$    563,273

$    548,037

$    516,704

Total risk-weighted assets

$  14,027,274

$  14,059,215

$  13,800,728

$  13,803,249

$  13,562,455

Leverage ratio

10.01 %

9.98 %

9.93 %

9.73 %

9.75 %


OTHER CAPITAL RATIOS

Ending shareholders’ equity to ending assets

13.55 %

13.13 %

13.50 %

12.81 %

12.99 %

Ending tangible shareholders’ equity to ending tangible assets (1)

8.16 %

7.73 %

7.98 %

7.23 %

7.23 %

Average shareholders’ equity to average assets

13.38 %

13.36 %

13.28 %

12.87 %

13.09 %

Average tangible shareholders’ equity to average tangible assets (1)

7.94 %

7.87 %

7.64 %

7.15 %

7.25 %


REPURCHASE PROGRAM (2)

Shares repurchased

0

0

0

0

0

Average share repurchase price

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Total cost of shares repurchased

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A


(1) Non-GAAP measure.  For details on the calculation of these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to the GAAP financial measure, see the sections titled “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” in this release and “Appendix: Non-GAAP to GAAP Reconciliation” in the accompanying slide presentation.


(2) Represents share repurchases as part of publicly announced plans.

N/A = Not applicable

 

Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-financial-bancorp-announces-first-quarter-2025-financial-results-302437743.html

SOURCE First Financial Bancorp.