Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. Has $5.32 Million Holdings in First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC)

Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its position in shares of First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) by 4.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 198,028 shares of the bank’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,419 shares during the quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in First Financial Bancorp. were worth $5,323,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Point72 DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of First Financial Bancorp. during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Financial Bancorp. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Allworth Financial LP acquired a new stake in First Financial Bancorp. in the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in First Financial Bancorp. by 221.9% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,717 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $73,000 after buying an additional 1,873 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new stake in First Financial Bancorp. in the 4th quarter valued at $76,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.23% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on FFBC shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on First Financial Bancorp. from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $33.00 price target on shares of First Financial Bancorp. in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $30.00 price target on shares of First Financial Bancorp. in a research note on Monday, January 27th.

First Financial Bancorp. Price Performance

First Financial Bancorp. stock opened at $24.65 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.90. The firm has a market cap of $2.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.27 and a beta of 0.99. The business’s fifty day moving average is $27.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $26.99. First Financial Bancorp. has a 52 week low of $20.59 and a 52 week high of $31.18.

First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 23rd. The bank reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.06. First Financial Bancorp. had a return on equity of 10.52% and a net margin of 18.67%. Equities research analysts forecast that First Financial Bancorp. will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

First Financial Bancorp. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.89%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. First Financial Bancorp.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.00%.

About First Financial Bancorp.

First Financial Bancorp. operates as the bank holding company for First Financial Bank that provides commercial banking and related services to individuals and businesses in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. The company offers checking, savings, and money-market accounts; and accepts various deposit products, such as interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing accounts, time deposits, and cash management services for commercial customers.