American Century Companies Inc. Acquires 21,870 Shares of First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC)

American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) by 6.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 381,582 shares of the bank’s stock after purchasing an additional 21,870 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. owned approximately 0.40% of First Financial Bancorp. worth $10,257,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in First Financial Bancorp. by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,282,349 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $32,354,000 after acquiring an additional 23,472 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. raised its stake in shares of First Financial Bancorp. by 25.2% during the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 166,170 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $4,192,000 after purchasing an additional 33,464 shares during the period. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in First Financial Bancorp. by 397.8% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 73,750 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,861,000 after purchasing an additional 58,935 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in First Financial Bancorp. by 24.9% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 36,760 shares of the bank’s stock worth $927,000 after purchasing an additional 7,331 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its holdings in First Financial Bancorp. by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 226,660 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $5,719,000 after buying an additional 2,820 shares in the last quarter. 77.23% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Financial Bancorp. Stock Up 1.1 %

FFBC stock opened at $25.10 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $26.59 and its 200 day moving average is $26.87. The stock has a market cap of $2.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.46 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. First Financial Bancorp. has a 1-year low of $20.59 and a 1-year high of $31.18.

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

First Financial Bancorp. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.82%. First Financial Bancorp.’s payout ratio is 40.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider James R. Shank sold 7,600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.92, for a total value of $189,392.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 11,141 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $277,633.72. The trade was a 40.55 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 2.04% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

First Financial Bancorp. Company Profile

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.