Archie Brown Comments on Q1 Results, Adjusted EPS at $0.77
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 23 2026
0mins
Should l Buy FFBC?
Archie Brown, President and CEO, commented on the First Quarter results, "I am very pleased with our overall performance in the first quarter. The first quarter was a busy one as we closed the BankFinancial acquisition, completed the conversion of Westfield Bank, and wrapped up the sale of the BankFinancial multi-family loan portfolio. Adjusted earnings per share were $0.77, with an adjusted return on assets of 1.45% and an adjusted return on tangible common equity of 19.2%. Adjusted earnings per share increased 22% compared to the first quarter of last year, driven by a robust net interest margin and strong fee income. Our net interest margin was resilient, despite the fed funds rate cut in December, as the expected decline in loan yields was offset by a similar decline in deposits costs. Assuming no short-term rate reductions by the Federal Reserve, we expect the margin to remain stable in the near term."
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Analyst Views on FFBC
Wall Street analysts forecast FFBC stock price to fall
4 Analyst Rating
1 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Hold
Current: 30.430
Low
28.00
Averages
29.00
High
31.00
Current: 30.430
Low
28.00
Averages
29.00
High
31.00
About FFBC
First Financial Bancorp. is a bank holding company. It engages in the business of commercial banking and other banking and banking-related activities through its subsidiary, First Financial Bank (the Bank). The Bank 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. In addition, it offers deposit products that include interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing accounts, time deposits and cash management services for commercial customers. Its full-service banking centers are located in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, while the commercial finance business lends to targeted industry verticals on a nationwide basis.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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