First Financial (FFIN) Receives Upgrade to Buy: Reasons Behind the Decision
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Aug 26 2025
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Source: NASDAQ.COM
Zacks Rank Upgrade: First Financial Bankshares (FFIN) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) due to an upward trend in earnings estimates, indicating a positive outlook for the company's stock price.
Earnings Estimates Influence: The Zacks rating system focuses on changes in earnings estimates, which are strongly correlated with stock price movements, making it a valuable tool for investors.
Strong Historical Performance: Stocks rated as Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) have historically outperformed the market, generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988.
Future Earnings Projections: Analysts predict that FFIN will earn $1.81 per share for the fiscal year ending December 2025, with recent consensus estimates showing a slight increase, reflecting improved business fundamentals.
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Analyst Views on FFIN
Wall Street analysts forecast FFIN stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for FFIN is 36.00 USD with a low forecast of 36.00 USD and a high forecast of 36.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
1 Analyst Rating
0 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Hold
Current: 31.320
Low
36.00
Averages
36.00
High
36.00
Current: 31.320
Low
36.00
Averages
36.00
High
36.00
About FFIN
First Financial Bankshares, Inc. is a financial holding company. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Financial Bank (the Bank), operates multiple banking regions with approximately 79 locations in Texas, including Abilene, Acton, Albany, Aledo, Alvarado, Beaumont, Boyd, Bridgeport, Brock, Bryan, Burleson, College Station, Cisco, Cleburne, Clyde, Conroe, Cut and Shoot, Decatur, Eastland and others. The Bank provides general commercial banking services, which include accepting and holding checking, savings and time deposits, making loans, offering automated teller machines (ATMs), drive-in and night deposit services, safe deposit facilities, remote deposit capture, Internet banking, mobile banking, payroll cards, funds transfer, and performing other customary commercial banking services. The Company also operates First Financial Trust and Asset Management Company, with nine locations and First Technology Services, Inc., a technology operating company.
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.
First Financial Bankshares Reports Q4 EPS of $0.51 on Revenue of $164.7M
- Earnings Highlights: First Financial Bankshares reported a Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.51 and revenue of $164.7 million, indicating stability in revenue growth despite facing market challenges.
- Credit Risk Assessment: Analysts suggest that the credit misstep at First Financial Bankshares is likely a one-off event, providing investor confidence and indicating the company's potential in risk management.
- Upgrade Necessity: Market analysis indicates that First Financial Bankshares needs to lower its valuation to justify an upgrade, reflecting cautious investor sentiment regarding the company's future growth, which may impact its stock performance.
- Quant Rating Insight: Seeking Alpha's quant rating on First Financial Bankshares highlights market attention to its financial performance, although the current rating has not significantly improved, it still serves as a reference for investors.
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First Financial Bank Promotes Executives to Strengthen Leadership
- Executive Promotions: First Financial Bank has promoted James Alexander to Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial Banking, succeeding David Bailey, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to management succession and future leadership strength.
- Regional Leadership Change: Chris Evatt has been elevated to Senior Banking Executive, overseeing leadership in the Southern regions, which is expected to drive further business growth and market expansion in those areas.
- West Texas Leadership: Rick Vaughan has been appointed Chairman and CEO of the West Texas Region, taking over from Chris Evatt, and with over 30 years of banking and wealth management experience, he is expected to enhance strategic development in the region.
- Market President Appointment: Luke Uherik has been promoted to Market President of San Angelo, managing client relationships in the West Texas Region, and with 17 years of banking experience, he will strengthen customer service and market competitiveness.
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