Every material Form 8-K First Financial Bancorp filed with the SEC in 2026, read and summarized by AI: what happened, the key figures, whether it reads positive or negative for shareholders, and how big a deal it is (impact 1-5). Newest first; each brief links to its own page and to the filing on SEC.gov.
First Financial Bancorp reported third-quarter 2026 net income of $81.2 million, or $0.77 per diluted share, up from $76.5 million and $0.73 in the second quarter. Adjusted net income, a non-GAAP measure, was $87.8 million, or $0.84 per share, which the company said was the highest adjusted EPS in its history. The filing was an investor presentation furnished under Regulation FD, and it also says the pending Finward Bancorp acquisition is expected to close on 1/1/27, subject to state regulatory and Finward shareholder approvals.
Net income of $81.2 million, or $0.77 per diluted share, versus $76.5 million, or $0.73, in 2Q26; adjusted net income of $87.8 million, or $0.84 per share
Net interest income of $196.3 million; net interest margin of 4.05% on a GAAP basis, up 9 basis points from the linked quarter on a fully tax-equivalent basis to 4.07%
Finward acquisition expected to close 1/1/27; federal regulatory approval received, with state regulatory and Finward shareholder approvals still required
Board approved a quarterly dividend of $0.26 per share, to be paid in 4Q26
First Financial Bancorp's Board appointed Timothy A. Massa as a director effective October 27, 2026, and increased the Board from ten to eleven members. The filing says Massa retired from Kroger in September 2026 after serving as its executive vice president and chief associate experience officer for 12 years, and it describes his background in human capital leadership. The filing contains no financial results or guidance, so the change is a board composition update rather than a change in company performance.
Timothy A. Massa, 59, was appointed a director effective October 27, 2026, and the Board size rose from 10 to 11 directors.
Massa spent 16 years at Kroger, including 12 years on its senior leadership team, and retired on September 18, 2026.
His stock award was priced at $32.54, the October 27, 2026 closing price, and vests at the 2027 annual meeting.
Massa is expected to stand for election by shareholders at the 2027 annual meeting.
First Financial Bancorp reported record third-quarter 2026 results, with net income of $81.2 million, or $0.77 per diluted share, up from $76.5 million, or $0.73, in the second quarter. The board also approved a quarterly dividend of $0.26 per share, and the company said Federal regulatory approval has been received for its Finward acquisition, which it expects to close on January 1, 2027.
Q3 2026 net income of $81.2 million, or $0.77 per diluted share, versus $76.5 million, or $0.73, in Q2 2026
Nine-month 2026 diluted EPS of $2.21 versus $2.02 for the same period in 2025
Net interest margin of 4.05%; noninterest expenses of $165.7 million, or $156.9 million adjusted
Quarterly dividend of $0.26 per share payable December 15, 2026; tangible book value per share fell to $15.65
First Financial Bancorp appointed James M. Anderson as president of the Company and First Financial Bank effective September 14, 2026, as part of its succession planning. Anderson keeps his role as chief financial officer and gives up the chief operating officer post, which Malcolm A. Myers took on the same day. The filing also sets new pay terms for several executives and updates severance terms for CEO Archie M. Brown.
James M. Anderson appointed president effective September 14, 2026, while retaining the CFO role; he no longer serves as COO
Amanda N. Neeley named chief banking officer and Malcolm A. Myers named chief operating officer, both effective September 14, 2026
Anderson's base salary rises 4.9% to $640,000; Brown receives a one-time restricted stock grant valued at $3 million
Brown's amended employment agreement provides three years of base salary in cash severance if terminated without cause or for good reason
First Financial Bancorp agreed on July 21, 2026 to acquire Finward Bancorp, parent of Peoples Bank, in an all-stock merger valued at about $208 million, with the deal expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026. The company also reported second-quarter net income of $76.5 million, or $0.73 per diluted share, up from $0.71 in the first quarter, and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.26. The company says the deal is about 5% accretive to earnings per share, with an estimated 0.4% dilution to tangible book value per share at closing.
Each Finward share converts into 1.35 First Financial shares; the deal is valued at about $208 million based on the July 20, 2026 closing price.
Closing requires Finward shareholder approval and regulatory approvals, including from the Federal Reserve and the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions; a $9.0 million termination fee is payable by Finward in certain circumstances.
Second-quarter net income was $76.5 million, or $0.73 per diluted share, versus $0.71 in the first quarter; adjusted EPS of $0.80 was described as a company record.
Quarterly dividend increased to $0.26, payable September 15, 2026 to holders of record on September 1, 2026.
At its May 26, 2026 annual meeting, First Financial Bancorp shareholders approved a 2026 Stock Plan that reserves 3.85 million common shares for equity awards to directors, executive officers and other eligible participants. Shareholders also elected all ten director nominees to one-year terms ending in 2027, ratified Crowe LLP as auditor for 2026, and approved the advisory say-on-pay vote.
The 2026 Stock Plan reserves 3.85 million shares of common stock and expires May 26, 2036.
All ten director nominees were elected, including Anne L. Arvia and Dawn C. Morris, with terms ending in 2027.
Shareholders ratified Crowe LLP as the independent registered accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, with 93,734,321 votes for.
Shareholders approved the advisory vote on executive compensation with 82,796,507 votes for and 1,198,027 against.
First Financial Bancorp reported first-quarter 2026 net income of $74.4 million, or $0.71 per diluted share, up from $62.4 million, or $0.64, in the fourth quarter of 2025 and $51.3 million, or $0.54, a year earlier. The Board also authorized a new repurchase plan of up to 5,000,000 shares, about 4.8% of shares outstanding as of March 31, 2026, which expires December 31, 2027.
Q1 2026 net income $74.4 million, or $0.71 per diluted share, versus $0.64 in Q4 2025 and $0.54 in Q1 2025; adjusted EPS was $0.77 (non-GAAP)
Noninterest expenses were $169.4 million, including $14.3 million of acquisition-related expenses; the BankFinancial acquisition closed January 1, 2026
Repurchase plan of up to 5,000,000 shares, effective April 21, 2026, replaces the plan that expired December 31, 2025
Total loans rose $70.8 million to $13.5 billion, including $227.7 million acquired from BankFinancial
First Financial Bancorp reported fourth-quarter 2025 net income of $62.4 million, or $0.64 per diluted share, down from $71.9 million, or $0.75, in the third quarter. For the full year, diluted EPS rose to $2.66 from $2.40 in 2024, and the board approved a $0.25 quarterly dividend. The company said adjusted fourth-quarter EPS of $0.80 was a record, excluding items including a $12.6 million loss on securities.
Q4 2025 net income $62.4 million, or $0.64 per diluted share, versus $71.9 million, or $0.75, in Q3 2025
Full-year 2025 net income $255.6 million, or $2.66 per diluted share, versus $228.8 million, or $2.40, in 2024
Q4 noninterest income was $64.8 million, including a $12.6 million loss on securities; adjusted figure was $77.3 million
Board approved a $0.25 quarterly dividend payable March 16, 2026 to shareholders of record as of March 2, 2026
First Financial Bancorp completed its merger with Chicago-based BankFinancial Corporation on January 1, 2026, and merged BankFinancial's bank into First Financial Bank. Each BankFinancial share was converted into 0.480 of a First Financial common share, and the company says the combined business will have $22 billion in assets and 18 Chicago-area financial centers from BankFinancial. The filing gives no financial results or purchase price for the deal, so its effect on earnings is not stated.
Merger completed January 1, 2026; First Financial Bank is the surviving bank in the bank merger
Exchange ratio: 0.480 of a First Financial common share for each BankFinancial share
BankFinancial brings 18 financial centers in the Chicago area; combined assets to be $22 billion
BankFinancial branches keep their name until the systems conversion, anticipated in June 2026
Briefs are written by AI from the filing text (each brief's own page names the model) and can contain mistakes — open the filing before acting on anything. Impact (1-5) and tone are the model's reading of the filing for shareholders, not a price forecast. Not investment advice.
Only material 8-Ks get a brief: results, deals, executive changes, restructuring, impairments, delisting notices, restatements, cybersecurity incidents and other disclosed events. Routine filings (vote results, exhibits only) are skipped. Every First Financial Bancorp filing is on SEC EDGAR ↗. 8-K briefs of other companies →