First Financial Bancorp announced second-quarter 2026 net income of $76.5 million, or $0.73 per diluted share, while adjusted earnings per share of $0.80 marked a company record. The board approved a quarterly dividend increase to $0.26 per share, payable September 15, 2026. Separately, First Financial agreed to acquire Finward Bancorp, the holding company for Peoples Bank, in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $208 million, which is expected to be about 5% accretive to earnings per share. The acquisition adds roughly $2.0 billion in assets, $1.7 billion in deposits, and 24 locations in northwest Indiana and Chicago, expanding First Financial's pro forma Chicago-area deposits by 75% to over $4 billion. Second-quarter highlights included a net interest margin of 3.98% on a fully tax-equivalent basis, loan growth of $240 million, and a return on average tangible common equity of 17.95%.
First Financial BancorpRecord adjusted EPS, dividend increase, and accretive acquisition all positive for earnings and shareholder returns.
Finward BancorpAcquired at a premium in an all-stock deal, providing immediate value to Finward shareholders.