First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) Q3 2026 earnings summary

Executive summary

• Record Q3 revenue was $273.9M; adjusted net income was $87.8M and adjusted diluted EPS was $0.84, up 11% YoY and a quarterly record.

• GAAP net income was $81.2M, or $0.77 per diluted share; FTE NIM rose 9 bps QoQ to 4.07%.

• Net loans grew $170.2M QoQ; regulatory approval was received for the planned Finward acquisition.

Financial highlights

• Net interest income was $196.3M, up 22.3% YoY; FTE net interest income was $197.4M.

• Adjusted fee income reached a record $77.6M, 28% of revenue; GAAP noninterest income was $77.7M.

• Noninterest expense was $165.7M GAAP and $156.9M adjusted; adjusted expenses rose 5.2% QoQ.

• The efficiency ratio was 60.5% GAAP and 57.3% adjusted; adjusted results excluded acquisition and other nonrecurring costs.

Outlook and guidance

• Q4 NIM guidance is 4.08%-4.12%, assuming a 25 bps December rate hike; it includes 6 bps of loan accretion versus 10 bps in Q3.

• Q4 adjusted fee income is expected at $75M-$78M, including $18M-$20M from FX and $21M-$23M from leasing; noninterest expense is forecast at $150M-$153M.

• Loan growth is expected in the low- to mid-single digits and core deposits in the low-single digits; healthy pipelines support continued loan growth through year-end 2026.

• Credit costs and ACL coverage are expected to remain stable; expenses are expected to moderate as Q3 incentive, healthcare and collection costs ease.