First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.26 EPS

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) announced its earnings results on Tuesday. The bank reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.26, Zacks reports. First Financial had a return on equity of 8.77% and a net margin of 15.37%.

First Financial Trading Up 3.0 %

THFF traded up $1.33 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $45.19. 29,737 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 53,115. The firm has a market capitalization of $535.64 million, a P/E ratio of 11.30 and a beta of 0.41. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $48.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $47.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. First Financial has a 1-year low of $34.61 and a 1-year high of $53.60.

First Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st were given a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.51%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 1st. First Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 51.00%.

Insider Transactions at First Financial

In other news, insider Mark Allen Franklin purchased 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $52.53 per share, with a total value of $57,783.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 9,845 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $517,157.85. The trade was a 12.58 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director James O. Mcdonald bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $48.99 per share, with a total value of $48,990.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 9,462 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $463,543.38. This trade represents a 11.82 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders purchased 2,195 shares of company stock worth $111,625 over the last ninety days. 3.69% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on THFF. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective (up previously from $52.00) on shares of First Financial in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Janney Montgomery Scott upgraded shares of First Financial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $58.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 24th.

About First Financial

First Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides various financial services. The company offers non-interest-bearing demand, interest-bearing demand, savings, time, and other time deposits. It also provides commercial loans primarily to expand a business or finance asset purchases; residential real estate and residential real estate construction loans; and home equity loans and lines, secured loans, and cash/CD secured and unsecured loans.