Professional
Added to YB: 2025-11-17
Pitch date: 2025-11-04
FFBC [bullish]
First Financial Bancorp.
+21.01%
current return
Author Info
Gator Capital Management manages financials sector long/short portfolios for private partnerships and mutual funds. Follow on Twitter/X.
Company Info
First Financial Bancorp. operates as the bank holding company for First Financial Bank that provides commercial banking and banking-related services to individuals and businesses in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois.
Market Cap
$2.8B
Pitch Price
$23.20
Price Target
N/A
Dividend
3.59%
EV/EBITDA
N/A
P/E
10.48
EV/Sales
N/A
Sector
Banks
Category
value
Gator Capital Management Investment Thesis: First Financial Bancorp.
FFBC (new position): $18B asset bank trading at 2016 prices despite 2x EPS growth (P/E fell 18x to 8x). 1.40% ROA, 20%+ ROTCE vs peers at discount. Fee businesses, solid credit (10-33bps charge-offs), smart Cleveland/Chicago expansion. BankFinancial reinvestment could add 20¢/share 2026 EPS. Risks: credit cycle, M&A integration.
Read full article (3 min)