First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Wednesday.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $55.00 target price (up from $52.00) on shares of First Financial in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Janney Montgomery Scott raised shares of First Financial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $58.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, February 24th.

First Financial Stock Down 0.3%

THFF stock opened at $53.05 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $628.70 million, a P/E ratio of 13.26 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $48.00 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $48.26. First Financial has a 1-year low of $34.61 and a 1-year high of $53.60.

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $62.49 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $62.04 million. First Financial had a return on equity of 8.77% and a net margin of 15.37%. Analysts expect that First Financial will post 5.41 EPS for the current year.

First Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st were issued a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.85%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 1st. First Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Financial

In other First Financial news, Director James O. Mcdonald bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $48.99 per share, with a total value of $48,990.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 9,462 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $463,543.38. The trade was a 11.82% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders have acquired a total of 1,708 shares of company stock valued at $83,350 over the last three months. 3.69% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Financial

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in First Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of First Financial during the fourth quarter valued at about $73,000. US Bancorp DE lifted its holdings in shares of First Financial by 167.0% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,475 shares of the bank’s stock worth $121,000 after buying an additional 1,548 shares in the last quarter. Ieq Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of First Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $205,000. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in First Financial during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $213,000. 72.74% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.