Have you been paying attention to shares of First Financial Bancorp (FFBC)? Shares have been on the move with the stock up 8.6% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $33.5 in the previous session. First Financial has gained 33.9% since the start of the year compared to the 3.2% gain for the Zacks Finance sector and the 6.9% return for the Zacks Banks - Midwest industry.
What's Driving the Outperformance?
The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, having beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters. In its last earnings report on April 28, 2026, First Financial reported EPS of $0.77 versus consensus estimate of $0.7 while it beat the consensus revenue estimate by 5.09%.
For the current fiscal year, First Financial is expected to post earnings of $3.2 per share on $1.08 in revenues. This represents a 9.22% change in EPS on a 19.68% change in revenues. For the next fiscal year, the company is expected to earn $3.38 per share on $1.12 in revenues. This represents a year-over-year change of 5.63% and 3.86%, respectively.
Valuation Metrics
Though First Financial has recently hit a 52-week high, what is next for First Financial? A key aspect of this question is taking a look at valuation metrics in order to determine if the company is due for a pullback from this level.
On this front, we can look at the Zacks Style Scores, as these give investors a variety of ways to comb through stocks (beyond looking at the Zacks Rank of a security). The individual style scores for Value, Growth, Momentum and the combined VGM Score run from A through F. The idea behind the style scores is to help investors pick the most appropriate Zacks Rank stocks based on their individual investment style.
First Financial has a Value Score of B. The stock's Growth and Momentum Scores are B and D, respectively, giving the company a VGM Score of B.
In terms of its value breakdown, the stock currently trades at 10.5X current fiscal year EPS estimates, which is not in-line with the peer industry average of 11.2X. On a trailing cash flow basis, the stock currently trades at 10.6X versus its peer group's average of 11X. This isn't enough to put the company in the top echelon of all stocks we cover from a value perspective.
Zacks Rank
We also need to consider the stock's Zacks Rank, as this supersedes any trend on the style score front. Fortunately, First Financial currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) thanks to rising earnings estimates.
Since we recommend that investors select stocks carrying Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B, it looks as if First Financial passes the test. Thus, it seems as though First Financial shares could have potential in the weeks and months to come.
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First Financial Bancorp. (FFBC): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).