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Here are 1-3 brief analogies for First Financial Bancorp (FFBC):

• PNC Financial Services for the Ohio Valley and nearby Midwest states.
• KeyCorp, but primarily serving Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois.

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• Commercial Loans: Provides financing for businesses, including working capital, equipment, and commercial real estate loans.
• Consumer Loans: Offers various loan products including residential mortgages, home equity lines of credit, and automobile loans to individuals.
• Deposit Accounts: Manages a variety of checking, savings, money market, and certificate of deposit accounts for both individual and business customers.
• Wealth Management and Trust Services: Delivers financial planning, investment management, and trust services to assist clients with their financial goals.
• Treasury Management Services: Provides businesses with cash management, payment processing, and fraud protection solutions to streamline their operations.

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First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) is a bank holding company that provides a wide range of financial services. As a bank, it primarily serves a diverse customer base rather than having a few "major customer companies" in the traditional sense of a supplier-customer relationship. Therefore, its customers can be best described by categories.

The up to three categories of customers that First Financial Bancorp primarily serves are:

1. Individuals and Consumers: This segment includes customers who utilize retail banking services such as checking and savings accounts, personal loans, residential mortgages, and other consumer financial products.
2. Businesses (Small to Medium-Sized and Commercial): This category encompasses businesses ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises to larger commercial clients. They utilize services like commercial loans, lines of credit, treasury management, business checking accounts, and commercial real estate financing.
3. Wealth Management and Private Banking Clients: This segment comprises high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients who seek trust services, investment management, financial planning, and private banking solutions.

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Major suppliers for First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) include:

• Fiserv, Inc. (FI)
• PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
• Equifax Inc. (EFX)
• TransUnion (TRU)
• Experian plc (EXPGY)
• Visa Inc. (V)
• Mastercard Incorporated (MA)

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Archie M. Brown, Jr. President & Chief Executive Officer

Archie M. Brown, Jr. was appointed President and CEO of First Financial Bancorp and First Financial Bank on April 1, 2018. Before this role, he served as the President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of MainSource Financial Group, Inc., leading the company through significant growth. His extensive career in the banking industry spans 34 years, during which he has managed or overseen finance and balance sheet management, risk and regulatory management, investor relations, business line management, and bank acquisitions and integrations.

James M. Anderson Chief Financial Officer / Chief Operating Officer

James M. Anderson is the CFO of First Financial Bancorp and First Financial Bank, responsible for finance, accounting, treasury, and investor relations. Prior to his current role, he was the CFO at MainSource Financial Group, Inc., and before that, served as Administrative Vice President and Principal Accounting Officer.

Claude E. Davis Chairman of the Board

Claude E. Davis serves as the Board Chair of First Financial Bancorp and First Financial Bank. He is also the President and Partner of Brixey & Meyer Capital, a lower middle market private investment firm founded in 2015 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Davis previously held the position of Chief Executive Officer of First Financial Bancorp and First Financial Bank from October 2004 through March 2018. Under his leadership as CEO, the bank more than quadrupled in size.

Karen B. Woods Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer

Karen B. Woods is the General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer of First Financial Bancorp and First Financial Bank. She previously held the role of Executive Vice President, Corporate Counsel, and Chief Risk Officer at MainSource Financial Group, Inc. Ms. Woods brings over 20 years of legal experience, including representing financial institutions and corporate clients in general corporate, regulatory, securities, merger and acquisition, and capital transactions.

Richard S. Dennen Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Banking Officer

Richard S. Dennen is the Chief Corporate Banking Officer for First Financial Bank, overseeing the bank's Specialty Banking lines of business, which include Corporate Banking and ESOP.

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1. Interest Rate Risk and Margin Pressure: First Financial Bancorp is susceptible to significant margin pressure due to "higher-for-longer rates and deposit competition". Changes in monetary policy, specifically target interest rates set by the Federal Reserve, can influence loan originations, investment purchases, deposit generation, and the rates earned on assets versus paid on liabilities. Adverse shifts in market interest rates directly impact the bank's net interest income and overall financial stability.
2. Competitive Pressure: The banking industry, in which FFBC operates, is characterized by increasing competitive intensity. This competition stems not only from other traditional banks but also from "non-bank firms" offering private credit, capital markets, and various banking products. Such a dynamic landscape can pressure First Financial Bancorp's ability to maintain market share and profitability.
3. Credit Risk and Economic Uncertainty: The bank is exposed to credit risk, particularly concerning its commercial real estate (CRE) office exposure. More broadly, an economic slowdown could lead to "industry-wide credit concerns" and "more credit issues" across banks. Economic downturns introduce "economic uncertainty" and can result in "increased loan defaults, reduced demand for banking products, and pressure on interest margins," ultimately affecting profitability.

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• Increased competition from digital-first banks and financial technology (FinTech) companies, which offer superior digital experiences, competitive rates, and innovative products with lower operational overheads.
• Elevated credit risk within the commercial real estate (CRE) loan portfolio, particularly given sustained higher interest rates increasing refinancing challenges and evolving market conditions impacting property valuations and occupancy rates.

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Commercial Banking

Retail Banking

Wealth Management

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First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) is expected to drive future revenue growth over the next 2-3 years through several key strategies:

1. Strategic Acquisitions: The company has recently undertaken significant acquisitions, including BankFinancial Corporation and Westfield Bancorp. These acquisitions are anticipated to contribute to revenue growth, with efficiency gains primarily expected to materialize in 2026. Furthermore, management has indicated an openness to exploring additional merger and acquisition opportunities within the $1-5 billion bank sector.
2. Loan Portfolio Expansion: FFBC projects mid-single-digit loan growth, with commercial lending and Summit funding identified as key contributors. The company expects a reduction in loan payoff pressures and an increase in production to accelerate growth, aiming for a long-term loan growth target of 6-7%. Loan pipelines showed strengthening during the third quarter of 2024.
3. Growth in Noninterest Income: The bank anticipates continued strength in fee income, particularly from its foreign exchange and leasing businesses. Broad-based growth in noninterest income was observed in Q2 2025, with double-digit percentage increases across mortgage, bank card, leasing, business, and foreign exchange income.
4. Enhanced Operational Efficiency: Expected efficiency gains from the integration of the Westfield and BankFinancial acquisitions are a significant driver. FFBC is also focused on improving operational efficiency through internal reviews, process redesign, and technology investments, which are projected to lead to improved net margins and reduced noninterest expenses.
5. Net Interest Margin Management: Despite potential impacts from interest rate cuts, First Financial Bancorp aims to maintain a resilient net interest margin. This will be achieved by effectively managing asset yields and funding costs, and by leveraging the newly acquired business lines to partially offset any downward pressure on margins.

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Share Repurchases

• In December 2020, the Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase plan authorizing the purchase of up to 5,000,000 shares of the Company's common stock, representing approximately 5% of its issued and outstanding shares as of September 30, 2020. This plan was effective January 1, 2021, and was to continue for two years.
• The company had suspended share repurchase activity in the first quarter of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the reauthorization in late 2020 being part of its normal capital planning process.
• In January 2022, a share repurchase program was announced to repurchase up to 5,000,000 shares, representing 5.31% of the issued and outstanding common stock.

Share Issuance

• In November 2025, First Financial Bancorp completed the acquisition of Westfield Bancorp, Inc., which included the issuance of 2,753,094 shares of First Financial common stock, valued at approximately $65 million.
• In August 2025, the company agreed to acquire BankFinancial Corporation in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $142 million, which implies a corresponding dollar amount of shares to be issued upon closing.

Outbound Investments

• In November 2025, First Financial Bancorp completed the acquisition of Westfield Bancorp, Inc., for a total purchase price of $325 million, consisting of $260 million in cash and $65 million in stock. This acquisition expanded the company's presence in Northeast Ohio.
• In August 2025, an agreement was announced to acquire Chicago-based BankFinancial Corporation for approximately $142 million in an all-stock transaction, aiming to strategically expand First Financial's presence in the Chicago market. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025.
• In the first quarter of 2024, First Financial Bancorp acquired Agile Premium Finance.

Capital Expenditures

• Over the last 12 months (prior to late 2025), capital expenditures amounted to -$19.73 million.