Mergers & Acquisitions ·
First Financial Bancorp entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Finward Bancorp in an all-stock…
FFBCFirst Financial Bancorp
First Financial Bancorp entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Finward Bancorp in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $208 million. Under the terms, Finward shareholders will receive 1.35 shares of First Financial common stock for each share held. The acquisition, which includes Finward's subsidiary Peoples Bank, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026 and is projected to be 5% accretive to earnings per share. Separately, the company reported second quarter 2026 net income of $76.5 million, or $0.73 per diluted share, and announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.26 per share. First Financial Bancorp is a bank holding company providing commercial, retail, and wealth management services.