First Financial Completes Conversion of BankFinancial

Rhea-AI Summary

First Financial Bank (Nasdaq: FFBC) has completed converting BankFinancial to its operating systems, rebranding all Chicagoland branches and ATMs under the First Financial name as of June 8, 2026.

The bank now offers expanded consumer, commercial, specialty banking and wealth management services and has committed $1 million to the First Financial Foundation for organizations in the Chicagoland area.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Positive

• Completed BankFinancial systems conversion and brand integration in Chicagoland
• All former BankFinancial branches and ATMs now operate under First Financial
• $1 million committed to First Financial Foundation for Chicagoland organizations
• Expanded offerings include mortgage lending, commercial banking and wealth management
• New Chicagoland branches extend footprint beyond existing Northwest Indiana and Illinois locations

Negative

• None.

Key Figures

Community commitment: $1 million

1 metrics

Community commitment $1 million Committed to First Financial Foundation for Chicagoland organizations

Market Reality Check

Price: $30.85 Vol: Volume 717,475 is below 2...

normal vol

$30.85 Last Close

Volume Volume 717,475 is below 20-day average 851,793 (relative volume 0.84). normal

Technical Price 30.85 is trading above 200-day MA at 27.15, and within 1.69% of the 52-week high 31.38.

Peers on Argus

FFBC is up 1.02% while close peers TRMK, FRME, BOH and PRK show modest gains bet...

FFBC is up 1.02% while close peers TRMK, FRME, BOH and PRK show modest gains between 0.12% and 0.76%, and WAFD is flat. No peers appeared in the momentum scanner and no same-day peer headlines are noted, suggesting this move is more company-specific than a broad sector rotation.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Apr 28 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Apr 28	Dividend declaration	Positive	-3.0%	Declared quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per common share.
Apr 23	Earnings results	Positive	+2.4%	Reported Q1 2026 results with record adjusted quarterly revenue and strong EPS.
Apr 02	Earnings date notice	Neutral	+0.1%	Announced timing and access details for Q1 2026 earnings release and call.
Mar 04	Workplace award	Positive	+0.1%	Won Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award for second consecutive year.
Jan 28	Earnings & dividend	Positive	+5.9%	Reported record Q4 and 2025 results, closed Westfield and BankFinancial deals, declared dividend.

Pattern Detected

Recent fundamentally positive updates (record earnings, acquisitions, dividends) often saw positive price reactions, with one notable dividend-related pullback.

Recent Company History

Over the last six months, FFBC has focused on growth, capital returns and recognition. Record Q4 and full-year 2025 results and the closing of the BankFinancial acquisition on Jan 1, 2026 were followed by strong Q1 2026 performance and a new 5.0 million share repurchase authorization. Regular $0.25 dividends continued, while the bank also earned a second consecutive Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award. Today’s completion of the BankFinancial systems conversion reflects continued execution on that acquisition strategy in the Chicagoland market.

Regulatory & Risk Context

Active S-3 Shelf

Shelf Active

Active S-3 Shelf Registration 2026-01-30

An effective S-3ASR automatic shelf dated 2026-01-30 permits the resale of up to 2,753,094 common shares by a selling shareholder related to the Westfield acquisition. First Financial will not receive proceeds from these sales. The shelf runs through 2029-01-30, with 0 recorded usages so far, indicating no takedowns have been filed under this registration.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement confirms completion of the BankFinancial systems and branding conversion, expandin...

Analysis

This announcement confirms completion of the BankFinancial systems and branding conversion, expanding First Financial’s footprint and services across multiple Chicagoland branches. It also highlights a $1 million commitment to the First Financial Foundation to support local organizations. In recent quarters, FFBC has combined acquisitions with record earnings and ongoing dividends, so investors may watch how these new markets contribute to revenue, deposit growth and cross-selling across mortgage, commercial and wealth management services.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

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CHICAGO, June 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- First Financial Bank (Nasdaq: FFBC) has completed the conversion of BankFinancial's operating systems and is now offering consumer banking, commercial banking, specialty banking and wealth management services under the First Financial brand in the Chicagoland area. All retail branches and ATMs have been rebranded as First Financial Bank as of today, and clients can begin to directly access First Financial's wide variety of banking and financial services. First Financial has also committed $1 million to the First Financial Foundation for the benefit of organizations in the Chicagoland area now being served by the bank.

"BankFinancial clients who have transitioned to First Financial are learning more about our focus on creating opportunities for our clients and communities to thrive," said Archie Brown, president and CEO of First Financial Bank. "We are serving Chicagoland with a community-first approach while offering our deep banking expertise and a comprehensive suite of financial services."

First Financial retail locations are now open in Calumet City at 1901 Sibley Blvd., Calumet Park at 1333 W. 127^th St., Chicago Ridge at 6415 W. 95^th St., Deerfield at 630 N. Waukegan Rd., Downers Grove at 5140 Main St., Flossmoor at 2743 Flossmoor Rd., Hyde Park at 1354 E. 55^th St., Joliet at 1401 N. Larkin Ave., Libertyville-North at 1409 W. Peterson Rd., Lincoln Park at 2424 N. Clark St., Lincolnshire at One Marriott Dr., Lincolnwood at 3443 W. Touhy, Olympia Fields at 21110 S. Western Ave., Orland Park at 48 Orland Square Dr. and Westmont at 6301 Fairview Ave. First Financial also maintains a commercial real estate lending office at 60 N. Frontage Rd. in Burr Ridge.

The conversion consolidated products, processes and operating systems from the two banks, and BankFinancial clients can continue banking through their local branches as they always have. Clients also can take advantage of a wider range of solutions to meet their financial needs, including expanded mortgage lending, commercial banking, wealth management and specialty banking services. First Financial has been communicating with BankFinancial clients in recent weeks to help them through the conversion.

First Financial's new retail locations in Chicagoland expand its presence in the area, where it already has locations in Northwest Indiana and in Kankakee, Watseka and Hoopeston in Northeast Illinois. First Financial also operates a commercial lending office in Fulton Market; an office for Bannockburn Capital Markets division in Chicago's downtown Loop; and its recently acquired Agile Premium Finance division in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Additional specialty banking services include Oak Street Funding, providing customized business financing, and Summit Funding Group, specializing in equipment leasing and financing.

About First Financial Bancorp.
First Financial Bancorp. is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank holding company. As of March 31, 2026, the Company had $22.8 billion in assets, $13.5 billion in loans, $17.9 billion in deposits and $2.9 billion in shareholders' equity. The Company's subsidiary, First Financial Bank, founded in 1863, provides banking and financial services products through its six lines of business: Commercial, Retail Banking, Investment Commercial Real Estate, Mortgage Banking, Commercial Finance and Wealth Management. These business units provide traditional banking services to business and retail clients. Wealth Management provides wealth planning, portfolio management, trust and estate, brokerage and retirement plan services and had approximately $4.1 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2026. The Company operated 153 full service banking centers as of March 31, 2026, located in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, while the Commercial Finance business lends into targeted industry verticals on a nationwide basis. In 2025, First Financial Bank received its second consecutive Outstanding rating from the Federal Reserve for its performance under the Community Reinvestment Act and was recognized as a Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winner, one of only 70 Gallup clients worldwide to receive this designation. Additional information about the Company, including its products, services and banking locations, is available at www.bankatfirst.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-financial-completes-conversion-of-bankfinancial-302793994.html

SOURCE First Financial Bancorp.

FAQ

What did First Financial Bank (NASDAQ: FFBC) announce about BankFinancial on June 8, 2026?

First Financial Bank announced it completed converting BankFinancial to its systems and brand. According to First Financial, all former BankFinancial branches and ATMs now operate under the First Financial name in the Chicagoland area with expanded banking and wealth services.

How does the BankFinancial conversion change services for First Financial (FFBC) clients in Chicagoland?

The conversion provides BankFinancial clients access to First Financial’s broader product set. According to First Financial, clients retain local branch access while gaining expanded mortgage lending, commercial banking, wealth management and specialty banking solutions through the unified operating platform.

Which new First Financial (FFBC) branch locations are open in the Chicagoland area after the BankFinancial conversion?

First Financial now operates rebranded locations across multiple Chicagoland communities. According to First Financial, these include branches in Calumet City, Chicago Ridge, Deerfield, Downers Grove, Hyde Park, Joliet, Lincoln Park, Orland Park, Westmont and several other suburbs previously served by BankFinancial.

What community investment did First Financial (FFBC) commit with the BankFinancial integration?

First Financial committed $1 million to the First Financial Foundation for Chicagoland organizations. According to First Financial, this funding will support nonprofit and community groups in areas now served by the bank’s expanded Chicagoland footprint following the BankFinancial systems and brand conversion.

Does the BankFinancial conversion affect First Financial’s commercial and specialty banking operations?

The conversion extends access to First Financial’s commercial and specialty banking services in Chicagoland. According to First Financial, clients can tap commercial real estate lending, Agile Premium Finance, Oak Street Funding and Summit Funding Group for customized financing and equipment leasing solutions.

How does the BankFinancial conversion impact First Financial’s geographic footprint (FFBC)?

The conversion broadens First Financial’s presence in the greater Chicago region. According to First Financial, new Chicagoland branches complement existing locations in Northwest Indiana and Northeast Illinois, plus offices in Fulton Market, downtown Chicago and Lincolnshire-based specialty banking operations.