FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP (FFBC) awards 5,617 shares to Chief Internal Auditor

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP reported an insider equity award for Chief Internal Auditor James R. Shank. On March 4, 2026, he acquired 5,617 shares of common stock through a grant or award at a reported price of $0.00 per share, bringing his directly owned stake to 16,438 shares.

Insider Trade Summary

1 transaction reported

Mixed 1 txn

Insider Shank James R

Role Chief Internal Auditor

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Common Stock	5,617	$0.00	--

Holdings After Transaction: Common Stock — 16,438 shares (Direct)

Footnotes (1)

Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Shank James R

(Last) (First) (Middle)

255 EAST 5TH STREET, SUITE 2900

(Street)

CINCINNATI OH 45202

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP /OH/ [ FFBC ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	Chief Internal Auditor

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/04/2026

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	03/04/2026		A		5,617	A	$0	16,438	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

	/s/ Maria Hinkel, POA	03/05/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.

FAQ

What insider transaction did FFBC report for James R. Shank?

FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP reported that Chief Internal Auditor James R. Shank received a grant of 5,617 common shares on March 4, 2026. The filing classifies this as a grant, award, or other acquisition of stock rather than an open-market purchase.

How many FFBC shares does James R. Shank own after this award?

After the March 4, 2026 award, James R. Shank directly owns 16,438 shares of FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP common stock. The Form 4 shows this total as shares beneficially owned following the reported transaction, reflecting his updated direct ownership position.

Was cash paid for the FFBC shares granted to James R. Shank?

No cash price was reported for this award; the Form 4 lists a transaction price of $0.00 per share. This indicates the 5,617 FFBC common shares were received as a company grant or award rather than bought in the open market.

What is the role of James R. Shank at FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP?

James R. Shank serves as Chief Internal Auditor of FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP, according to the Form 4. The reported stock grant of 5,617 common shares on March 4, 2026 reflects equity compensation tied to his executive officer role.

Is the FFBC share award to James R. Shank a purchase or a grant?

The transaction is classified as a grant, award, or other acquisition, not a market purchase. The Form 4 uses transaction code A and notes that 5,617 common shares were acquired at a reported price of $0.00 per share on March 4, 2026.