Director Purchase: FFBC 618 Shares Bought at $25.25

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Maribeth S. Rahe, a director of First Financial Bancorp (FFBC), reported an open-market purchase of 618 shares of the company's common stock on 09/30/2025 at a price of $25.25 per share. After this transaction she is reported to beneficially own 67,904 shares directly. The filing shows no derivative transactions and lists an indirect holding of restricted stock with a reported amount of 0. The Form 4 was signed by Terri J. Ziepfel as power of attorney on 10/01/2025.

Positive

• Insider purchase reported: Director Maribeth S. Rahe acquired 618 shares on 09/30/2025 at $25.25.
• Direct ownership disclosed: Reporting person now beneficially owns 67,904 shares directly, improving transparency.
• No derivatives reported: Simpler disclosure with no options, warrants, or other derivative instruments listed.

Negative

• None.

Insights

Financial Analyst

TL;DR: A director purchased 618 shares at $25.25, a routine insider buy with limited size relative to total holdings.

The reported acquisition of 618 shares at $25.25 is a clear, direct purchase and increases the director's direct stake to 67,904 shares. There are no derivative instruments reported, which simplifies assessment of economic exposure. The transaction size appears modest versus the reported total holdings, so while it is a positive disclosure of insider buying, it is unlikely on its own to be material to valuation or signal a major change in insider sentiment.

Corporate Governance Expert

TL;DR: Filing documents a standard Section 16 disclosure of an insider purchase, properly executed by a POA.

The Form 4 identifies the reporting person as a director and records a purchase on 09/30/2025. The signature by a power of attorney (Terri J. Ziepfel) dated 10/01/2025 is consistent with procedural requirements. No amendments or additional transactions are shown. From a governance and compliance perspective, the filing appears complete for the reported transaction.

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

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Rahe Maribeth S

(Last) (First) (Middle)

255 EAST FIFTH 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)

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

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
09/30/2025

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	09/30/2025		A		618	A	$25.25	67,904	D
Common Stock								0	I	Restricted

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/Terri J Ziepfel, POA	10/01/2025
	** 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 transaction did FFBC director Maribeth S. Rahe report on Form 4?

She reported purchasing 618 shares of First Financial Bancorp common stock on 09/30/2025 at $25.25 per share.

How many shares does Maribeth S. Rahe beneficially own after the reported transaction?

She is reported to beneficially own 67,904 shares directly following the acquisition.

Were any derivative securities or options reported in this Form 4 for FFBC?

No derivatives were reported; Table II shows no exercised or outstanding derivative securities.

Who signed the Form 4 for the reporting person and when was it signed?

The filing was signed by Terri J. Ziepfel as Power of Attorney on 10/01/2025.

What price was paid for the shares reported on the Form 4 for FFBC?

The reported purchase price was $25.25 per share for the 618 shares acquired.