First Financial Corporation Indiana (NASDAQ:THFF) Sets New 12-Month High After Strong Earnings

First Financial Corporation Indiana (NASDAQ:THFF)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $66.95 and last traded at $66.17, with a volume of 37333 shares. The stock had previously closed at $65.89.

The bank reported $1.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.69 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $70.55 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.93 million. First Financial Corporation Indiana had a return on equity of 12.70% and a net margin of 21.70%.

First Financial Corporation Indiana Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were given a $0.56 dividend. This is a boost from First Financial Corporation Indiana’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 2nd. First Financial Corporation Indiana’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on THFF shares. Zacks Research cut shares of First Financial Corporation Indiana from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 19th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of First Financial Corporation Indiana in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered First Financial Corporation Indiana from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on First Financial Corporation Indiana from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $60.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Financial Corporation Indiana

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Comerica Bank raised its holdings in shares of First Financial Corporation Indiana by 20.9% in the 4th quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 5,057 shares of the bank’s stock worth $306,000 after purchasing an additional 873 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in First Financial Corporation Indiana by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 825,465 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $49,875,000 after buying an additional 30,481 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System purchased a new position in First Financial Corporation Indiana in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $203,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lifted its position in First Financial Corporation Indiana by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 18,618 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,125,000 after buying an additional 1,728 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC grew its stake in First Financial Corporation Indiana by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 13,855 shares of the bank’s stock worth $837,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the period. 72.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Financial Corporation Indiana Trading Up 1.2%

The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $62.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $58.19. The company has a market capitalization of $790.28 million, a PE ratio of 10.69 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

About First Financial Corporation Indiana

First Financial Corporation Indiana is a bank holding company headquartered in Terre Haute, Indiana, that offers a full suite of financial services to individuals and businesses. Through its subsidiary, First Financial Bank, the company provides traditional banking products including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and cash management solutions. It also offers consumer and commercial lending services ranging from residential mortgages and home equity lines of credit to working capital loans and equipment financing.

The company’s service offerings extend beyond core banking to include wealth management and trust services, retirement planning, and brokerage solutions.