First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF) Stock Position Increased by O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC

by · The Markets Daily

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF – Free Report) by 2.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 51,469 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 1,104 shares during the quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC owned 0.44% of First Financial worth $2,377,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of THFF. Versant Capital Management Inc bought a new position in shares of First Financial during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in First Financial by 0.6% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 97,608 shares of the bank’s stock worth $4,280,000 after buying an additional 569 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in First Financial during the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000. Legato Capital Management LLC grew its position in First Financial by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Legato Capital Management LLC now owns 26,447 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,222,000 after buying an additional 904 shares during the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of First Financial in the fourth quarter valued at $73,000. 72.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on THFF shares. Janney Montgomery Scott raised First Financial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $58.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Raymond James upgraded First Financial from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $54.00 price target for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a “market perform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective (up previously from $52.00) on shares of First Financial in a report on Thursday, February 6th.

Read Our Latest Analysis on First Financial

Insider Buying and Selling at First Financial

In related news, insider Mark Allen Franklin purchased 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $52.53 per share, for a total transaction of $57,783.00. Following the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 9,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $517,157.85. The trade was a 12.58 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director James O. Mcdonald acquired 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $48.99 per share, with a total value of $48,990.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 9,462 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $463,543.38. This represents a 11.82 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have purchased 2,195 shares of company stock worth $111,625. 3.69% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

First Financial Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:THFF opened at $45.06 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $534.10 million, a P/E ratio of 11.27 and a beta of 0.49. The company’s fifty day moving average is $50.11 and its two-hundred day moving average is $47.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. First Financial Co. has a 12-month low of $34.58 and a 12-month high of $53.60.

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The bank reported $1.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.08. First Financial had a return on equity of 8.77% and a net margin of 15.37%. Equities analysts expect that First Financial Co. will post 5.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

First Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.53%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. First Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 51.00%.

About First Financial

(Free Report)

First Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides various financial services. The company offers non-interest-bearing demand, interest-bearing demand, savings, time, and other time deposits. It also provides commercial loans primarily to expand a business or finance asset purchases; residential real estate and residential real estate construction loans; and home equity loans and lines, secured loans, and cash/CD secured and unsecured loans.

See Also