First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) Upgraded at StockNews.com

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) was upgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Wednesday.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on THFF. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $55.00 price target (up from $52.00) on shares of First Financial in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Janney Montgomery Scott raised shares of First Financial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $58.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, February 24th.

First Financial Stock Performance

NASDAQ THFF opened at $53.38 on Wednesday. First Financial has a 52-week low of $34.61 and a 52-week high of $53.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. The company has a market capitalization of $632.61 million, a P/E ratio of 13.35 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a fifty day moving average of $48.10 and a 200-day moving average of $48.33.

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $62.49 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $62.04 million. First Financial had a net margin of 15.37% and a return on equity of 8.77%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that First Financial will post 5.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Financial

In related news, Director James O. Mcdonald purchased 1,000 shares of First Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $48.99 per share, for a total transaction of $48,990.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,462 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $463,543.38. This represents a 11.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Over the last quarter, insiders have bought 1,708 shares of company stock worth $83,350. 3.69% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Financial

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in shares of First Financial during the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in First Financial in the fourth quarter worth about $73,000. US Bancorp DE grew its holdings in First Financial by 167.0% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,475 shares of the bank’s stock worth $121,000 after purchasing an additional 1,548 shares during the period. Ieq Capital LLC purchased a new stake in First Financial in the fourth quarter worth about $205,000. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in First Financial in the fourth quarter worth about $213,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.74% of the company’s stock.

First Financial Company Profile

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.