Lazard Asset Management LLC Reduces Position in First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF)

Lazard Asset Management LLC cut its stake in shares of First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF) by 6.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,819 shares of the bank’s stock after selling 572 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in First Financial were worth $360,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in THFF. Kennedy Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in First Financial in the fourth quarter valued at $3,855,000. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of First Financial by 9.2% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 235,412 shares of the bank’s stock worth $10,874,000 after acquiring an additional 19,867 shares during the period. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL raised its position in shares of First Financial by 88.9% in the fourth quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 37,787 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,745,000 after acquiring an additional 17,782 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new position in shares of First Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $707,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of First Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $605,000. 72.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of First Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Janney Montgomery Scott upgraded 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 report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a “market perform” rating and set a $55.00 price target (up previously from $52.00) on shares of First Financial in a research report on Thursday, February 6th.

First Financial Stock Down 1.0%

THFF opened at $51.04 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $604.88 million, a PE ratio of 12.76 and a beta of 0.41. 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 twelve month low of $34.61 and a twelve month high of $53.60. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $48.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $48.64.

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.26. The company 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%. Sell-side analysts expect that First Financial Co. will post 5.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

First Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st were issued a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.00%. First Financial’s payout ratio is 44.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Financial

In other First Financial news, Director James O. Mcdonald acquired 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $48.99 per share, for a total transaction of $48,990.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 9,462 shares in the company, valued at approximately $463,543.38. The trade was a 11.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In the last quarter, insiders acquired 1,708 shares of company stock worth $83,350. Insiders own 5.01% of the company’s stock.

First Financial 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.