# First Financial Bancorp Q3 2026 Earnings

> First Financial Bancorp reports record quarterly earnings with highest per-share earnings in company history.
- Title: First Financial Bancorp Q3 2026 Earnings · The Motley Fool
- Summary: First Financial Bancorp reports record quarterly earnings with highest per-share earnings in company history. First Financial Bancorp reported record…
- Keywords: first financial bancorp, ffbc, q3 2026, earnings call, adjusted net income, adjusted eps, net interest margin, fee revenue, loan growth, tangible book value, finance, money
- Source: The Motley Fool — https://fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/10/28/first-financial-bancorp-ffbc-q3-2026-earnings-call-transcript
- Author: Motley Fool Transcribing
- Published: 2026-10-28T16:44:26+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: first financial bancorp, ffbc, q3 2026, earnings call, adjusted net income, adjusted eps, net interest margin, fee revenue, loan growth, tangible book value, finance, money
## Q3 2026 Results
First Financial Bancorp reported record quarterly results with adjusted net income of $87.8 million and adjusted EPS of $0.84.
## Record EPS Growth
Adjusted EPS grew 11% year over year to $0.84, the highest per-share earnings in the company's history.
## Net Interest Margin
FTE Net Interest Margin increased to 4.07%, up 9 basis points from the linked quarter.
## Fee Revenue Growth
Adjusted Fee Revenue reached a record $77.6 million, accounting for 28% of total revenue.
## Loan Balance Growth
Loan balances increased $170.2 million, or 4.9% on an annualized basis.
## C&I Portfolio Growth
C&I Portfolio Growth reached $106.0 million, reflecting broad-based expansion across major metropolitan markets.
## Deposit Growth
Average Deposit Growth reached $52.4 million, or 1.2% on an annualized basis.
## Foreign Exchange Income
Foreign Exchange Income reached $17.5 million, representing 33.5% growth from the linked quarter.
## Leasing Business
Leasing Business Income reached $23.0 million, remaining a substantial component of diversified fee income.
## Adjusted ROA
Adjusted ROA reached 1.56%, reflecting efficient asset utilization and strong core earnings.
## Adjusted ROTCE
Adjusted ROTCE reached 20.2%, demonstrating the company's ability to generate high returns on tangible equity.
## Adjusted Efficiency Ratio
Adjusted Efficiency Ratio reached 57.3%, slightly elevated due to incentive costs tied to record revenue.
## Classified Assets Ratio
Classified Assets Ratio increased to 1.26% from 1.01% in the prior quarter due to a single ICRE relationship downgrade.
## Provision for Credit Losses
Provision for Credit Losses was $8.9 million, primarily driven by loan growth and net charge-offs.
## Tangible Book Value
Tangible Book Value Per Share decreased to $15.65, down 6% from the linked quarter due to unrealized losses.
## Q4 Guidance
Q4 Net Interest Margin Guidance is 4.08% to 4.12% assuming a December rate hike and declining loan prepayment accretion.
## Key takeaway

First Financial Bancorp reported record quarterly results with adjusted net income of $87.8 million and adjusted EPS of $0.84, the highest per-share earnings in the company's history.