First Financial Bancorp. (FFBC) Soars to 52-Week High, Time to Cash Out?

First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) is highlighted after setting a new 52-week high of $33.5 in the previous session. The article says the stock has risen 8.6% over the past month and gained 33.9% since the start of the year, compared with the Zacks Finance sector (+3.2%) and the Zacks Banks - Midwest industry (+6.9%). The strength is tied to four straight quarters of beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate. In its latest earnings report on April 28, 2026, First Financial reported EPS of $0.77 versus $0.70 expected, and revenue results that beat consensus by 5.09%. For the current fiscal year, analysts project EPS of $3.2 on $1.08 in revenues, and for the next fiscal year, $3.38 on $1.12. Valuation metrics cited show the stock trading at 10.5X current-year EPS estimates. The company carries a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) based on rising earnings estimates.