FIRST FINL CORP IND.

Shareholders of First Financial Corp elected five people to three-year terms on the board of directors and ratified Crowe LLP as the independent auditor for fiscal 2026. In a non-binding vote they also approved executive compensation for 2025. The company reported operating earnings of $1.83 per share for 2025, completed the acquisition of CedarStone Financial and will pay a quarterly dividend of $0.56 per share on April 15, 2026; the stock traded near its 52-week high. » Más en de.investing.com

First Financial completed the announced, all-stock acquisition of BankFinancial effective January 1, 2026. The transaction adds 18 retail financial centers in Chicago and increases the consolidated balance sheet to about $22 billion. The switch to shared products and systems is expected to be completed by June 2026 and strengthens First Financial's commercial lending, leasing and deposit businesses. » Más en de.investing.com

First Financial is buying CedarStone for $19.12 per share in cash, totaling $25 million, and plans to integrate the three branches in Lebanon, Mount Juliet and Nashville. The consolidated balance sheet is expected to rise from about $5.7 billion to $6.1 billion; CedarStone currently reports roughly $358 million in assets. The transaction still requires approval from regulators and CedarStone shareholders and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026. First Financial recently reported strong quarterly growth (EPS $1.75) and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.51. » Más en de.investing.com