First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) Raised to Buy at Janney Montgomery Scott

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) was upgraded by investment analysts at Janney Montgomery Scott from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $58.00 price target on the bank’s stock. Janney Montgomery Scott’s target price suggests a potential upside of 15.56% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Raymond James upgraded shares of First Financial from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $54.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $55.00 price target (up previously from $52.00) on shares of First Financial in a research note on Thursday, February 6th.

First Financial Stock Performance

NASDAQ THFF opened at $50.19 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The company has a market capitalization of $592.64 million, a P/E ratio of 12.55 and a beta of 0.51. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $48.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $46.09. First Financial has a 12-month low of $34.58 and a 12-month high of $53.60.

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The bank reported $1.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.08. First Financial had a return on equity of 8.77% and a net margin of 15.37%. Analysts anticipate that First Financial will post 5.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at First Financial

In other news, insider Mark Allen Franklin bought 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $52.53 per share, with a total value of $57,783.00. Following the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 9,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $517,157.85. This trade represents a 12.58 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders purchased a total of 1,196 shares of company stock valued at $62,696 in the last quarter. Insiders own 3.69% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in First Financial by 8.8% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 24,719 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,142,000 after buying an additional 1,989 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP raised its holdings in First Financial by 31.8% during the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 34,399 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,589,000 after purchasing an additional 8,300 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in shares of First Financial by 17.5% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 34,122 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,576,000 after purchasing an additional 5,079 shares during the last quarter. Man Group plc increased its position in shares of First Financial by 9.2% during the fourth quarter. Man Group plc now owns 47,994 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,217,000 after buying an additional 4,057 shares during the period. Finally, Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP acquired a new position in First Financial in the fourth quarter valued at $261,000. Institutional investors own 72.74% of the company’s stock.

About First Financial

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.