First Financial announces $208M Finward acquisition, reports record Q2 EPS of $0.80

Filed July 27, 2026 · Period ending July 27, 2026 · ~1 min read

Key Changes

• high

  Acquiring Finward Bancorp for $208M in stock (1.35x exchange ratio, ~5.9M shares), adding $2.0B in assets and 24 branches in Chicago/Northwest Indiana; deal priced at 1.4x tangible book, expected 5.0% EPS accretive with 0.6-year earnback, closing by year-end.

  Exhibit 99.1 view on EDGAR →
• high

  Q2 2026 adjusted EPS of $0.80 (highest in company history) on net income of $83.9M; adjusted ROAA 1.50%, adjusted ROTCE 19.70%.

  Exhibit 99.1 view on EDGAR →
• medium

  Board raised quarterly dividend 4.0% to $0.26 per share, payable in Q3 2026; dividend yield 3.0% as of June 30.

  Exhibit 99.1 view on EDGAR →