For the quarter ended December 2024, First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) reported revenue of $225.53 million, up 11.4% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.71, compared to $0.62 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +5.04% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $214.7 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.65, the EPS surprise was +9.23%.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how First Financial performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Net Interest Margin: 3.9% compared to the 3.9% average estimate based on two analysts.
• Efficiency Ratio: 66% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 58.7%.
• Total Noninterest Income: $69.85 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $63.55 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for First Financial here>>>

Shares of First Financial have returned +2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.

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