Wall Street analysts forecast that First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) will report quarterly earnings of $0.65 per share in its upcoming release, pointing to a year-over-year increase of 4.8%. It is anticipated that revenues will amount to $214.7 million, exhibiting an increase of 6.1% compared to the year-ago quarter.

The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. This reflects how the analysts covering the stock have collectively reevaluated their initial estimates during this timeframe.

Prior to a company's earnings announcement, it is crucial to consider revisions to earnings estimates. This serves as a significant indicator for predicting potential investor actions regarding the stock. Empirical research has consistently demonstrated a robust correlation between trends in earnings estimate revision and the short-term price performance of a stock.

While investors typically use consensus earnings and revenue estimates as a yardstick to evaluate the company's quarterly performance, scrutinizing analysts' projections for some of the company's key metrics can offer a more comprehensive perspective.

With that in mind, let's delve into the average projections of some First Financial metrics that are commonly tracked and projected by analysts on Wall Street.

Analysts expect 'Net Interest Margin' to come in at 3.9%. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 4.2% in the same quarter of the previous year.

The consensus among analysts is that 'Efficiency Ratio' will reach 58.7%. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of 59.3%.

The average prediction of analysts places 'Total Noninterest Income' at $63.55 million. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of $46.99 million.

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

Over the past month, shares of First Financial have returned +2.3% versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.4% change. Currently, FFBC carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), suggesting that it may outperform the overall market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>

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