First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF) Declares $0.45 Quarterly Dividend

First Financial Co. (NASDAQ:THFF) announced a quarterly dividend on Monday, June 24th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 1st will be paid a dividend of 0.45 per share by the bank on Monday, July 15th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.06%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 1st.

First Financial has increased its dividend by an average of 13.7% annually over the last three years. First Financial has a payout ratio of 34.5% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect First Financial to earn $5.12 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.80 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 35.2%.

First Financial Trading Up 1.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ THFF traded up $0.43 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $35.58. 19,274 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 44,748. First Financial has a 52-week low of $31.74 and a 52-week high of $44.91. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $36.84 and a 200-day moving average price of $38.38. The company has a market capitalization of $420.20 million, a P/E ratio of 7.49 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 30th. The bank reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.99 by ($0.06). First Financial had a net margin of 20.16% and a return on equity of 11.04%. The company had revenue of $48.35 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $49.75 million. Equities research analysts expect that First Financial will post 4.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $43.00 target price (down from $45.00) on shares of First Financial in a report on Wednesday, May 1st.

First Financial Company Profile

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.