First Financial Bank: how it compares with its peers
Against 49 AL banks with half to twice its assets, First Financial Bank's strongest measure in Q2 2026 is net interest margin (3.93% vs. a 4.14% peer median). Its weakest relative measure is assets per employee ($3.3M vs. $5.9M).
| Measure | First Financial Bank | Peer median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on assets Annualized net income over average assets. | 1.06% | 1.15% | Bottom third Ahead of 33% of peers |
| Net interest margin Annualized net interest income over earning assets. | 3.93% | 4.14% | Middle third Ahead of 45% of peers |
| Efficiency ratio Noninterest expense per dollar of revenue. Lower is better. | 77.28% | 64.53% | Bottom third Ahead of 10% of peers |
| Assets per employee Total assets over full-time-equivalent staff. | $3.3M | $5.9M | Bottom third Ahead of 4% of peers |
| Loans to deposits Net loans and leases over total deposits. | 55.56% | 67.75% | Context |
What it means for lending operations
Its efficiency ratio of 77.28% is above the 64.53% peer median: it spends more to earn each dollar of revenue than most banks its size. Staff time on manual borrower verification (collecting pay stubs, bank statements, and employment letters, then re-keying them) is one of the larger controllable costs behind that number.
Banks closest in size
- First Bank of Boaz Boaz, AL · $240M
- The First National Bank and Trust Atmore, AL · $239M
- Liberty Bank Geraldine, AL · $259M
- The Citizens Bank Enterprise, AL · $233M
- Community Spirit Bank Red Bay, AL · $229M
- BankSouth Dothan, AL · $221M
Questions about First Financial Bank
How big is First Financial Bank?
First Financial Bank, established in 1965, is headquartered in Bessemer, AL. It reported $248M in total assets in its Q2 2026 FDIC call report and operates 8 offices.
What is First Financial Bank's return on assets?
1.06% annualized in Q2 2026, against a 1.15% median for 49 AL banks with half to twice its assets, ahead of 33% of them.
What is First Financial Bank's efficiency ratio?
77.28% in Q2 2026: it spent about 77 cents in noninterest expense for each dollar of revenue. The peer median is 64.53%, and lower is better.
Is First Financial Bank growing its loans?
Net loans grew 14.2% over the year to Q2 2026, while deposits grew 0.0%.
Sources and method
Figures are from the FDIC’s public call report data for the quarter ending 06/30/2026, via FDIC BankFind. Return on assets and net interest margin are annualized year to date. Peers are AL banks with half to twice its assets in the same quarter, excluding this bank. The page refreshes daily, so new quarters appear as banks file. Compare another bank or see every Alabama bank ranked.