First Financial Bank: how it compares with its peers
Against 94 U.S. banks with half to twice its assets, First Financial Bank's strongest measure in Q2 2026 is net interest margin (4.20% vs. a 3.64% peer median). Its weakest relative measure is assets per employee ($9.4M vs. $12.1M).
| Measure | First Financial Bank | Peer median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on assets Annualized net income over average assets. | 1.56% | 1.22% | Top third Ahead of 76% of peers |
| Net interest margin Annualized net interest income over earning assets. | 4.20% | 3.64% | Top third Ahead of 82% of peers |
| Efficiency ratio Noninterest expense per dollar of revenue. Lower is better. | 55.19% | 55.14% | Middle third Ahead of 49% of peers |
| Assets per employee Total assets over full-time-equivalent staff. | $9.4M | $12.1M | Bottom third Ahead of 31% of peers |
| Loans to deposits Net loans and leases over total deposits. | 76.28% | 85.89% | Context |
What it means for lending operations
Its efficiency ratio of 55.19% is above the 55.14% 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
- Beacon Bank and Trust Boston, MA · $22.20B
- State Bank of India New York, NY · $22.51B
- Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB Wilmington, DE · $22.57B
- TowneBank Portsmouth, VA · $22.62B
- OceanFirst Bank, National Association Toms River, NJ · $23.17B
- Optum Bank, Inc. Draper, UT · $21.43B
Questions about First Financial Bank
How big is First Financial Bank?
First Financial Bank, established in 1863, is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH. It reported $22.35B in total assets in its Q2 2026 FDIC call report and operates 166 offices.
What is First Financial Bank's return on assets?
1.56% annualized in Q2 2026, against a 1.22% median for 94 U.S. banks with half to twice its assets, ahead of 76% of them.
What is First Financial Bank's efficiency ratio?
55.19% in Q2 2026: it spent about 55 cents in noninterest expense for each dollar of revenue. The peer median is 55.14%, and lower is better.
Is First Financial Bank growing its loans?
Net loans grew 16.5% over the year to Q2 2026, while deposits grew 21.7%.
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 U.S. 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 Ohio bank ranked.