First Financial's chief lending officer sells $56,881 in stock

Franklin Mark Allen, the Chief Lending Officer of First Financial (NYSE:SSB) Corp (NASDAQ:THFF), a $614 million regional bank trading near its 52-week high of $53.60, recently executed a series of stock transactions involving the company's shares. On February 12, 2025, Allen acquired 1,100 shares at a price of $52.53 each, amounting to a total purchase value of $57,783. On the same day, he sold an equivalent number of shares at $51.71 each, totaling $56,881 in sales.

These transactions left Allen with a balance of 8,745 shares in the company. According to the accompanying footnote, the sale was matchable under Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, implying no profit was realized from these transactions after accounting for transaction costs. The company, which has maintained dividend payments for 43 consecutive years and trades at a P/E ratio of 13, appears slightly undervalued according to InvestingPro analysis, which offers 7 additional investment insights for subscribers.

In other recent news, First Financial Corp . has been in the spotlight with several significant developments. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods maintained their Market Perform rating on the company, acknowledging a recent 13% hike in the quarterly dividend to $0.51 per share. The firm commended First Financial's commitment to growing its dividend and enhancing shareholder returns, including a shift to a quarterly dividend schedule from a semi-annual one.

On a similar note, Raymond (NSE:RYMD) James upgraded First Financial from Market Perform to Outperform, setting a new price target of $54.00. The firm noted that the company's shares were trading at a significant discount, which they deemed unwarranted considering the company's merits.

Raymond James highlighted First Financial's strategic expansions and effective capital management as reasons for their upgraded rating. The company has completed three acquisitions in the past five years and has seen growth in its net interest income. Additionally, First Financial's ongoing capital rightsizing efforts, including a 10% share repurchase authorization, were recognized. These are the recent developments in First Financial Corp.

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