EXHIBIT 13

2019 Annual Report TRANSFORMING OUR BUSINES

2019 Annual Report TRANSFORMING OUR BUSINESS first First Financial Bancorp

CONSECUTIVE Net Income $198.1 QUARTERS OF (dollars in millions) $172.6 117 PROFITABILITY $96.8 $88.5 $75.1 YEARS OF STRENGTH & STABILITY 156 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 $9.2 $10.2 $14.5 Total Loans Total Deposits $10.1 Total Assets (dollars in billions) $8.8 (dollars in billions) (dollars in billions) $14.0 $6.0 $6.9 $5.8 $6.5 $6.2 $8.9 $5.4 $8.4 $8.1 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 $2.00 1.39% Earnings Per Share Return On Assets 1.37% Return On Equity 10.78% $1.93 10.48% 9.85% 9.33% 9.11% 1.12% $1.56 1.07% $1.43 1.00% $1.21 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Dear Fellow Shareholders, The past year was transformational for First Financial Bancorp. With the completion of the MainSource merger in 2018, First Financial emerged as a $10+ billion company, “ raising our profile within the industry and assuming new we must be in the right responsibilities to shareholders, regulators, and the clients and communities we serve. place at the right time Transformation is never simple. It presents challenges to our with the right advice people, processes, and the products and services we offer. and solutions to help I’m pleased to report that we rose to the challenge and emerged as a stronger bank, better positioned to compete, our clients innovate, and win. 2019 Highlights in technology, and in the social, economic, and political conditions that impact our key stakeholders. First Financial’s 2019 achievements are evidenced by important developments internally, in the services we offer, We must be in the right place at the right time with the and in the ways with which we engage our clients: right advice and solutions to help our clients along their financial journeys. This means understanding the needs of The roll out of our Corporate Strategic Plan, setting clear our clients on an instinctive level. We will immerse ourselves direction for our planning efforts and aligning our people into client segments, working to understand the economic, with the core tenets of our business social, and psychographic nuances of Low and Moderate Investments in key talent, adding high-quality associates in Income, Mass Affluent, and High Net Worth individuals and strategic roles to drive innovation and growth families. Similarly, we continue to develop specialized skills in understanding the specific needs of Corporate, Middle Market, The formation of our Digital Solutions Group, the creation Commercial, and Small Business clients, responding to - and of a three-year digital roadmap, and the rollout of new ultimately anticipating - needs in ways that keep businesses technologies that enable improved online business and moving forward on their journeys. We will take the concept retail mortgage lending capabilities of an advisor to an entirely new level, leveraging data to better understand needs and trends, removing friction, and The acquisition of Bannockburn Global Forex, adding making the First Financial banking experience easier and foreign currency hedging, advising, and trading capabilities more pleasing than any financial relationship our clients have to our specialty services offerings ever had. The opening of our 4th & Vine Innovation Center in Client centric. Ready to engage. Delivering expert advice and Cincinnati, providing a new distribution approach for solutions. This is where we’re going in 2020. This is the next banking services, innovation, and financial wellness stage in First Financial Bank’s transformation. The renovation of our Greensburg Operations Center and Thank you for your continued support. our commitment of $500,000 in support of the capital campaign to expand the Greensburg, IN YMCA with a Decatur County Memorial Hospital wellness facility A $1 million donation to the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator to help continue the development of sizable minority businesses in the Greater Cincinnati area Financially, 2019 was another successful year for First Financial. The year was highlighted by record earnings, top- quartile returns, and shareholder-focused capital actions despite headwinds from Fed rate cuts, legislatively mandated reductions in interchange revenue, and increased credit costs. This success is a direct reflection of the resolve and dedication of our associates, who continue to deliver unparalleled service to our clients and return to our shareholders. What’s Ahead In 2020 With a strong foundation firmly established, we move forward in 2020 with specific execution plans that continue our transformation. We will adapt to changes in our markets, Archie M. Brown President & Chief Executive Officer

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 1

Leadership Senior Management Archie M. Brown John M. Gavigan Amanda N. Neeley President and Chief Executive Officer Chief Operating Officer Chief Strategy Officer James M. Anderson William R. Harrod James R. Shank Chief Financial Officer Chief Credit Officer Chief Internal Auditor Scott T. Crawley Andrew K. Hauck Karen B. Woods Corporate Controller and Chief Commercial Banking Officer General Counsel and Principal Accounting Officer Chief Risk Officer Catherine M. Myers Richard S. Dennen Chief Consumer Banking Officer President, Oak Street Funding Board of Directors Claude E. Davis Erin P. Hoeflinger Board Chair, First Financial Bancorp Senior Vice President, Business Strategy and Execution Managing Director Aetna Brixey and Meyer Capital Susan L. Knust J. Wickliffe Ach Owner and President Lead Independent Director Omega Warehouse Services Board of Directors of First Financial Bancorp William J. Kramer Kathleen L. Bardwell Vice President of Operations Senior Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer Valco Companies, Inc. STERIS Corporation John T. Neighbours William G. Barron General Counsel Chairman and President AmeriQual Group Holdings William G. Barron Enterprises Thomas M. O’Brien Vincent A. Berta Senior Advisor President and Managing Director Boston Consulting Group Covington Capital, LLC Richard E. Olszewski Cynthia O. Booth Owner/Operator President and Chief Executive Officer 7 Eleven Food Stores COBCO Enterprises, LLC Maribeth S. Rahe Archie M. Brown President and Chief Executive Officer President and Chief Executive Officer Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc. First Financial Bancorp and First Financial Bank Corinne R. Finnerty Principal McConnell Finnerty PC

2 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	2019			2018			% Change
Earnings
Net interest income	$	484,254		$	449,235		7.8	%
Net income	198,075			172,595			14.8	%
Per Share
Net income per common share-basic	$	2.01		$	1.95		3.1	%
Net income per common share-diluted	2.00			1.93			3.6	%
Cash dividends declared per common share	0.90			0.78			15.4	%
Tangible book value per common share (end of year)	12.42			11.72			6.0	%
Market price (end of year)	25.44			23.72			7.3	%
Balance Sheet - End of Year
Total assets	$	14,511,625		$	13,986,660		3.8	%
Loans	9,201,665			8,824,214			4.3	%
Investment securities	3,119,966			3,324,243			(6.1	)%
Deposits	10,210,229			10,140,394			0.7	%
Shareholders' equity	2,247,705			2,078,249			8.2	%
Ratios
Return on average assets	1.39		%	1.37		%
Return on average shareholders' equity	9.11		%	9.85		%
Return on average tangible shareholders' equity	16.32		%	17.32		%
Net interest margin	3.95		%	4.05		%
Net interest margin (fully tax equivalent)	4.00		%	4.10		%

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 3

2019 Financial Highlights

4 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

First Financial Bancorp has identified the following list of abbreviations and acronyms that are used in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and the Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

ABL	Asset based lending	FHLMC	Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
ACL	Allowance for credit losses	First Financial	First Financial Bancorp.
the Act	Private Securities Litigation Reform Act	FNMA	Federal National Mortgage Association
AFS	Available-for-sale	Form 10-K	First Financial Bancorp. Annual Report on Form 10-K
ALLL	Allowance for loan and lease losses	FRB	Federal Reserve Bank
AOCI	Accumulated other comprehensive income	GAAP	U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
ASC	Accounting standards codification	GDP	Gross Domestic Product
ASU	Accounting standards update	GNMA	Government National Mortgage Association
ATM	Automated teller machine	HTM	Held-to-maturity
Bank	First Financial Bank	Insignificant	Less than $0.1 million
Basel III	Basel Committee regulatory capital reforms, Third Basel Accord	IRLC	Interest Rate Lock Commitment
BGF or Bannockburn	Bannockburn Global Forex, LLC	MBSs	Mortgage-backed securities
Bp/bps	Basis point(s)	MSFG	MainSource Financial Group, Inc.
BOLI	Bank owned life insurance	N/A	Not applicable
CDs	Certificates of deposit	NII	Net interest income
CECL	Current Expected Credit Loss	N/M	Not meaningful
C&I	Commercial & industrial	Oak Street	Oak Street Holdings Corporation
CLOs	Collateralized loan obligations	ODFI	Ohio Department of Financial Institutions
CMOs	Collateralized mortgage obligations	OREO	Other real estate owned
CRE	Commercial real estate	PCA	Prompt corrective action
Company	First Financial Bancorp.	ROU	Right-of-use
ERM	Enterprise Risk Management	SEC	United States Securities and Exchange Commission
EVE	Economic value of equity	Topic 842	FASB ASC Topic 842, Leasing
Fair Value Topic	FASB ASC Topic 825, Financial Instruments	Special Assets	Special Assets Division
FASB	Financial Accounting Standards Board	TDR	Troubled debt restructuring
FDIC	Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	USD	United States dollars
FHLB	Federal Home Loan Bank

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 5

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Table 1 • Financial Summary
	December 31,
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	2019			2018			2017			2016			2015
Summary of operations
Interest income	$	607,578		$	540,382		$	333,073		$	305,950		$	269,759
Tax equivalent adjustment (1)	6,328			5,147			5,259			4,215			4,017
Interest income tax – equivalent (1)	613,906			545,529			338,332			310,165			273,776
Interest expense	123,324			91,147			49,528			33,279			23,257
Net interest income tax – equivalent (1)	$	490,582		$	454,382		$	288,804		$	276,886		$	250,519
Interest income	$	607,578		$	540,382		$	333,073		$	305,950		$	269,759
Interest expense	123,324			91,147			49,528			33,279			23,257
Net interest income	484,254			449,235			283,545			272,671			246,502
Provision for loan and lease losses	30,598			14,586			3,582			10,140			9,641
Noninterest income	131,373			103,382			76,142			69,601			75,202
Noninterest expenses	342,167			323,810			239,942			201,401			201,130
Income before income taxes	242,862			214,221			116,163			130,731			110,933
Income tax expense	44,787			41,626			19,376			42,205			35,870
Net income	$	198,075		$	172,595		$	96,787		$	88,526		$	75,063
Per share data
Earnings per common share
Basic	$	2.01		$	1.95		$	1.57		$	1.45		$	1.23
Diluted	$	2.00		$	1.93		$	1.56		$	1.43		$	1.21
Cash dividends declared per common share	$	0.90		$	0.78		$	0.68		$	0.64		$	0.64
Average common shares outstanding–basic (in thousands)	98,306			88,582			61,529			61,206			61,063
Average common shares outstanding–diluted (in thousands)	98,851			89,614			62,172			61,985			61,848
Selected year-end balances
Total assets	$	14,511,625		$	13,986,660		$	8,896,923		$	8,437,967		$	8,147,411
Earning assets	12,392,259			12,190,567			8,117,115			7,719,285			7,431,707
Investment securities	3,119,966			3,324,243			2,056,556			1,854,201			1,970,626
Total loans and leases	9,201,665			8,824,214			6,013,183			5,757,482			5,388,760
Interest-bearing demand deposits	2,364,881			2,307,071			1,453,463			1,513,771			1,414,291
Savings deposits	2,960,979			3,167,325			2,462,420			2,142,189			1,945,805
Time deposits	2,240,441			2,173,564			1,317,105			1,321,843			1,406,124
Noninterest-bearing demand deposits	2,643,928			2,492,434			1,662,058			1,547,985			1,413,404
Total deposits	10,210,229			10,140,394			6,895,046			6,525,788			6,179,624
Short-term borrowings	1,316,181			1,040,691			814,565			807,912			938,425
Long-term debt	414,376			570,739			119,654			119,589			119,540
Shareholders’ equity	2,247,705			2,078,249			930,664			865,224			809,376
Select Financial Ratios
Average loans to average deposits (2)	88.59		%	87.49		%	88.12		%	89.33		%	84.00		%
Net charge-offs to average loans and leases	0.33		%	0.15		%	0.13		%	0.10		%	0.18		%
Average shareholders’ equity to average total assets	15.30		%	13.89		%	10.42		%	10.24		%	10.73		%
Return on average assets	1.39		%	1.37		%	1.12		%	1.07		%	1.00		%
Return on average equity	9.11		%	9.85		%	10.78		%	10.48		%	9.33		%
Net interest margin	3.95		%	4.05		%	3.59		%	3.62		%	3.60		%
Net interest margin (tax equivalent basis) (1)	4.00		%	4.10		%	3.66		%	3.68		%	3.66		%
Dividend payout	44.78		%	40.00		%	43.31		%	44.14		%	52.03		%

⁽¹⁾ Tax equivalent basis was calculated using a 21.00% tax rate for 2019 and 2018 and a 35.00% tax rate for 2017, 2016 and 2015.

⁽²⁾ Includes loans held for sale.

6 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

This annual report contains forward-looking statements. See the Forward-Looking Statements section that follows for further information on the risks and uncertainties associated with forward-looking statements.

The following discussion and analysis is presented by management to facilitate the understanding of the financial position and results of operations of First Financial Bancorp. Management's discussion and analysis identifies trends and material changes that occurred during the reporting periods presented and should be read in conjunction with the Statistical Data, Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying Notes.

Certain reclassifications of prior years' amounts have been made to conform to current year presentation. Such reclassifications had no effect on net earnings, total assets, liabilities and shareholders' equity.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

First Financial Bancorp. is a $14.5 billion financial holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, which operates through its subsidiaries primarily in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois. These subsidiaries include First Financial Bank, an

Ohio-chartered commercial bank, which operated 145 full service banking centers as of December 31, 2019. First Financial

provides banking and financial services products to business and retail clients through its six lines of business: Commercial,

Retail Banking, Mortgage Banking, Wealth Management, Investment Commercial Real Estate and Commercial Finance.

Commercial Finance provides equipment and leasehold improvement financing for franchisees in the quick service and casual

dining restaurant sector and commission-based financing, primarily to insurance agents and brokers, throughout the United

States. Wealth Management had $2.9 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2019 and provides the following

services: financial planning, investment management, trust administration, estate settlement, brokerage services and retirement planning.

Additional information about the Company, including its products, services and banking locations, is available at www.bankatfirst.com.

The major components of First Financial’s operating results for the previous five years are summarized in Table 1 – Financial Summary and are discussed in greater detail in the sections that follow.

MARKET STRATEGY

First Financial aims to develop a competitive advantage by utilizing a local market focus to provide superior service and build

long-term relationships with clients while helping them achieve greater financial success. First Financial serves a combination

of metropolitan and community markets in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois through its full-service banking centers, and

provides financing to franchise owners and clients within the financial services industry throughout the United States. First

Financial’s market selection process includes a number of factors, but markets are primarily chosen for their potential for

growth and long-term profitability. First Financial intends to concentrate plans for future growth and capital investment within

its current metropolitan markets, and will continue to evaluate additional growth opportunities in metropolitan markets located

within, or in close proximity to, the Company's current geographic footprint. Additionally, First Financial may assess strategic acquisitions that provide product line extensions or additional industry verticals that compliment its existing business and diversify its product suite and revenue streams. First Financial's investment in community markets remains an important part of the Bank's core funding base and has historically provided stable, low-cost funding sources.

BUSINESS COMBINATIONS

In August 2019, the Company acquired Bannockburn Global Forex, LLC, an industry-leading capital markets firm. The

Cincinnati-based company provides transactional currency payments, foreign exchange hedging and other advisory products to

closely held enterprises, financial sponsors and financial institutions across the United States. Bannockburn became a division of the Bank and continues to operate as Bannockburn Global Forex, taking advantage of its existing brand recognition within the foreign exchange industry. The total purchase consideration was $114.6 million, consisting of $53.7 million in cash and $60.9 million of First Financial common stock. The transaction resulted in First Financial recording $58.0 million of goodwill on the Consolidated Balance Sheet, which reflects the business’s high growth potential and the expectation that the acquisition will provide additional revenue growth and diversification. The goodwill is deductible for income tax purposes as the transaction is considered a taxable exchange.

In April 2018, First Financial completed its acquisition of MainSource Financial Group, Inc. and its banking subsidiary,

MainSource Bank. The merger positioned the combined company to better serve the complementary geographies of Ohio,

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 7

Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois by creating a higher performing bank with greater scale and capabilities. Under the terms of the

merger agreement, shareholders of MSFG received 1.3875 common shares of First Financial common stock for each share of MSFG common stock. Including outstanding options and warrants on MSFG common stock, total purchase consideration was $1.1 billion. In the merger, First Financial acquired $4.4 billion of total assets, $2.8 billion of loans and $3.3 billion of deposits, which resulted in goodwill of $675.6 million.

The BGF and MSFG transactions were accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting. Accordingly, assets acquired, liabilities assumed and consideration exchanged were recorded at estimated fair value on the acquisition date, in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations.

See Note 23 – Business Combinations in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, for further discussion of these transactions.

OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS

Net income for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $198.1 million, resulting in earnings per diluted common share of $2.00. This compares to net income of $172.6 million and earnings per diluted common share of $1.93 in 2018. First Financial’s return on average shareholders’ equity for 2019 was 9.11%, compared to 9.85% for 2018, and First Financial’s return on average assets was 1.39% and 1.37% for 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Net interest income in 2019 increased $35.0 million, or 7.8%, from 2018, to $484.3 million, primarily driven by higher average earning asset balances subsequent to the MSFG merger as well as higher yields earned on the investment and loan portfolios. The net interest margin on a fully tax equivalent basis was 4.00% for 2019 compared to 4.10% in 2018 as rising interest costs outpaced interest income growth.

Noninterest income increased $28.0 million, or 27.1%, during 2019 to $131.4 million from $103.4 million in 2018. The increase in 2019 was driven primarily by the full year impact of the MSFG merger, an increase in client derivative fees and the BGF acquisition in August of 2019.

Noninterest expense increased $18.4 million, or 5.7%, from $323.8 million in 2018 to $342.2 million in 2019. This increase was impacted by the larger scale created by the MSFG merger as well as the BGF acquisition.

Income tax expense increased $3.2 million, or 7.6%, to $44.8 million in 2019 from $41.6 million in 2018, with the effective tax rate decreasing to 18.4% in 2019 from 19.4% in 2018. The lower effective tax rate in 2019 was primarily related to the recognition of a historic tax credit investment during the period.

Total loans increased $377.5 million, or 4.3%, to $9.2 billion at December 31, 2019 from $8.8 billion at December 31, 2018. Total deposits increased $69.8 million, or 0.7%, to $10.2 billion as of December 31, 2019 from $10.1 billion at December 31, 2018.

The ALLL was $57.7 million, or 0.63% of total loans at December 31, 2019, compared to $56.5 million, or 0.64% of total loans at December 31, 2018. Provision expense increased $16.0 million, or 109.8%, to $30.6 million in 2019 while classified assets declined $42.4 million, or 32.2%, during the year. The elevated provision expense was mainly attributed to $13.2 million of charge-offs related to a single franchise relationship.

First Financial’s operational results may be influenced by certain economic factors and conditions, such as market interest rates, industry competition, household and business spending levels, consumer confidence and the regulatory environment. For a more detailed discussion of the Company's operations, please refer to the sections that follow.

NET INCOME

2019 vs. 2018. First Financial’s net income increased $25.5 million, or 14.8%, to $198.1 million in 2019, compared to net income of $172.6 million in 2018. The increase was primarily related to a $35.0 million, or 7.8%, increase in net interest income, combined with a $28.0 million, or 27.1%, increase in noninterest income. These increases were partially offset by an $18.4 million, or 5.7%, increase in noninterest expenses and a $3.2 million, or 7.6%, increase in income tax expense during 2019.

2018 vs. 2017. First Financial’s net income increased $75.8 million, or 78.3%, to $172.6 million in 2018, compared to net

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 8

income of $96.8 million in 2017. The increase was primarily related to a $165.7 million, or 58.4%, increase in net interest

income, combined with a $27.2 million, or 35.8%, increase in noninterest income. These increases were partially offset by an

$83.9 million, or 35.0%, increase in noninterest expenses and a $22.3 million, or 114.8%, increase in income tax expense

during 2018.

For more detail, refer to the Net interest income, Noninterest income, Noninterest expenses and Income taxes sections that follow.

NET INTEREST INCOME

First Financial’s net interest income for the years 2015 through 2019 is shown in Table 1 – Financial Summary. First Financial’s principal source of income is net interest income, which is the excess of interest received from earning assets, including loan-related fees and purchase accounting accretion, less interest paid on interest-bearing liabilities. The amount of net interest income is determined by the volume and mix of earning assets, the rates earned on such assets and the volume, mix and rates paid for the deposits and borrowed money that support the earning assets. Earning assets consist of interest-bearing loans to customers as well as marketable investment securities.

For analytical purposes, net interest income is also presented in Table 1 – Financial Summary on a tax equivalent basis assuming a 21.00% marginal tax rate for 2018 and 2019 and a 35.00% marginal tax rate for years 2015 through 2017. Net interest income is presented on a tax equivalent basis to consistently reflect income from tax-exempt assets, such as municipal loans and investments, in order to facilitate a comparison between taxable and tax-exempt amounts.  Management believes it is a standard practice in the banking industry to present net interest margin and net interest income on a fully tax equivalent basis as these measures provide useful information to make peer comparisons. First Financial's tax equivalent net interest margin was 4.00%, 4.10% and 3.66% for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Table 2 – Volume/Rate Analysis - Tax Equivalent Basis describes the extent to which changes in interest rates as well as changes in the volume of earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities have affected First Financial’s net interest income on a tax equivalent basis during the years presented. Nonaccrual loans and loans held for sale were included in the average loan balances used to determine the yields in Table 2 – Volume/Rate Analysis - Tax Equivalent Basis, which should be read in conjunction with the Statistical Information table.

Loan fees included in the interest income computation for 2019, 2018 and 2017 were $15.9 million, $16.5 million and $13.9 million, respectively. Interest income also included purchase accounting accretion of $26.8 million, $25.5 million and $0.7 million for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

2019 vs. 2018. Net interest income increased $35.0 million, or 7.8%, from $449.2 million in 2018 to $484.3 million in 2019, primarily due to an increase in average earning assets and higher yields earned during 2019. Average earning assets increased from $11.1 billion in 2018 to $12.3 billion in 2019 primarily due to the full year impact of the MSFG merger and organic loan growth, while the tax equivalent yield on earning assets increased from 4.93% in 2018 to 5.00% in 2019.

Interest income was $607.6 million in 2019, increasing $67.2 million, or 12.4%, from 2018. The increase was primarily attributable to interest income from loans, which increased $51.8 million, or 11.6%, from $447.2 million in 2018 to $499.0 million in 2019. The increase in interest income on loans resulted from a merger driven increase in average loan balances, including loans held for sale, of $797.8 million, or 9.8%, the impact from purchase accounting accretion and higher loan yields. Additionally, interest income earned on investment securities increased $15.3 million, or 16.5%, during the period. Similar to interest on loans, higher interest income on investment securities was driven by a $391.7 million, or 13.5%, merger-related increase in average investment balances as well as higher yields earned during the period.

Interest expense was $123.3 million in 2019, which was a $32.2 million, or 35.3%, increase from 2018. Interest expense increased as the average balance of interest-bearing deposits increased $478.5 million, or 6.7%, primarily due to the full year impact of the MSFG merger in 2019 in addition to increased customer demand. Additionally, higher interest rates during the twelve month period contributed to the cost of funds related to these deposits increasing to 1.04% for 2019 from 0.80% in 2018. Interest expense was also impacted in 2019 by a $199.3 million, or 21.0%, increase in average Short-term borrowings and an $83.8 million, or 19.1%, increase in average Long-term borrowings.

2018 vs. 2017. Net interest income increased $165.7 million, or 58.4%, from $283.5 million in 2017 to $449.2 million in 2018,

primarily due to an increase in average earning assets and higher yields earned during 2018. Average earning assets increased

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 9

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

from $7.9 billion in 2017 to $11.1 billion in 2018, while the tax equivalent yield on earning assets increased from 4.29% in 2017 to 4.93% in 2018.

Interest income was $540.4 million in 2018, a $207.3 million, or 62.2%, increase from 2017. This increase was primarily

attributable to interest income from loans, which increased $167.1 million, or 59.6%, from $280.1 million in 2017 to $447.2

million in 2018 as well as a $36.0 million, or 63.8%, increase in interest income earned on investment securities during 2018. The increase in interest income on loans resulted from a merger driven increase in average loan balances, including loans held for sale, of $2.3 billion, or 39.4%, and the impact from purchase accounting accretion, in addition to higher loan yields resulting from rising interest rates. Similar to interest on loans, the increase in interest income on investment securities was driven by a $895.8 million, or 44.8%, merger related increase in average investment balances as well as higher yields earned during the period due to rising interest rates.

Interest expense was $91.1 million in 2018, which was a $41.6 million, or 84.0%, increase from 2017. Interest expense

increased as the average balance of interest-bearing deposits increased $2.0 billion, or 39.4%, primarily due to the MSFG merger. Additionally, rising interest rates during the twelve month period contributed to the cost of these deposits increasing to 80 bps for 2018 from 69 bps in 2017. Interest expense was also impacted in 2018 by an increase in short-term borrowing rates from 99 bps in 2017 to 1.90% in 2018 as a result of rising interest rates.

Table 2 • Volume/Rate Analysis - Tax Equivalent Basis (1)
	2019 change from 2018 due to							2018 change from 2017 due to
(Dollars in thousands)	Volume		Rate			Total		Volume		Rate			Total
Interest income
Loans (2)	$	44,638	$	7,257		$	51,895	$	126,901	$	39,681		$	166,582
Indemnification asset	0		0			0		0		3,871			3,871
Investment securities (3)
Taxable	7,846		3,246			11,092		21,278		7,230			28,508
Tax-exempt	5,831		(555		)	5,276		9,004		(1,112		)	7,892
Total investment securities interest (3)	13,677		2,691			16,368		30,282		6,118			36,400
Interest-bearing deposits with other banks	84		30			114		25		319			344
Total	58,399		9,978			68,377		157,208		49,989			207,197
Interest expense
Interest-bearing demand deposits	859		3,443			4,302		2,641		1,563			4,204
Savings deposits	261		3,072			3,333		3,488		(1,379		)	2,109
Time deposits	5,750		8,685			14,435		11,766		3,701			15,467
Short-term borrowings	4,386		2,816			7,202		2,228		7,612			9,840
Long-term debt	3,056		(151		)	2,905		11,703		(1,704		)	9,999
Total	14,312		17,865			32,177		31,826		9,793			41,619
Net interest income	$	44,087	$	(7,887	)	$	36,200	$	125,382	$	40,196		$	165,578

⁽¹⁾ Tax equivalent basis was calculated using a 21.00% tax rate for 2019 and 2018 and a 35.00% tax rate for 2017.

⁽²⁾ Includes nonaccrual loans and loans held-for-sale.

⁽³⁾ Includes HTM securities, AFS securities and other investments.

NONINTEREST INCOME AND NONINTEREST EXPENSES

Noninterest income and noninterest expenses for 2019, 2018 and 2017 are shown in Table 3 – Noninterest Income and Noninterest Expenses.

NONINTEREST INCOME

2019 vs. 2018. Noninterest income increased $28.0 million, or 27.1%, from $103.4 million in 2018 to $131.4 million in 2019. The increase was primarily related to an $8.8 million, or 144.6%, increase in Gain on sale of loans, an $8.0 million, or 103.9%,

10 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

increase in Client derivative fees and a $7.7 million increase in Foreign exchange income. These increases were partially offset by a $1.4 million, or 7.1% decrease in bankcard income.

Higher gain on sale of loans and client derivative fees were primarily driven by the full year impact of the MSFG merger and strong loan origination activity, while foreign exchange income was directly attributable to the BGF acquisition, which closed in August of 2019. The decline in bankcard income was due to the impact of the Durbin Amendment cap on interchange fees, which became applicable to First Financial in the third quarter of 2019.

2018 vs. 2017. Noninterest income increased $27.2 million, or 35.8%, from $76.1 million in 2017 to $103.4 million in 2018.

The increase was primarily related to a $15.3 million, or 77.5%, increase in service charges on deposits, a $6.9 million, or

52.2% increase in bankcard income, a $3.6 million, or 22.8%, increase in other noninterest income, a $1.3 million, or 19.7%,

increase in client derivative fees, and a $1.0 million, or 7.2%, increase in trust and wealth management fees. These increases

were partially offset by $1.8 million, or 109.8%, decrease in gains on sale of investment securities.

The increases in service charges on deposits, bankcard income, other noninterest income, derivative fees and wealth

management fees were primarily driven by increased scale created by the MSFG merger.

Table 3 • Noninterest Income and Noninterest Expenses
	2019					2018					2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Total			% Change		Total			% Change		Total		% Change
Noninterest income
Service charges on deposit accounts	$	37,939		8.1	%	$	35,108		77.5	%	$	19,775	4.4	%
Trust and wealth management fees	15,644			3.7	%	15,082			7.2	%	14,073		6.6	%
Bankcard income	18,804			(7.1	)%	20,245			52.2	%	13,298		9.6	%
Client derivative fees	15,662			103.9	%	7,682			19.7	%	6,418		40.4	%
Foreign exchange income	7,739			N/M		0			N/M		0		N/M
Net gains from sales of loans	14,851			144.6	%	6,071			17.5	%	5,169		(24.0	)%
Other	21,140			9.2	%	19,355			22.8	%	15,760		14.8	%
Subtotal	131,779			27.3	%	103,543			39.0	%	74,493		7.4	%
Net gain (loss) on sales/transfers of investment securities	(406		)	N/M		(161		)	N/M		1,649		N/M
Total	$	131,373		27.1	%	$	103,382		35.8	%	$	76,142	9.4	%
Noninterest expenses
Salaries and employee benefits	$	209,061		10.6	%	$	188,990		37.7	%	$	137,240	6.8	%
Net occupancy	24,069			(0.6	)%	24,215			39.2	%	17,397		(5.1	)%
Furniture and equipment	15,903			6.7	%	14,908			76.6	%	8,443		(2.5	)%
Data processing	21,881			(22.1	)%	28,077			100.2	%	14,022		22.9	%
Marketing	6,908			(9.1	)%	7,598			137.4	%	3,201		(19.3	)%
Communication	3,267			3.2	%	3,167			74.1	%	1,819		(3.7	)%
Professional services	11,254			(8.3	)%	12,272			(18.3	)%	15,023		138.3	%
State intangible tax	5,829			40.4	%	4,152			56.4	%	2,655		30.5	%
FDIC assessments	1,973			(50.3	)%	3,969			0.6	%	3,944		(8.1	)%
Intangible assets amortization	9,671			31.4	%	7,359			466.9	%	1,298		(17.6	)%
Other	32,351			11.2	%	29,103			(16.6	)%	34,900		142.5	%
Total	$	342,167		5.7	%	$	323,810		35.0	%	$	239,942	19.1	%

NONINTEREST EXPENSES

2019 vs. 2018. Noninterest expenses increased $18.4 million, or 5.7%, in 2019 compared to 2018, primarily due to a $20.1 million, or 10.6%, increase in salaries and employee benefits, a $3.2 million, or 11.2%, increase in other noninterest expenses, and a $2.3 million, or 31.4%, increase in intangible assets amortization expense. These increases were partially offset by a $6.2 million, or 22.1%, decrease in data processing expenses and a $2.0 million, or 50.3%, decrease in FDIC assessments.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 11

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Higher salaries and employee benefits in 2019 were attributed to merger related increases in staffing levels, higher performance-based compensation and annual compensation adjustments. Intangible assets recorded in conjunction with the purchase accounting for the MSFG and BFG business combinations resulted in higher intangible asset amortization during 2019, while the increase in other noninterest expense included a $2.9 million historic tax credit investment write-down. Lower data processing expenses were primarily due to elevated merger-related expenses in 2018, while the reduction of FDIC assessments was attributed to the recognition of a $3.4 million FDIC small bank assessment credit in the second half of 2019.

2018 vs. 2017. Noninterest expenses increased $83.9 million, or 35.0%, in 2018 compared to 2017, primarily due to a $51.8

million, or 37.7%, increase in salaries and employee benefits, a $14.1 million, or 100.2%, increase in data processing expenses,

a $6.8 million, or 39.2%, increase in net occupancy expenses, a $6.5 million, or 76.6%, increase in furniture and equipment

expenses, a $4.4 million, or 137.4%, increase in marketing expenses, and a $0.5 million, or 1.5%, decrease in other noninterest expenses. These increases were partially offset by a $2.8 million, or 18.3%, decrease in professional services.

Higher salaries and employee benefits in 2018 were attributed to merger related increases in staffing levels, higher severance

and retention costs, higher performance-based compensation, increased health care costs and annual compensation adjustments.

The increases in data processing, net occupancy, furniture and equipment and marketing expenses were largely attributable to

merger related expenses combined with the larger scale of the Company subsequent to the MSFG merger. Lower professional services in 2018 were mainly due to elevated costs in 2017. Higher other noninterest expenses during 2017 were primarily driven by an $11.3 million historic tax credit investment write-down, a $5.1 million impairment charge resulting from the preliminary agreement to early terminate the Company's FDIC loss sharing agreements and a $3.0 million charitable contribution to the First Financial Foundation.

INCOME TAXES

2019 vs. 2018. First Financial’s income tax expense in 2019 totaled $44.8 million compared to $41.6 million in 2018, resulting in effective tax rates of 18.4% and 19.4% for 2019 and 2018, respectively. The lower effective tax rate in 2019 was related to the recognition of a historic tax credit investment, which reduced income tax expense by $3.2 million and increased 2019 net income by $0.4 million when netted against the investment write-down included in noninterest expense.

2018 vs. 2017. First Financial’s income tax expense in 2018 totaled $41.6 million compared to $19.4 million in 2017, resulting in effective tax rates of 19.4% and 16.7% in 2018 and 2017, respectively. The higher effective tax rate in 2018 was related to the recognition of a significant historic tax credit investment in 2017, which was partially offset by the impact of tax reform. The historic tax credit investment reduced income tax expense by $12.5 million in 2017, and resulted in a $1.1 million increase to net income for the year when netted against the investment write-down included in noninterest expense.

For further information on income taxes, see Note 15 – Income Taxes in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

LENDING PRACTICES

First Financial remains dedicated to meeting the financial needs of individuals and businesses through its client-focused business model. The loan portfolio is comprised of a broad range of borrowers primarily located in the Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky markets; however, the commercial finance line of business serves a national client base.

First Financial’s loan portfolio consists of commercial loan types, including C&I, lease financing (equipment leasing), construction real estate and commercial real estate, as well as consumer loan types, such as residential real estate, home equity, installment and credit card loans. First Financial's lending portfolios are managed to avoid the creation of inappropriate industry, geographic, franchise concept or borrower concentration risk.

Commercial and Industrial – C&I loans include revolving lines of credit and term loans to commercial customers for use in normal business operations to finance working capital needs, equipment purchases, leasehold improvements or other projects.  C&I loans are generally underwritten individually and secured with the assets of the Company and/or the personal guarantee of the business owners.  C&I loans also include ABL, equipment and leasehold improvement financing for franchisees in the quick service and casual dining restaurant sector and commission-based loans to insurance agents and brokers.  ABL transactions typically involve larger commercial clients and are secured by specific assets, such as inventory, accounts receivable, machinery and equipment.  In the franchise lending space, First Financial focuses on a limited number of restaurant concepts that have sound economics, low closure rates and strong brand awareness within specified local, regional or national markets.  Within the insurance lending platform, First Financial serves insurance agents and brokers that are looking to maximize their book-of-business value and grow their agency business.  

12 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

First Financial maintains vigorous underwriting processes to assess prospective C&I borrowers' credit worthiness prior to origination, and actively monitors C&I relationships subsequent to funding in order to ensure adequate oversight of the portfolio.

First Financial remains optimistic that positive macroeconomic trends will result in C&I growth in future periods. While C&I growth is a strategic organizational priority, the Company will continue to monitor the size and composition of the franchise portfolio to ensure that it remains comprised of historically profitable concepts and financially responsible borrowers.

Lease Financing – Lease financing consists of lease transactions for the acquisition of both new and used business equipment for commercial clients. Lease products may include tax leases, finance leases, lease lines of credit and interim funding. The credit underwriting for lease transactions includes detailed analysis of the lessee's industry and business model, nature of the equipment, equipment resale values, historical and projected cash flow analysis, secondary sources of repayment and guarantor in addition to other considerations.

Construction Real Estate – Real estate construction loans are term loans to individuals, companies or developers used for the construction or development of a commercial or residential property for which repayment will be generated by the sale or permanent financing of the property. Generally, these loans are for construction projects that have been pre-sold, pre-leased or have secured permanent financing, as well as loans to real estate companies with significant equity invested in the project. An independent credit team underwrites construction real estate loans, which are managed by experienced lending officers and monitored through the construction phase by a centralized funding desk that manages loan disbursements.

First Financial has pursued select real estate construction lending opportunities while actively monitoring industry and portfolio-specific credit trends and sector concentrations. In general, First Financial will seek to enter into typical construction lending arrangements only when the prospect of term financing is probable upon completion of the construction period.

Commercial Real Estate – Commercial real estate loans consist of term loans secured by a mortgage lien on real estate properties such as apartment buildings, office and industrial buildings and retail shopping centers. Additionally, the Company's franchise lending activities discussed in the "Commercial and Industrial" section often include the financing of real estate in addition to equipment. The credit underwriting for both owner-occupied and investor income producing real estate loans includes detailed market analysis, historical and projected cash flow analysis, appropriate equity margins, assessment of lessees and lessors, environmental risks and the type, age, condition and location of real estate, among other factors.

Credit risk is mitigated by limiting total credit exposure to individual borrowers and by requiring borrowers to have adequate down payments or cash equity, thereby limiting the loan balance in relation to the market value of the property. First Financial also regularly reviews borrower financial performance, makes periodic site visits to financed properties and monitors rental rates, occupancy trends, capitalization rates and other factors that could potentially influence real estate collateral values in the Company's markets.

The Company believes its current underwriting criteria, coupled with active credit monitoring, provides adequate oversight of the commercial real estate loan portfolio. In addition, management continually monitors CRE balances in relation to the rest of the loan portfolio to ensure that real estate concentration risk is properly mitigated.

Residential Real Estate – Residential real estate loans represent loans to consumers for the financing of a residence.

These loans generally have a 15 to 30 year term and a fixed interest rate, but may have a shorter term to maturity with an adjustable interest rate. In most cases, these loans are extended to borrowers to finance their primary residence. First Financial sells residential real estate loan originations into the secondary market on both servicing retained and servicing released bases. Residential real estate loans are generally underwritten to secondary market lending standards, utilizing underwriting processes that rely on empirical data to assess credit risk as well as analysis of the borrower's ability to repay their obligations, credit history, the amount of any down payment and the market value or other characteristics of the property. First Financial also offers a residential mortgage product that features similar borrower credit characteristics but a more streamlined underwriting process than typically required to sell to government-sponsored enterprises and thus is retained on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

While First Financial continues to sell the majority of residential real estate originations into the secondary market, the Company believes its current underwriting criteria coupled with the monitoring of a number of portfolio metrics, including credit scores and loan-to-value ratios, provides adequate oversight of this portfolio.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 13

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Home Equity – Home equity lending includes both home equity loans and revolving lines of credit secured by a first or second lien on the borrower’s residence. Home equity lending underwriting considerations include the borrower's credit history as well as to debt-to-income and loan-to-value policy limits.

First Financial believes its current underwriting criteria coupled with the monitoring of a number of portfolio metrics including credit scores, loan-to-value ratios, line size and utilization rates provide adequate oversight of the home equity portfolio.

Installment – Installment lending consists of consumer loans not secured by real estate, including loans secured by automobiles and unsecured personal loans.

Credit Card – Credit card lending consists of secured and unsecured revolving lines of credit to consumer and business customers. Credit card lines are generally available for an indefinite period of time as long as the borrower's credit characteristics do not materially or adversely change, but lines are unconditionally cancellable by the Company at any time.

Underwriting for installment and credit card lending focuses on a borrower's debt-to-income ratios and credit history among other considerations.

Credit Management. Subject to First Financial’s credit policy and guidelines, credit underwriting and approval occur within the market and/or the centralized line of business originating the loan. First Financial has delegated a lending limit sufficient to address the majority of client requests in a timely manner to each market president and line of business manager. Loan requests for amounts greater than those limits require the approval of a designated credit officer or senior credit committee and may require additional approvals from the chief credit officer, the chief executive officer and the board of directors. This allows First Financial to manage the initial credit risk exposure through a standardized, strategic and disciplined approval process, but with an increasingly higher level of authority. Plans to purchase or sell a participation in a loan, or a group of loans, requires the approval of certain senior lending and administrative officers, and in some cases could include the board of directors.

Credit management practices are dependent on the type and nature of the loan. First Financial monitors all significant

exposures on an ongoing basis. Commercial loans are assigned internal risk ratings reflecting the risk of loss inherent in the loan. These internal risk ratings are assigned upon initial approval of credit and are updated periodically thereafter. First Financial reviews and adjusts its risk ratings based on actual experience, which is the basis for determining an appropriate ALLL. First Financial's commercial risk ratings of pass, special mention, substandard and doubtful are derived from standard regulatory rating definitions and facilitate the monitoring of credit quality across the commercial loan portfolio. For further information regarding these risk ratings, see Note 5 – Loans and Leases in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Commercial loans rated as special mention, substandard or doubtful are considered criticized, while loans rated as substandard or doubtful are considered classified. Commercial loans may be designated as criticized/classified based on individual borrower performance or industry and environmental factors. Criticized/classified loans are subject to more frequent internal reviews to assess the borrower’s credit status and develop appropriate action plans.

Classified loans are considered to be the leading indicator of credit losses, and are typically managed by the Special Assets Department. Special Assets is a commercial credit group whose primary focus is to handle the day-to-day management of commercial workouts, recoveries and problem loan resolutions. Special Assets ensures that First Financial has appropriate oversight, improved communication and timely resolution of issues throughout the loan portfolio. Additionally, the Credit Risk Management group within First Financial's Risk Management function provides independent, objective oversight and assessment of commercial credit quality and processes.

Consumer lending credit approvals are based on, among other factors, the financial strength and payment history of the borrower, type of exposure and the transaction structure. Consumer loans are generally smaller dollar amounts than other types of lending and are made to a large number of customers, providing diversification within the portfolio. Credit risk in the consumer loan portfolio is managed by loan type, and consumer loan asset quality indicators, including delinquency, are continuously monitored. The Credit Risk Management group performs product-level performance reviews and assesses credit quality and compliance with underwriting and loan administration guidelines across the consumer loan portfolio.

LOANS AND LEASES 

2019 vs. 2018. First Financial experienced steady loan growth in 2019. Loans, excluding loans held for sale, totaled $9.2 billion at December 31, 2019, increasing $377.5 million, or 4.3%, compared to December 31, 2018. Commercial real estate loans increased $440.0 million, or 11.7%, and residential real estate increased $100.3 million, or 10.5%, while construction real

14 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

estate loans decreased $55.8 million, or 10.2%, C&I loans decreased $48.8 million, or 1.9%, home equity decreased $45.4 million, or 5.6%, and installment loans decreased $10.6 million, or 11.4%, during 2019. Average loan balances, including loans held for sale, were $8.9 billion at December 31, 2019, an increase of $797.8 million, or 9.8% compared to December 31, 2018.

Table 4 - Loan and Lease Portfolio details loan and lease balances by type as a percentage of the total portfolio as of December 31 for the last five years.

Table 4 • Loan and Lease Portfolio
	December 31,
	2019				2018				2017				2016				2015
(Dollars in thousands)	Loans		% of Loans to Total Loans		Loans		% of Loans to Total Loans		Loans		% of Loans to Total Loans		Loans		% of Loans to Total Loans		Loans		% of Loans to Total Loans
Commercial and industrial	$	2,465,877	26.8	%	$	2,514,661	28.5	%	$	1,912,743	31.8	%	$	1,781,948	31.0	%	$	1,663,102	30.8	%
Lease financing	88,364		1.0	%	93,415		1.1	%	89,347		1.5	%	93,108		1.6	%	93,986		1.7	%
Real estate – construction	493,182		5.3	%	548,935		6.2	%	467,730		7.8	%	399,434		6.9	%	311,712		5.8	%
Real estate – commercial	4,194,651		45.6	%	3,754,681		42.5	%	2,490,091		41.4	%	2,427,577		42.2	%	2,258,297		41.9	%
Real estate – residential	1,055,949		11.5	%	955,646		10.8	%	471,391		7.8	%	500,980		8.7	%	512,311		9.5	%
Home equity	771,869		8.4	%	817,282		9.3	%	493,604		8.2	%	460,388		8.0	%	466,629		8.7	%
Installment	82,589		0.9	%	93,212		1.1	%	41,586		0.7	%	50,639		0.9	%	41,506		0.8	%
Credit card	49,184		0.5	%	46,382		0.5	%	46,691		0.8	%	43,408		0.7	%	41,217		0.8	%
Total loans and leases	$	9,201,665	100	%	$	8,824,214	100	%	$	6,013,183	100	%	$	5,757,482	100	%	$	5,388,760	100	%

Table 5 – Loan Maturity/Rate Sensitivity indicates the contractual maturity of C&I loans and construction real estate loans outstanding at December 31, 2019 as well as their sensitivity to changes in interest rates.

For discussion of risks associated with the loan portfolio and First Financial's ALLL, see the Credit Risk section included in Management’s Discussion and Analysis.

Table 5 • Loan Maturity/Rate Sensitivity
	December 31, 2019
	Maturity
			After one
	Within		but within		After
(Dollars in thousands)	one year		five years		five years		Total
Commercial and industrial	$	616,407	$	1,255,963	$	593,507	$	2,465,877
Construction real estate	198,053		166,755		128,374		493,182
Total	$	814,460	$	1,422,718	$	721,881	$	2,959,059
			After one
	Within		but within		After
(Dollars in thousands)	one year		five years		five years		Total
Fixed rate	$	131,396	$	309,651	$	77,716	$	518,763
Variable rate	683,064		1,113,067		644,165		2,440,296
Total	$	814,460	$	1,422,718	$	721,881	$	2,959,059

OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS

Off-balance sheet arrangements include commitments to extend credit and financial guarantees.  Loan commitments are agreements to extend credit to a client absent any violation of any condition established in the commitment agreement. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee.  First Financial had commitments outstanding to extend credit, totaling $3.3 billion and $3.0 billion at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. As of December 31, 2019, loan commitments with a fixed interest rate totaled $123.7 million while commitments

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 15

with variable interest rates totaled $3.2 billion. The fixed rate loan commitments have interest rates ranging from 0.00% to 21.00% for both December 31, 2019 and 2018. The fixed rate loan commitments have maturities ranging from 1 to 31.6 years at December 31, 2019 and 1 to 30 years at December 31, 2018.

Letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by First Financial to guarantee the performance of a client to a third party.  First Financial’s portfolio of letters of credit consists primarily of performance assurances made on behalf of clients who have a contractual commitment to produce or deliver goods or services.  First Financial has issued letters of credit aggregating $33.4 million and $32.7 million at December 31, 2019, and 2018, respectively. Management conducts regular reviews of these instruments on an individual client basis.

ASSET QUALITY

Nonperforming assets consist of nonaccrual loans, accruing TDRs (collectively, nonperforming loans) and OREO. Loans are

classified as nonaccrual when, in the opinion of management, collection of principal or interest is doubtful or when principal or

interest payments are 90 days or more past due. Generally, loans are classified as nonaccrual due to a borrower's continued

failure to adhere to contractual payment terms, coupled with other pertinent factors. When a loan is classified as nonaccrual,

the accrual of interest income is discontinued and previously accrued but unpaid interest is reversed.

Loans are classified as TDRs when borrowers are experiencing financial difficulties and concessions are made by the Company that would not otherwise be considered for a borrower with similar credit characteristics. TDRs are generally classified as nonaccrual for a minimum period of six months and may qualify for return to accrual status once they have demonstrated performance with the restructured terms of the loan agreement.

See Table 6 – Nonperforming Assets for a summary of First Financial’s nonaccrual loans, TDRs and OREO.

2019 vs. 2018. Total nonperforming assets declined $26.6 million, or 30.1%, to $61.6 million at December 31, 2019 from $88.2 million at December 31, 2018. Nonaccrual loans declined $22.5 million and accruing TDRs declined $4.7 million, which was partially offset by a $0.6 million increase in OREO.

First Financial's nonperforming assets as a percentage of total loans plus OREO declined to 0.67% at December 31, 2019 from 1.00% at December 31, 2018 as a result of lower nonperforming loan balances during the period. Additionally, classified asset balances declined $42.4 million, or 32.2%, to $89.3 million at December 31, 2019 from $131.7 million at December 31, 2018.

The significant decreases in nonperforming and classified assets during 2019 were driven by focused resolution efforts during the period, which included significant paydowns/payoffs and a $12.2 million problem loan sale, in addition to positive risk rating migration and elevated net charge-offs during the period. Management is optimistic that the Company's credit quality trends will remain strong in future periods given the diligent underwriting and monitoring processes in place as well as the sustained improvement in employment rates, the real estate markets, and business and consumer confidence levels.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 16

Table 6 • Nonperforming Assets
	December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018			2017			2016			2015
Nonaccrual loans (1)	$	48,165		$	70,700		$	24,082		$	17,730		$	27,997
Accruing troubled debt restructurings (2)	11,435			16,109			17,545			30,240			28,876
Other real estate owned (OREO)	2,033			1,401			2,781			6,284			13,254
Total nonperforming assets	$	61,633		$	88,210		$	44,408		$	54,254		$	70,127
Nonperforming assets as a percent of total loans plus OREO	0.67		%	1.00		%	0.74		%	0.94		%	1.30		%
Accruing loans past due 90 days or more	$	201		$	63		$	61		$	142		$	108
Classified assets	$	89,250		$	131,668		$	87,293		$	125,155		$	132,431

⁽¹⁾ Nonaccrual loans include nonaccrual TDRs of $18.5 million, $22.4 million, $6.4 million, $5.1 million and $9.3 million, as of December 31, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

⁽²⁾ Accruing troubled debt restructurings include TDRs past due 90 days or more and still accruing of $2.7 million as of December 31, 2016. There were no TDRs 90 days past due and still accruing as of December 31, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

INVESTMENTS

First Financial utilizes its investment portfolio as a source of liquidity and interest income, as well as a tool for managing the Company's interest rate risk profile. As such, the Company's primary investment strategy is to invest in debt securities with low credit risk, such as treasury and agency-backed residential MBSs. The investment portfolio is also managed with consideration to prepayment and extension/maturity risk. First Financial invests primarily in MBSs issued by U.S. government agencies and corporations, such GNMA, FHLMC and FNMA, as these securities are considered to have a low credit risk and high liquidity profile due to government agency guarantees. Government and agency backed securities comprised 50.6% and 58.0% of First Financial's investment securities portfolio as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

The Company also invests in certain securities that are not supported by government or agency guarantees and whose realization is dependent on future principal and interest repayments, thus carrying greater credit risk. First Financial performs a detailed collateral and structural analysis prior to any purchase of these securities and limits investments to asset classes in which the Company has expertise and experience, as well as a senior position in the capital structure. First Financial continuously monitors credit risk and geographic concentration risk in its evaluation of market opportunities that would enhance the overall performance of the portfolio. Securities not supported by government or agency guarantees represented 49.4% and 42.0% of First Financial's investment securities portfolio as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

The other investments category in the Consolidated Balance Sheets consists primarily of First Financial’s investments in FRB and FHLB stock.

Gains and losses on debt securities are generally due to fluctuations in current market yields relative to the yields of the debt securities at their amortized cost.  All securities with unrealized losses are reviewed quarterly to determine if any impairment is considered other than temporary, requiring a write-down to fair value. First Financial considers the percentage loss on a security, duration of the loss, average life or duration of the security, credit rating of the security as well as payment performance and the Company’s intent and ability to hold the security when determining whether any impairment is other than temporary. First Financial had no other than temporary impairment expense for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018.

2019 vs. 2018. First Financial’s investment portfolio at December 31, 2019 totaled $3.0 billion, and represented 20.6% of total assets at December 31, 2019. The $213.6 million, or 6.7%, decline in the investment portfolio during 2019 was primarily related to Company's strategic redeployment of cash flows to support loan growth and to reduce borrowings.

First Financial classified $2.9 billion, or 95.2%, and $2.8 billion, or 86.6%, of investment securities as AFS at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. First Financial classified $142.9 million, or 4.8%, and $429.3 million, or 13.4%, of investment securities as HTM at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. In addition, First Financial reclassified $268.7 million and

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 17

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

$372.1 of HTM securities to AFS upon adoption of ASU 2017-12 and subsequent to the MSFG merger to align with post-merger investment strategies, respectively.

First Financial recorded a $41.3 million unrealized after-tax gain on the investment portfolio as a component of equity in AOCI resulting from changes in the fair value of AFS securities at December 31, 2019, which increased $52.9 million from an $11.6 million unrealized after-tax loss at December 31, 2018.

Debt securities issued by the U.S. government and U.S. government agencies and corporations, including the FHLB, FHLMC, FNMA and the U.S. Export/Import Bank represented 1.0% of the investment portfolio at December 31, 2018 but was not meaningful as a percentage of the portfolio at December 31, 2019.

Investments in MBS securities, which include CMOs, represented 61.0% and 65.2% of First Financial's portfolio at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. MBSs are participations in pools of loans secured by mortgages under which payments of principal and interest are passed through to the security holders. These securities are subject to prepayment risk, particularly during periods of falling interest rates, and extension risk during periods of rising interest rates. Prepayments of the underlying residential real estate loans may shorten the lives of the securities, thereby affecting yields to maturity and market values.  

Tax-exempt securities of states, municipalities and other political subdivisions totaled $687.3 million as of December 31, 2019 and $501.9 million as of December 31, 2018, comprising 22.9% and 15.6% of the investment portfolio at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The securities are diversified to include states as well as issuing authorities within states, thereby decreasing geographic portfolio risk. First Financial continuously monitors the risk associated with this investment type and reviews underlying ratings for possible downgrades. First Financial does not own any state or other political subdivision securities that are currently impaired.

Asset-backed securities were $400.4 million, or 13.4% of the investment portfolio at December 31, 2019 and $509.2 million, or 15.9% of the investment portfolio at December 31, 2018. First Financial considers these investment securities to have lower credit risk and a high liquidity profile as a result of explicit guarantees on the collateral.

Other securities, consisting primarily of taxable securities of states, municipalities and other political subdivisions and debt securities issued by corporations, were $81.6 million, or 2.7% of the investment portfolio, at December 31, 2019 and $73.2 million, or 2.3% of the investment portfolio, at December 31, 2018.

The overall duration of the investment portfolio increased to 3.4 years as of December 31, 2019 from 3.3 years as of December 31, 2018. First Financial has avoided adding to its portfolio any particular securities that would materially increase credit risk or geographic concentration risk and the Company continuously monitors and considers these risks in its evaluation of current market opportunities that would enhance the overall performance of the portfolio.

Table 7 • Investment Securities as of December 31
	2019				2018
			Percent of				Percent of
(Dollars in thousands)	Amount		Portfolio		Amount		Portfolio
U.S. Treasuries	$	100	0.0	%	$	97	0.0	%
Securities of U.S. government agencies and corporations	158		0.0	%	31,919		1.0	%
Mortgage-backed securities-residential	452,373		15.1	%	584,164		18.2	%
Mortgage-backed securities-commercial	577,785		19.3	%	568,815		17.7	%
Collateralized mortgage obligations	795,207		26.6	%	939,287		29.3	%
Obligations of state and other political subdivisions	687,267		22.9	%	501,868		15.6	%
Asset-backed securities	400,431		13.4	%	509,231		15.9	%
Other securities	81,625		2.7	%	73,202		2.3	%
Total	$	2,994,946	100.0	%	$	3,208,583	100.0	%

The estimated maturities and weighted-average yields of HTM and AFS investment securities as of December 31, 2019 are shown in Table 8 – Investment Securities. Tax-equivalent adjustments using a rate of 21.0% were included in calculating yields on tax-exempt obligations of state and other political subdivisions.

18 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

First Financial held cash on deposit with the Federal Reserve of $56.9 million and $37.7 million at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. First Financial continually monitors its liquidity position as part of its ERM framework, specifically through its asset/liability management process.

First Financial will continue to monitor loan and deposit demand, balance sheet composition, capital sensitivity and the interest rate environment as it manages investment strategies in future periods. See Note 4 – Investment Securities in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on the Company's investment portfolio and Note 22 – Fair Value Disclosures for additional information on how First Financial determines the fair value of investment securities.

Table 8 • Investment Securities as of December 31, 2019
	Maturity (2)
	Within one year				After one but within five years				After five but within ten years				After ten years
(Dollars in thousands)	Amount		Yield(1)		Amount		Yield(1)		Amount		Yield(1)		Amount		Yield(1)
Held-to-Maturity
Securities of other U.S. government agencies and corporations	$	0	0.00	%	$	0	0.00	%	$	0	0.00	%	$	0	0.00	%
Mortgage-backed securities-residential	0		0.00	%	20,818		2.38	%	0		0.00	%	0		0.00	%
Mortgage-backed securities-commercial	0		0.00	%	83,736		2.36	%	17,531		2.96	%	0		0.00	%
Collateralized mortgage obligations	0		0.00	%	9,763		1.71	%	0		0.00	%	0		0.00	%
Obligations of state and other political subdivisions	0		0.00	%	0		0.00	%	4,756		3.56	%	6,258		2.39	%
Total	$	0	0.00	%	$	114,317	2.31	%	$	22,287	3.09	%	$	6,258	2.39	%
Available-for-Sale
U.S. treasuries	$	0	0.00	%	$	100	1.97	%	$	0	0.00	%	$	0	0.00	%
Securities of other U.S. government agencies and corporations	0		0.00	%	158		1.77	%	0		0.00	%	0		0.00	%
Mortgage-backed securities-residential	592		3.59	%	297,995		3.07	%	87,430		2.99	%	45,538		2.86	%
Mortgage-backed securities-commercial	85,143		3.78	%	252,558		3.50	%	98,199		2.95	%	40,618		2.93	%
Collateralized mortgage obligations	67,905		3.24	%	554,295		3.15	%	125,988		3.08	%	37,256		2.93	%
Obligations of state and other political subdivisions	34,597		3.12	%	291,443		2.64	%	278,281		3.19	%	71,932		3.08	%
Asset-backed securities	54,040		3.81	%	210,250		3.63	%	136,141		3.30	%	0		0.00	%
Other securities	2,558		4.09	%	55,029		5.53	%	24,038		3.47	%	0		0.00	%
Total	$	244,835	3.55	%	$	1,661,828	3.24	%	$	750,077	3.14	%	$	195,344	2.97	%

⁽¹⁾ Tax equivalent basis was calculated using a 21.0% tax rate and yields were based on amortized cost.

⁽²⁾ Maturity represents estimated life of investment securities.

DERIVATIVES

First Financial is authorized to use certain derivative instruments including interest rate caps, floors, swaps and foreign exchange contracts to meet the needs of its clients while managing interest rate risk associated with certain transactions.  The Company does not use derivatives for speculative purposes.

First Financial primarily utilizes interest rate swaps as a means to offer borrowers credit-based products that meet their needs and achieve the Company's desired interest rate risk profile. These interest rate swaps generally involve the receipt by First Financial of floating rate amounts from swap counterparties in exchange for payments to these counterparties by First Financial of fixed rate amounts received from borrowers. This results in the Company's loan customers receiving fixed rate funding while providing First Financial with a floating rate asset.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 19

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

In conjunction with participating interests in commercial loans, First Financial periodically enters into risk participation agreements with counterparties whereby First Financial assumes a portion of the credit exposure associated with an interest rate swap on the participated loan in exchange for a fee. Under these agreements, First Financial will make payments to the counterparty if the loan customer defaults on its obligation to perform under the interest rate swap contract with the counterparty.

First Financial enters into IRLCs and forward commitments for the future delivery of mortgage loans to third party investors, which are considered derivatives. When borrowers secure an IRLC with First Financial and the loan is intended to be sold, First Financial will enter into forward commitments for the future delivery of the loans to third party investors in order to hedge against the effect of changes in interest rates impacting IRLCs and loans held for sale.

First Financial may enter into foreign exchange derivative contracts for the benefit of commercial customers to hedge their exposure to foreign currency fluctuations. Similar to the hedging of interest rate risk from interest rate derivative contracts, First Financial also enters into foreign exchange contracts with major financial institutions to economically hedge the exposure from client driven foreign exchange activity.

See Note 12 – Derivatives in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding First Financial's use of derivative instruments.

DEPOSITS

First Financial solicits deposits by offering commercial and consumer clients a wide variety of transaction and savings accounts, including checking, savings, money-market and time deposits of various maturities and rates.

2019 vs. 2018. First Financial's total deposits increased $69.8 million, or 0.7%, from $10.1 billion at December 31, 2018 to $10.2 billion as of December 31, 2019. During the period, noninterest bearing deposits increased $151.5 million, or 6.1%, interest-bearing checking deposits increased $57.8 million, or 2.5%, and time deposits increased $66.9 million, or 3.1%, while savings deposits decreased $206.3 million, or 6.5%. Total non-time deposit balances were $8.0 billion as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018.

Total average deposits for 2019 increased $785.2 million, or 8.4%, from 2018 primarily due to an increase in average time deposits of $284.7 million, or 14.7%, an increase in average noninterest bearing deposits of $306.7 million, or 13.8%, an increase in average interest-bearing demand deposits of $156.8 million, or 7.2%, and an increase in average savings deposits $37.0 million, or 1.2%. The year-over-year growth in average deposits was primarily attributable to the full year impact of the MSFG merger as well as increased customer demand.

Table 9 – Maturities of Time Deposits Greater Than or Equal to $100,000 details the contractual maturity of these deposits. Time Deposits Greater Than or Equal to $100,000 represent 14.2% of total deposits outstanding at December 31, 2019.

Table 9 • Maturities of Time Deposits Greater than or Equal to $100,000
	December 31, 2019
(Dollars in thousands)	CDs		IRAs		Brokered CDs		Total
Maturing in
3 months or less	$	136,714	$	7,357	$	273,410	$	417,481
3 months to 6 months	120,670		8,935		316,253		445,858
6 months to 12 months	204,918		22,234		140,497		367,649
over 12 months	171,653		39,499		5,982		217,134
Total	$	633,955	$	78,025	$	736,142	$	1,448,122

BORROWINGS

First Financial's short-term borrowings are utilized to manage the Company's normal liquidity needs. These borrowings include repurchase agreements utilized for corporate sweep accounts with cash management account agreements in place, as well as overnight advances from the FHLB. The Company's long-term borrowings consist of subordinated debt, FHLB long-term advances, repurchase agreements utilizing investment securities pledged as collateral and a capital loan from a municipality.

20 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

2019 vs. 2018. Short-term borrowings increased $275.5 million, or 26.5%, to $1.3 billion at December 31, 2019, from $1.0 billion at December 31, 2018.

First Financial utilizes short-term borrowings and longer-term advances from the FHLB as wholesale funding sources. First Financial had $1.2 billion of short-term borrowings from the FHLB at December 31, 2019 compared to $857.1 million at December 31, 2018. In addition to FHLB borrowings, short term borrowings included repurchase agreements of $90.2 million and $84.6 million at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and federal funds purchased of $75.0 million and $99.0 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Total long-term debt was $414.4 million and $570.7 million at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Long-term debt included FHLB long-term advances of $242.4 million and $400.6 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. First Financial's total remaining borrowing capacity from the FHLB was $486.4 million at December 31, 2019. For ease of borrowing execution, First Financial utilizes a blanket collateral agreement with the FHLB. First Financial pledged $6.2 billion of certain eligible residential, commercial and agricultural real estate loans, home equity lines of credit and certain agency CMOs, municipals and CMBS securities as collateral for borrowings from the FHLB as of December 31, 2019.  

Long-term debt also included an interest free $0.8 million capital loan outstanding with a municipality and subordinated debt of $171.0 million and $170.6 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The subordinated debt is treated as Tier 2 capital for regulatory capital purposes. The subordinated debt also included unamortized valuation and debt issuance costs of $7.9 million and $8.5 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

See Note 11 – Borrowings in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on First Financial's borrowings.

LIQUIDITY

Liquidity management is the process by which First Financial manages the continuing flow of funds necessary to meet its financial commitments on a timely basis and at a reasonable cost. These funding commitments include withdrawals by depositors, credit commitments to borrowers, shareholder dividends, share repurchases, operating expenses and capital expenditures. Liquidity is derived primarily from deposit growth, principal and interest payments on loans and investment securities, maturing loans and investment securities and access to wholesale funding sources.

First Financial’s most stable source of liability-funded liquidity for both long and short-term needs is deposit growth and retention of the core deposit base. In addition to core deposit funding, First Financial also utilizes a variety of short and long-term funding sources, which include subordinated notes, longer-term advances from the FHLB and its short-term line of credit.

First Financial maintains a short-term credit facility with an unaffiliated bank for $30.0 million that matures in September 2020. This facility can have a variable or fixed interest rate and provides First Financial additional liquidity, if needed, for various corporate activities, including the repurchase of First Financial shares and the payment of dividends to shareholders. As of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, there was no outstanding balance. The credit agreement requires First Financial to maintain certain covenants related to asset quality and capital levels, and First Financial was in compliance with all covenants associated with this line of credit as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018.

Both First Financial and the Bank received investment grade credit ratings from Kroll Bond Rating Agency, Inc., an independent rating agency. These credit ratings impact the cost and availability of financing to First Financial, and a downgrade to these credit ratings could affect First Financial's or the Bank’s abilities to access the credit markets and potentially increase borrowing costs, which would negatively impact financial condition and liquidity. Key factors in maintaining high credit ratings include consistent and diverse earnings, strong credit quality and capital ratios, diverse funding sources and disciplined liquidity monitoring procedures. The ratings of First Financial and the Bank at December 31, 2019 were as follows:

	First Financial Bancorp	First Financial Bank
Senior Unsecured Debt	BBB+	A-
Subordinated Debt	BBB	BBB+
Short-Term Debt	K2	K2
Deposit	N/A	A-
Short-Term Deposit	N/A	K2

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 21

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

First Financial's principal source of asset-funded liquidity is marketable investment securities, particularly those of shorter maturities. The market value of investment securities classified as AFS totaled $2.9 billion and $2.8 billion at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. HTM securities that are maturing within a short period of time can be an additional source of liquidity. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had no HTM securities maturing within one year. As of December 31, 2018, the Company had $0.8 million of HTM securities maturing within one year.

Other sources of liquidity include cash and due from banks and interest-bearing deposits with other banks. At December 31, 2019, these balances totaled $257.6 million, and First Financial had unused and available overnight wholesale funding sources of $3.2 billion, or 21.9% of total assets, to fund loan and deposit activities in addition to general corporate requirements.

Certain restrictions exist regarding the Bank's ability to transfer funds to First Financial in the form of cash dividends, loans, other assets or advances and the approval of the Bank's primary federal regulator is required to pay dividends in excess of regulatory limitations. Dividends paid to the parent company from its subsidiaries totaled $196.8 million, $107.3 million and $54.6 million for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. As of December 31, 2019, First Financial’s subsidiaries had retained earnings of $660.7 million, of which $155.7 million was available for distribution to First Financial without prior regulatory approval. Additionally, First Financial had $55.9 million in cash at the parent company as of December 31, 2019.

Capital expenditures, such as banking center expansion, remodeling and technology investments, were $20.9 million for 2019, $18.2 million for 2018 and $6.5 million for 2017. Material commitments for capital expenditures as of December 31, 2019, were $27.2 million. Management believes that sufficient liquidity exists to fund its future capital expenditure commitments.

Share repurchases also impact First Financial's liquidity. For further information regarding share repurchases, see the Capital section that follows.

Management is not aware of any other events or regulatory requirements that, if implemented, are likely to have a material effect on First Financial’s liquidity.

Table 10 • Contractual Obligations as of December 31, 2019
(Dollars in thousands)	Less than one year		One to three years		Three to five years		More than five years		Total
Contractual Obligations
Long-term debt obligations (including interest)
Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings	$	109,707	$	75,117	$	2,217	$	72,136	$	259,177
Subordinated debt	8,175		18,574		17,831		203,585		248,165
Capital loan with municipality	0		0		0		775		775
Operating lease obligations	7,200		13,806		13,168		50,504		84,678
Pension obligations	5,611		10,383		11,195		35,362		62,551
Time deposits	1,752,552		435,840		51,029		1,020		2,240,441
Total	$	1,883,245	$	553,720	$	95,440	$	363,382	$	2,895,787

CAPITAL

Risk-Based Capital. First Financial and its subsidiary, First Financial Bank, are subject to regulatory capital requirements administered by federal banking agencies. Capital adequacy guidelines and, additionally for banks, prompt corrective action regulations involve quantitative measures of assets, liabilities and certain off-balance sheet items calculated under regulatory guidelines. Capital amounts and classifications are also subject to qualitative judgments by regulators. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate regulatory action.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System approved Basel III in order to strengthen the regulatory capital framework for all banking organizations, subject to a phase-in period for certain provisions.  Basel III established and defined quantitative measures to ensure capital adequacy. These measures require First Financial to maintain minimum amounts and ratios of Common Equity tier 1 capital, total and tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets and tier 1 capital to average assets (leverage ratio).  

22 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Basel III includes a minimum ratio of common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of 7.0% at December 31, 2019 and 6.375% at December 31, 2018 and a phased-in capital conservation buffer of 2.5% of risk-weighted assets that began on January 1, 2016 at 0.625% until it was fully phased-in as of January 1, 2019. Further, the minimum ratio of tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets increased to 8.5% at December 31, 2019 and all banks are subject to a 4.0% minimum leverage ratio.  The required total risk-based capital ratio is 10.5%. Failure to maintain the required common equity Tier 1 capital conservation buffer will result in potential restrictions on a bank’s ability to pay dividends, repurchase stock and pay discretionary compensation to its employees. The capital requirements also provide strict eligibility criteria for regulatory capital instruments and change the method for calculating risk-weighted assets in an effort to better identify riskier assets, such as highly volatile commercial real estate and nonaccrual loans.

First Financial's tier 1 capital decreased to 11.69% at December 31, 2019 from 12.28% at December 31, 2018, while the total capital ratio decreased to 13.39% from 14.10% during the same period. The decline in these ratios was primarily attributed to higher shareholder dividends and share repurchases in 2019, as well as higher risk-weighted assets driven by an increase commercial real estate loan balances and a decline in lower risk securities. The leverage ratio decreased to 9.58% at December 31, 2019 compared to 9.71% as of December 31, 2018 while the Company’s tangible common equity ratio increased to 9.07% at December 31, 2019 from 8.79% at December 31, 2018.

Management believes that, as of December 31, 2019, First Financial met all capital adequacy requirements to which it was subject. At December 31, 2019 and 2018, regulatory notifications categorized First Financial Bank as well-capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action. There have been no conditions or events that management believes has changed the Company’s capital categorization.

For further detail on First Financial's capital ratios at December 31, 2019, see Note 19 – Capital in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 23

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Table 11 • Capital Adequacy
		December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)		2019			2018
Consolidated capital calculations
	Common stock	$	1,640,771		$	1,633,256
	Retained earnings	711,249			600,014
	Accumulated other comprehensive loss	13,323			(44,408		)
	Treasury stock, at cost	(117,638		)	(110,613		)
Total shareholders' equity		2,247,705			2,078,249
	Common equity tier 1 capital adjustments
	Goodwill and other intangibles	(1,024,622		)	(931,030		)
Total tangible equity		$	1,223,083		$	1,147,219
	Total assets	$	14,511,625		$	13,986,660
	Goodwill and other intangibles	(1,024,622		)	(931,030		)
Total tangible assets		$	13,487,003		$	13,055,630
Common tier 1 capital		$	1,245,746		$	1,215,613
Tier 1 capital		1,288,185			1,257,366
Total capital		1,475,813			1,444,146
Total risk-weighted assets		11,023,795			10,241,159
Average assets (1)		13,440,151			12,948,944
Regulatory capital
	Common tier 1 ratio	11.30		%	11.87		%
	Tier 1 ratio	11.69		%	12.28		%
	Total capital ratio	13.39		%	14.10		%
	Leverage ratio	9.58		%	9.71		%
Other capital ratios
	Total shareholders' equity to ending assets	15.49		%	14.86		%
	Total tangible shareholders' equity to ending tangible assets	9.07		%	8.79		%
(1) For purposes of calculating the Leverage ratio, certain intangible assets are excluded from average assets.

First Financial generally seeks to balance the return of earnings to shareholders through shareholder dividends and share repurchases with capital retention in order to maintain adequate levels of capital and support the Company's growth plans.

Shareholder Dividends. First Financial’s dividend payout ratio, or total dividends paid divided by net income available to common shareholders, was 44.8%, 40.0% and 43.3% for the years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The dividend payout ratio is continually reviewed by management and the board of directors for consistency with First Financial’s overall capital planning activities and compliance with applicable regulatory limitations. In January 2020, the board of directors authorized a dividend of $0.23 per common share, payable on March 16, 2020 to all shareholders of record as of March 2, 2020.

Share Repurchases. In January 2019, First Financial's board of directors approved a stock repurchase plan, replacing the plan

approved in 2012. The 2019 plan authorizes the purchase of up to 5,000,000 shares of the Company's common stock and expires in January 2021. First Financial repurchased 2,753,272 shares at an average market price of $24.05 under this plan during 2019. At December 31, 2019, 2,246,728 shares remained available for purchase under the 2019 share repurchase plan.

Shareholders' Equity. Total shareholders’ equity at December 31, 2019 was $2.2 billion, compared to total shareholders’ equity at December 31, 2018 of $2.1 billion. The increase in shareholders' equity is primarily related to the Company's 2019 earnings.

24 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

For further detail, see the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity.

PENSION PLAN

First Financial sponsors a non-contributory defined-benefit pension plan covering substantially all employees. The significant assumptions used in the valuation and accounting for the pension plan include the discount rate, expected return on plan assets and the rate of employee compensation increase. The discount rate assumption was determined based on highly rated corporate bonds, weighted to adjust for their relative size, projected plan cash flows using the annuity substitution method as well as comparisons to external industry surveys. The expected return on plan assets was 7.25% for both 2019 and 2018, and was based on the composition of plan assets, actual returns, economic forecasts and economic trends. The assumed rate of compensation increase was 3.50% and was compared to historical increases for plan participants for reasonableness.

Presented below is the estimated impact on First Financial’s projected benefit obligation and pension expense as of December 31, 2019, assuming shifts in the significant assumptions: 

	Discount rate						Expected return on plan assets					Rate of compensation increase
(Dollars in thousands)		-100 BP		+100 BP			-100 BP		+100 BP			-100 BP			+100 BP
Change in Projected Benefit Obligation		$	6,277	$	(4,729	)	N/A		N/A			$	(327	)	$	826
Change in Pension Expense		74		114			$	1,340	$	(1,340	)	(62		)	218

Based upon the plan’s current funding status and updated actuarial projections for 2019, First Financial recorded expense related to its pension plan of $1.0 million for 2019 and $0.9 million for 2018, while recording income of $0.6 million for 2017 in the Consolidated Statements of Income. First Financial will make contributions to the plan if plan assets do not meet or exceed ERISA’s minimum funding standards.  Given the plan's over-funded status, First Financial made no cash contributions to fund the pension plan in 2019, 2018 or 2017 nor does it expect to make a cash contribution in 2020.

See Note 16 – Employee Benefit Plans in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on First Financial's pension plan.

ENTERPRISE RISK MANAGEMENT
 

First Financial considers risk to be any issue that could have an adverse impact on the Company's capital or earnings, or negatively impact the Company's ability to meet its objectives. First Financial manages risks through a structured ERM approach that routinely assesses the overall level of risk, identifies specific risks and evaluates the steps being taken to mitigate those risks. First Financial continues to enhance its risk management capabilities and has, over time, embedded risk awareness into the the Company's culture. ERM allows First Financial to align a variety of risk management activities within the Company into a cohesive, enterprise-wide approach and focus on process-level risk management activities and strategic objectives within the risk management culture. Additionally, ERM allows the Company to deliberately develop risk responses and evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation compared to established thresholds for risk appetite and tolerance, in addition to facilitating the consideration of significant organizational changes and consolidation of information through a common process for management and the board of directors.

First Financial has identified nine types of risk that it monitors in its ERM framework.  These risks include credit, market, operational, compliance, strategic, reputation, information technology, cyber and legal.

First Financial uses a robust regulatory risk framework as one of the foundational components of its ERM framework.  This allows for a common categorization across the Company and provides a consistent and complete risk framework that can be summarized and assessed enterprise-wide. Additionally, the risk framework utilized is consistent with that used by the Company’s regulators, which results in additional feedback on First Financial’s ability to assess and measure risk across the organization as well as the ability for management and the board of directors to identify and understand differences in assessed risk profiles.

ERM helps ensure that First Financial continues to identify and adequately address risks that emerge from a combination of new customers, products and associates, changing markets, new lines of business and processes and new or evolving systems.

The goals of First Financial’s ERM framework are to:

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 25

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

• focus on the Company at both the enterprise and line of business levels;

• align the Company's risk appetite with its strategic, operational, compliance and reporting objectives;

• enhance risk response decisions;

• reduce operational deficiencies and possible losses;

• identify and manage interrelated risks;

• provide integrated responses to multiple risks;

• improve the deployment and allocation of capital; and

• improve overall business performance.

Specific enterprise-level objectives include:

• creating a holistic view of risk in which risk is comprehensively considered, consistently communicated and documented in decision making;

• centralizing the oversight of risk management activities;

• defining the risks that will be addressed by the enterprise and each functional area or business unit to create an awareness of risks affecting the Company;

• establishing and maintaining systems and mechanisms to identify, assess, monitor and measure risks that may impact First Financial’s ability to achieve its business objectives;

• creating a process which ensures that, for all new lines of business and new product decisions, management evaluates the expertise needed and assesses the risks involved;

• establishing and maintaining systems and mechanisms to monitor risk responses;

• developing risk occurrence information systems to provide early warning of events or situations that create risk for the Company;

• maintaining a compliance culture and framework that ensures adherence to laws, rules and regulations, fair treatment and privacy of customers and prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing;

• implementing and reviewing risk measurement techniques that management may use to establish the Company’s risk tolerance, assess risk likelihood and impact and analyze risk monitoring processes; and

• establishing appropriate management reporting systems regarding the enterprise-wide risk exposures and allocation of capital.

Line of business-level objectives focus on why the particular business or business unit risk exists; how the business affects the Company’s strategy, earnings, reputation and other key success factors; and whether the line of business objectives are aligned with enterprise objectives.

Board of Directors and Board Risk & Compliance Committees. First Financial’s board of directors is responsible for understanding the Company’s compliance and risk management objectives and risk tolerance, and as such, board oversight of the Company’s compliance and risk management activities is a key component to an effective risk management process. Responsibilities of the board of directors include:

• establishing and guiding the Company’s strategic direction and tolerance for risk, including the determination of the aggregate risk appetite and identifying the senior managers who have the responsibility for managing risk;

• monitoring the Company’s performance and overall risk profile, ensuring that the level of risk is maintained at prudent levels and is supported by adequate capital;

• ensuring that the Company implements sound fundamental principles that facilitate the identification, measurement, monitoring and control of risk;

• ensuring that adequate resources are dedicated to compliance and risk management; and

• ensuring that awareness of risk management activities is evident throughout the organization.

The board of directors has defined broad risk tolerance levels, or limits, to guide management in the decision-making process, and is responsible for establishing information and communication requirements to ensure that risk management activities remain within these tolerance limits. The risk and compliance committee, a standing committee of the board of directors, is responsible for carrying out the board’s responsibilities in this regard. Other standing committees of the board (audit, compensation, corporate governance and nominating, and capital markets) oversee particular areas of risk assigned specifically to them.

Executive and Senior Management. Members of executive and senior management are responsible for managing risk activities and delegating risk authority and tolerance to the responsible risk owners.

26 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Management must identify which processes and activities are critical to achieving the Company’s business objectives within the designated tolerance levels.  Management must then delegate responsibility, authority and accountability to the appropriate risk owners who are responsible for ensuring that the respective processes and activities are designed and implemented to manage the related risks within those delegated tolerance levels.

Chief Risk Officer. The chief risk officer is responsible for the oversight of the Company’s ERM processes.  The chief risk officer may appoint other officers or establish other management committees as required for effective risk management and governance, including risk identification, risk measurement, risk monitoring, risk control or mitigation and risk reporting.  The chief risk officer is also responsible for the maintenance of procedures, methodologies and guidelines considered necessary to administer the ERM program.

Chief Compliance Officer. The chief compliance officer is responsible for the oversight of the Company’s compliance management function, which includes Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering and all other regulatory compliance.  The chief compliance officer is authorized to implement all necessary actions to ensure achievement of the objectives of an effective compliance program and may appoint other officers or establish other management committees as required for effective compliance management. The chief compliance officer reviews and evaluates compliance issues and concerns and is responsible for monitoring and reporting results of the compliance efforts in addition to providing guidance to the board of directors and senior management team on matters relating to compliance.

Committee Chairs. The ERM program utilizes multiple management committees as its primary assessment and communication mechanism for identified risks.  Committee chairs play key roles in the execution of risk management activities throughout the enterprise and are responsible for continuous updates and communication among committee members in conjunction with the risk management department regarding changes to risk profiles, changes to risk assessments and the emergence of new risks that could impact the Company.

Internal Audit. Internal audit is responsible for planning audit activities to periodically reassess the design and operation of key risk management processes and to make periodic evaluations of the ongoing accuracy and effectiveness of the communications from risk owners to senior management and from senior management to the board of directors.

Risk Assessment Process. The periodic assessment of risks is a key component of a sound ERM program.  Managers, business line leaders and executives are responsible for developing the risk assessment for their individual departments, business lines and subsidiaries.  The chief risk officer, management and the board risk and compliance committee are responsible for ensuring that risk is viewed and analyzed from an enterprise-level global perspective. Furthermore, interrelated risks are considered, assessing how a single risk or event may create multiple risks.

Risk management programs, in each functional component and in aggregate, accomplish the following:

• identify risks and their respective owners;

• link identified risks and their mitigation to the Company's strategic objectives;

• evaluate the risks and their associated likelihood of occurrence and consequences;

• develop strategies to manage risk, such as avoiding the risk; reducing the negative effect of the risk; transferring the risk to another party; and/or accepting some or all of the consequences of a particular risk;

• prioritize the risk issues with regard to the current risk status and trend;

• provide reports to management and risk owners that will assist them in implementing appropriate risk management processes;

• assist management in assessing the alternatives for managing risks;

• assist management in the development of risk management plans; and

• track risk management efforts.

Monitoring and Reporting. The board of directors oversees risk reporting and monitoring through the board risk and compliance committee, which meets at least quarterly. 

Management continually reviews any risk identified as key, as well as the appropriateness of established tolerance limits and the actions considered as necessary to mitigate key risks.  As circumstances warrant, management provides recommendations to the board risk and compliance committee related to changes or adjustments to key risks or tolerance limits.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 27

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

First Financial believes that communication is fundamental to successful risk management and productive reporting and communication between the risk management department, management and the board of directors is required for collaborative and effective risk management.

CREDIT RISK

Credit risk represents the risk of loss due to failure of a customer or counterparty to meet its financial obligations in accordance with contractual terms. First Financial manages credit risk through its underwriting practices, periodically reviewing and approving its credit exposures using credit policies and guidelines approved by the board of directors.

Allowance for loan and lease losses. The ALLL is a reserve accumulated on the Consolidated Balance Sheets through the recognition of the provision for loan and lease losses. First Financial records the provision in the Consolidated Statements of Income to maintain the ALLL at a level considered sufficient to absorb probable incurred loan and lease losses inherent in the portfolio.

The recorded values of the loans and leases actually removed from the Consolidated Balance Sheets due to credit deterioration are referred to as charge-offs. First Financial's policy is to charge-off all or a portion of a loan when, in management's opinion, it is unlikely to collect the principal amount owed in full either through payments from the borrower or from the liquidation of collateral. All loans charged-off are subject to continuous review and concerted efforts are made to maximize any recovery. In most cases, the borrower’s debt obligation is not canceled even though the balance may have been charged-off. Actual losses on loans and leases are charged against the ALLL. Any subsequent recovery of a previously charged-off loan is credited back to the ALLL.

Management determines the adequacy of the ALLL based on historical loss experience as well as other significant factors such as composition of the portfolio; economic conditions; geographic footprint; the results of periodic internal and external evaluations of delinquent, nonaccrual and classified loans; and any other situations that may affect a specific borrower's ability to repay. The evaluation of these factors is the responsibility of the ALLL committee, which is comprised of senior officers from the risk management, credit administration, finance and lending areas.

See Table 12 – Summary of the ALLL and Selected Statistics for a summary of activity impacting the ALLL and Table 13 – Allocation of the ALLL for detail on its composition.

2019 vs. 2018. The ALLL at December 31, 2019 was $57.7 million, or 0.63% of loans, which was a $1.1 million, or 2.0%, increase from $56.5 million, or 0.64% of loans at December 31, 2018. Provision expense increased $16.0 million, or 109.8%, to $30.6 million in 2019 from $14.6 million in 2018.

Net charge-offs increased $17.4 million, or 144.4%, to $29.5 million for 2019 compared to $12.1 million for 2018, while the ratio of net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans outstanding increased to 0.33% in 2019 from 0.15% in 2018. The increase in net charge-offs in 2019 was the primary driver of the elevated provision expense, and was mainly attributed to $13.2 million of charge-offs related to a single franchise relationship.

The ALLL as a percentage of nonperforming loans, including accruing TDRs was 96.7% at December 31, 2019 compared with 65.1% at December 31, 2018. The improvement in this ratio largely is attributed to the reduction of nonperforming loans as a result of strong resolution efforts during the period.

28 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

For further discussion of First Financial's ALLL, see Note 6 – Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Table 12 • Summary of the ALLL and Selected Statistics
(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018			2017			2016			2015
Transactions in the allowance for loan and lease losses:
Balance at January 1	$	56,542		$	54,021		$	57,961		$	53,398		$	52,858
Provision for loan and lease losses	30,598			14,586			3,582			10,140			9,641
Loans charged-off:
Commercial and industrial	26,676			11,533			10,194			2,630			5,408
Lease financing	162			0			0			0			0
Real estate – construction	0			0			1			93			85
Real estate – commercial	3,689			4,835			1,038			4,983			10,083
Real estate – residential	677			422			435			387			1,531
Home equity	2,591			1,725			913			1,445			1,891
Installment	223			435			225			386			509
Credit card	1,547			1,720			857			1,190			1,049
Total loans charged-off	35,565			20,670			13,663			11,114			20,556
Recoveries of loans previously charged-off:
Commercial and industrial	2,883			2,066			1,650			1,155			3,724
Lease financing	0			1			1			1			2
Real estate – construction	68			146			89			285			253
Real estate – commercial	1,113			4,106			2,719			2,502			5,214
Real estate – residential	273			211			215			236			558
Home equity	1,335			1,309			1,027			720			1,001
Installment	251			575			234			335			463
Credit card	152			191			206			303			240
Total recoveries	6,075			8,605			6,141			5,537			11,455
Net charge-offs	29,490			12,065			7,522			5,577			9,101
Balance at December 31	$	57,650		$	56,542		$	54,021		$	57,961		$	53,398
Net charge-offs to average loans and leases
Commercial and industrial	0.95		%	0.38		%	0.47		%	0.08		%	0.12		%
Lease financing	0.17		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	0.00		%
Real estate-construction	(0.01		)%	(0.03		)%	(0.02		)%	(0.05		)%	(0.07		)%
Real estate-commercial	0.07		%	0.02		%	(0.07		)%	0.11		%	0.23		%
Real estate-residential	0.04		%	0.03		%	0.05		%	0.03		%	0.19		%
Home equity	0.16		%	0.06		%	(0.02		)%	0.16		%	0.19		%
Installment	(0.03		)%	(0.15		)%	(0.02		)%	0.11		%	0.11		%
Credit card	2.81		%	3.19		%	1.44		%	2.10		%	2.04		%
Total net charge-offs	0.33		%	0.15		%	0.13		%	0.10		%	0.18		%
Credit quality ratios:
As a percent of year-end loans, net of unearned income:
Allowance for loan and lease losses	0.63		%	0.64		%	0.90		%	1.01		%	0.99		%
Nonperforming loans (1)	0.65		%	0.98		%	0.69		%	0.83		%	1.06		%
Allowance for loan and lease losses to nonperforming loans (1)	96.73		%	65.13		%	129.77		%	120.83		%	93.89		%

⁽¹⁾ Includes loans classified as nonaccrual and troubled debt restructurings.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 29

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Table 13 • Allocation of the ALLL
	December 31,
	2019				2018				2017				2016				2015
(Dollars in thousands)	Allowance		Percent of Loans to Total Loans		Allowance		Percent of Loans to Total Loans		Allowance		Percent of Loans to Total Loans		Allowance		Percent of Loans to Total Loans		Allowance		Percent of Loans to Total Loans
Balance at End of Period Applicable to:
Commercial and industrial	$	18,584	26.8	%	$	18,746	28.5	%	$	17,598	31.8	%	$	19,225	31.0	%	$	16,995	30.9	%
Lease financing	971		1.0	%	1,130		1.1	%	675		1.5	%	716		1.6	%	821		1.7	%
Real estate – construction	2,381		5.4	%	3,413		6.2	%	3,577		7.8	%	3,282		6.9	%	1,810		5.8	%
Real estate – commercial	23,579		45.5	%	21,048		42.5	%	20,930		41.4	%	26,540		42.2	%	23,656		41.9	%
Real estate – residential	5,299		11.5	%	4,964		10.8	%	4,683		7.8	%	3,208		8.7	%	4,014		9.5	%
Installment, home equity & credit card	6,836		9.8	%	7,241		10.9	%	6,558		9.7	%	4,990		9.6	%	6,102		10.2	%
Total	$	57,650	100.0	%	$	56,542	100.0	%	$	54,021	100.0	%	$	57,961	100.0	%	$	53,398	100.0	%

MARKET RISK

Market risk is the risk of loss arising from adverse changes in the fair value of financial instruments due to changes in interest rates, foreign exchange rates and equity prices. The primary source of market risk for First Financial is interest rate risk. Interest rate risk is the risk to earnings and the value of the Company's equity arising from changes in market interest rates. Interest rate risk arises in the normal course of business to the extent that there is a divergence between the amount of interest-earning assets and the amount of interest-bearing liabilities that are prepaid, withdrawn, re-priced or mature in specified periods. First Financial seeks to achieve consistent growth in net interest income and equity while managing volatility from shifts in market interest rates.

First Financial monitors the Company's interest rate risk position using income simulation models and EVE sensitivity analyses that capture both short-term and long-term interest rate risk exposure.  Income simulation involves forecasting NII under a variety of interest rate scenarios. EVE is calculated by discounting the cash flows for all balance sheet instruments under different interest-rate scenarios. First Financial uses EVE sensitivity analysis to understand the impact of changes in interest rates on long-term cash flows, income and capital.  For both NII and EVE modeling, First Financial leverages instantaneous parallel shocks to evaluate interest rate risk exposure across rising and falling rate scenarios. Additional scenarios evaluated include various non-parallel yield curve twists.

First Financial’s interest rate risk models are based on the contractual and assumed cash flows and repricing characteristics for the Company’s assets, liabilities and off-balance sheet exposure. A number of assumptions are also incorporated into the interest rate risk models, including prepayment behaviors and repricing spreads for assets in addition to attrition and repricing rates for liabilities. Assumptions are primarily derived from behavior studies of the Company’s historical client base and are continually refined. Modeling the sensitivity of NII and EVE to changes in market interest rates is highly dependent on the assumptions incorporated into the modeling process.

Non-maturity deposit modeling is particularly dependent on the assumption for repricing sensitivity known as a beta. Beta is the amount by which First Financial’s interest bearing non-maturity deposit rates will increase when short-term interest rates rise. The Company utilized a weighted average deposit beta of 37% in its interest rate risk modeling as of December 31, 2019. First Financial also includes an assumption for the migration of non-maturity deposit balances into CDs for all upward rate scenarios beginning with the +100 BP scenario, thereby increasing deposit costs and reducing asset sensitivity.

30 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Presented below is the estimated impact on First Financial’s NII and EVE as of December 31, 2019, assuming immediate, parallel shifts in interest rates:

	% Change from base case for  immediate parallel changes in rates
	-100 BP	+100 BP	+200 BP
NII - Year 1	(6.62)%	3.99%	7.01%
NII - Year 2	(9.02)%	5.33%	9.46%
EVE	(5.51)%	3.83%	6.34%

“Risk-neutral” refers to the absence of a strong bias toward either asset or liability sensitivity. “Asset sensitivity” is when a company's interest-earning assets reprice more quickly or in greater quantities than interest-bearing liabilities. Conversely, “liability sensitivity” is when a company's interest-bearing liabilities reprice more quickly or in greater quantities than interest-earning assets. In a rising interest rate environment, asset sensitivity results in higher net interest income while liability sensitivity results in lower net interest income. In a declining interest rate environment, asset sensitivity results in lower net interest income while liability sensitivity results in higher net interest income.

First Financial was within policy limits set for the disclosed interest rate scenarios as of December 31, 2019. The projected

results for NII and EVE reflected an asset sensitive position, which was relatively in line with third quarter results, but has increased slightly over the back half of 2019 due to increased variable rate loan production. First Financial continues to manage its balance sheet with a bias toward neutrality or slight asset sensitivity while simultaneously balancing the potential earnings impact of this strategy.

First Financial continually evaluates the sensitivity of its interest rate risk position to modeling assumptions. The following table reflects First Financial’s estimated NII sensitivity profile as of December 31, 2019 assuming both a 25% increase and decrease to the beta assumption on managed rate deposit products:

	Beta sensitivity (% change from base)
	+100 BP				+200 BP
	Beta 25% lower		Beta 25% higher		Beta 25% lower		Beta 25% higher
NII-Year 1	4.93	%	3.05	%	7.92	%	6.11	%
NII-Year 2	6.27	%	4.39	%	10.36	%	8.55	%

See the Net Interest Income section of Management’s Discussion and Analysis for further discussion.

Table 14 – Market Risk Disclosure projects the principal maturities and yields of First Financial’s interest-bearing financial instruments at December 31, 2019 for the next five years and thereafter, as well as the fair value of the instruments. For loans, securities and liabilities with contractual maturities, the table presents principal cash flows and related weighted-average interest rates by contractual maturities. For investment securities, including MBSs and CMOs, principal cash flows are based on estimated average lives. For loan instruments without contractual maturities, such as credit card loans, principal payments are allocated based on historical payment activity trends. Maturities for interest-bearing liability accounts with no contractual maturity dates are estimated according to historical experience of cash flows and current expectations of client behaviors when calculating fair value, but are included in the maturing in one year or less category as they can be withdrawn on demand.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 31

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

Table 14 • Market Risk Disclosure
																						Fair Value
	Principal Amount Maturing In																					December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2020			2021			2022			2023			2024			Thereafter			Total			2019
Rate sensitive assets
Fixed interest rate loans (1)	$	390,678		$	332,995		$	264,535		$	275,995		$	177,186		$	725,114		$	2,166,503		$	2,227,168
Average interest rate	4.60		%	4.48		%	4.58		%	4.50		%	4.82		%	4.29		%	4.48		%
Variable interest rate loans (1)	1,046,607			742,251			693,245			568,836			796,736			3,143,517			6,991,192			6,920,727
Average interest rate	4.70		%	4.64		%	4.55		%	4.64		%	4.94		%	4.69		%	4.69		%
Fixed interest rate securities	191,525			350,046			454,086			449,592			313,114			842,935			2,601,298			2,601,257
Average interest rate	3.39		%	3.28		%	3.08		%	2.90		%	3.00		%	3.09		%	3.10		%
Variable interest rate securities	53,310			68,224			54,485			17,710			68,889			131,030			393,648			393,648
Average interest rate	4.15		%	4.23		%	4.12		%	4.77		%	3.70		%	3.20		%	3.80		%
Other earning assets	56,948			0			0			0			0			0			56,948			56,948
Average interest rate	1.75		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	1.75		%
Rate sensitive liabilities
Noninterest-bearing checking (2)	$	2,643,928		$	0		$	0		$	0		$	0		$	0		$	2,643,928		$	2,643,928
Savings and interest-bearing checking (2)	5,325,860			0			0			0			0			0			5,325,860			5,325,860
Average interest rate	0.50		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	0.50		%
Time deposits	1,753,100			294,630			141,268			37,757			13,282			404			2,240,441			2,240,002
Average interest rate	2.01		%	1.72		%	1.95		%	0.74		%	1.23		%	2.34		%	1.94		%
Fixed interest rate borrowings	1,330,017			19,007			49,404			0			0			193,948			1,592,376			1,593,427
Average interest rate	1.84		%	4.92		%	2.67		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	4.29		%	2.20		%
Variable interest rate borrowings	90,181			0			0			0			0			48,000			138,181			137,691
Average interest rate	0.22		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	0.00		%	4.51		%	1.71		%

⁽¹⁾ Includes loans held for sale.

⁽²⁾ Deposits without a stated maturity are represented as maturing within one year due to the ability of the client to withdraw deposited amounts on demand.

OPERATIONAL RISK

Operational risk is the risk of loss due to human behavior, inadequate or failed internal systems and controls and external influences such as market conditions, fraudulent activities, natural disasters and security risks. First Financial continuously strives to strengthen the Company’s system of internal controls and operating processes as well as associates' ability to assess the impact on earnings and capital from operational risk.

COMPLIANCE RISK

Compliance risk represents the risk of regulatory sanctions, reputational impact or financial loss resulting from the Company’s failure to comply with rules and regulations issued by the various banking agencies and standards of good banking practice. Activities which may expose First Financial to compliance risk include, but are not limited to, those dealing with the prevention of money laundering, privacy and data protection, community reinvestment initiatives, fair lending challenges resulting from the Company’s expansion of its banking center network and employment and tax matters.

STRATEGIC AND REPUTATION RISK

Strategic risk represents the risk of loss due to failure to fully develop and execute business plans, failure to assess current and new business opportunities, markets and products and any other event not identified in the defined risk types previously mentioned. Strategic risk focuses on analyzing factors that affect the direction of the institution or improper implementation of decisions.

32 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Reputation risk represents the risk of loss or impairment of earnings and capital from negative publicity. This affects the ability of First Financial to establish new relationships or services or to continue servicing existing relationships. Reputation risk is recognized by the effect that public opinion could have on First Financial's franchise value and has evolved in recent years with the growth in social media.

Mitigation of strategic and reputation risk elements is achieved through initiatives that help First Financial better understand and report on the various risks it faces each day, including those related to the development of new products and business initiatives.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RISK

Information technology risk is the risk that the information technologies utilized by FFB are not efficiently and effectively supporting the current and future needs of the business, operating as intended or compromise the availability, integrity and reliability of data and information. This risk also considers whether or not the Company’s information technology exposes the Company's assets to potential loss or misuse, or threatens the Company’s ability to sustain the operation of critical business processes.

CYBERSECURITY RISK

Cyber risk is differentiated from information technology risk by threat interactions that yield high impact consequences and ever-increasing probability. First Financial continues to be the target of various evolving and adaptive cyber attacks, including malware, phishing and distributed denial-of-service, in order to disrupt the operations of financial institutions, potentially test their cybersecurity capabilities, commit fraud, or obtain confidential, proprietary or other information. While standard security operations address most day to day incidents, cyber risk includes threats and attacks that often use advanced tools, techniques and processes to evade detection or inflict maximum damage to an organization's information assets. Cyber threats and attacks adapt and evolve rapidly, so First Financial works to continuously enhance controls and processes to protect its networks and applications from attack, damage or unauthorized access. Critical components to the Company’s cyber risk control structure include corporate governance, threat intelligence, security awareness training and patch management programs. Cybersecurity risk mitigation includes effectively identifying, protecting against, detecting, responding to, and recovering from cyber threats.

LEGAL RISK

Legal risk encompasses the impact of unenforceable contracts, lawsuits or adverse judgments, which can disrupt or otherwise negatively affect the Company’s operations or condition. Legal risk also includes the exposure from litigation, fiduciary relationships and contractual obligations from both traditional and nontraditional financial institution activities. Legal risk is present in all areas of the Company and its activities.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

First Financial’s Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared based on the application of accounting policies, the most significant of which are described in Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. These policies require the reliance on estimates and assumptions which are inherently subjective and may be susceptible to significant change. Changes in underlying factors, assumptions or estimates could have a material impact on First Financial’s future financial condition and results of operations. In management’s opinion, some of these estimates and assumptions have a more significant impact than others on First Financial’s financial reporting. For First Financial, these estimates and assumptions include accounting for the ALLL, goodwill, pension and income taxes.

ALLL. For each reporting period, management maintains the ALLL at a level that it considers sufficient to absorb probable incurred loan and lease losses inherent in the portfolio. Management determines the adequacy of the ALLL based on historical loss experience as well as other significant factors such as composition of the portfolio, economic conditions, geographic footprint, the results of periodic internal and external evaluations of delinquent, nonaccrual and classified loans and any other adverse situations that may affect a specific borrower's ability to repay, including the timing of future payments.

Management's determination of the adequacy of the ALLL is based on an assessment of the probable incurred loan and lease losses inherent in the portfolio given the conditions at the time. The ALLL is generally increased by provision expense and decreased by charge-offs, net of recoveries of amounts previously charged-off. Loans are charged off when management believes that the collection of the principal amount owed in full, either through payments from the borrower or from the liquidation of collateral, is unlikely.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 33

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

To the extent actual outcomes differ from management’s estimates, additional provision for credit losses may be required that would impact First Financial’s operating results. The Credit Risk section of this annual report provides management’s analysis of the ALLL.

Goodwill. Assets and liabilities acquired in a business combination are recorded at their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date. The excess cost of the acquisition over the fair value of net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. The Company is required to evaluate goodwill for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. First Financial performs its annual impairment test effective October 1, absent events or changes in circumstances that indicate the carrying value of goodwill may not be recoverable.

The Company’s goodwill is accounted for in a single reporting unit representing the consolidated entity. Fair value is estimated using the market capitalization of the Company, as of the annual impairment testing date. First Financial also utilizes additional information and analysis to corroborate the use of the Company’s market capitalization as a proper indicator of fair value for purposes of the annual goodwill impairment test. The additional information and analysis uses the discounted cash flows of First Financial’s assets and liabilities to determine an implied fair value of the Company, which is compared to the Company’s book value.

Pension. First Financial sponsors a non-contributory defined-benefit pension plan covering substantially all employees. Accounting for the pension plan involves material estimates regarding future plan obligations and investment returns on plan assets. Significant assumptions used in the pension plan include the discount rate, expected return on plan assets and the rate of compensation increase. First Financial determines the discount rate assumption using published corporate bond indices and the projected cash flows of the pension plan. First Financial also utilizes external surveys for industry comparisons to assess the discount rate for reasonableness. The expected long-term return on plan assets is determined based on the composition of plan assets, actual returns, economic forecasts and economic, while the rate of compensation increase is compared to historical increases for plan participants. Changes in these assumptions can have a material impact on the amount of First Financial’s future pension obligations, on the funded status of the plan and on the Company's operating results.

Income Taxes. First Financial evaluates and assesses the relative risks and appropriate tax treatment of transactions after considering statutes, regulations, judicial precedent and other information, and maintains tax accruals consistent with its evaluation of these relative risks. Changes to the estimate of accrued taxes occur periodically due to changes in tax rates, interpretations of tax laws, the status of examinations being conducted by taxing authorities and changes to statutory, judicial and regulatory guidance that impact the relative risks of tax positions. These changes, when they occur, can affect deferred taxes and accrued taxes as well as the current period’s income tax expense and can be material to the Company's operating results.

First Financial regularly reviews its tax positions and establishes reserves for income tax-related uncertainties based on estimates of whether it is more likely than not that the tax uncertainty would be sustained upon challenge by the appropriate tax authorities which would then result in additional taxes, penalties and interest due.  Reserves for uncertain tax positions, if any, are included in income tax expense in the Consolidated Financial Statements.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this report which are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (the Act). In addition, certain statements in future filings by First Financial with the SEC, in press releases, and in oral and written statements made by or with the approval of First Financial which are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Act. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, projections of revenues, income or loss, earnings or loss per share, the payment or non-payment of dividends, capital structure and other financial items, statements of plans and objectives of First Financial or its management or board of directors and statements of future economic performances and statements of assumptions underlying such statements. Words such as ''believes,'' ''anticipates,'' “likely,” “expected,” ''intends,'' and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Management's analysis contains forward-looking statements that are provided to assist in the understanding of anticipated future financial performance. However, such performance involves risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

▪ management's ability to effectively execute its business plan;

34 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

▪ the risk that the strength of the United States economy in general and the strength of the local economies in which we conduct operations may deteriorate resulting in, among other things, a further deterioration in credit quality or a reduced demand for credit, including the resultant effect on our loan portfolio, allowance for loan and lease losses and overall financial performance;

▪ U.S. fiscal debt and budget matters;

▪ the ability of financial institutions to access sources of liquidity at a reasonable cost;

▪ the impact of upheaval in the financial markets and the effectiveness of domestic and international governmental actions taken in response, and the effect of such governmental actions on us, our competitors and counterparties, financial markets generally and availability of credit specifically, and the U.S. and international economies, including potentially higher FDIC premiums arising from increased payments from FDIC insurance funds as a result of depository institution failures;

▪ the effect of and changes in policies and laws or regulatory agencies (notably the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the capital rules promulgated by federal banking regulators);

▪ the effect of the current interest rate environment or changes in interest rates on our net interest margin and our loan originations and securities holdings;

▪ our ability to stay current with technological trends;

▪ failure or breach of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of our third party vendors or other service providers;

▪ mergers and acquisitions, including costs or difficulties related to the integration of acquired companies;

▪ the risk that exploring merger and acquisition opportunities may detract from management's time and ability to successfully manage our business;

▪ expected cost savings in connection with acquisitions may not be fully realized or realized within the expected time frames, and deposit attrition, customer loss and revenue loss following completed acquisitions may be greater than expected;

▪ our ability to increase market share and control expenses;

▪ the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the regulatory agencies as well as the FASB and the SEC;

▪ adverse changes in the creditworthiness of our borrowers and lessees, collateral values, the value of investment securities and asset recovery values;

▪ adverse changes in the securities, debt and/or derivatives markets;

▪ our success in recruiting and retaining the necessary personnel to support business growth and expansion and maintain sufficient expertise to support increasingly complex products and services;

▪ monetary and fiscal policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) and the U.S. government and other governmental initiatives affecting the financial services industry;

▪ unpredictable natural or other disasters could have an adverse effect on us in that such events could materially disrupt our operations or our vendors' operations or willingness of our customers to access the financial services we offer;

▪ our ability to manage loan delinquency and charge-off rates and changes in estimation of the adequacy of the allowance for loan and lease losses; and

▪ the costs and effects of litigation and of unexpected or adverse outcomes in such litigation.

Such forward-looking statements are meaningful only on the date when such statements are made, and First Financial undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such a statement is made to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

These and other risk factors are more fully described in First Financial's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 under the section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and from time to time, in other filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, First Financial undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 35

Statistical Information
	2019							2018							2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Average Balance			Interest		Average Yield		Average Balance			Interest		Average Yield		Average Balance			Interest			Average Yield
Earning assets
Loans and leases (1), (4)
Commercial and industrial (2)	$	2,505,615		$	153,128	6.11	%	$	2,518,333		$	150,113	5.96	%	$	1,815,925		$	98,683		5.43	%
Lease financing (2)	92,902			3,964		4.27	%	91,476			3,911		4.28	%	86,662			3,999			4.61	%
Construction-real estate	491,503			26,637		5.42	%	540,014			28,761		5.33	%	429,868			18,076			4.21	%
Commercial-real estate (2)	3,906,992			216,757		5.55	%	3,310,697			178,235		5.38	%	2,448,570			110,586			4.52	%
Residential-real estate	1,025,394			47,635		4.65	%	821,454			38,543		4.69	%	499,397			19,588			3.92	%
Installment and other consumer	926,129			52,539		5.67	%	868,724			49,202		5.66	%	565,441			31,251			5.53	%
Total loans and leases	8,948,535			500,660		5.59	%	8,150,698			448,765		5.51	%	5,845,863			282,183			4.83	%
Indemnification asset	0			0		N/M		370			0		0.00	%	9,535			(3,871		)	(40.60	)%
Investment securities (3)
Taxable	2,684,973			90,168		3.36	%	2,451,352			79,076		3.23	%	1,791,729			50,568			2.82	%
Tax-exempt (2)	603,902			22,273		3.69	%	445,815			16,997		3.81	%	209,658			9,105			4.34	%
Total investment securities (3)	3,288,875			112,441		3.42	%	2,897,167			96,073		3.32	%	2,001,387			59,673			2.98	%
Interest-bearing deposits with other banks	35,814			805		2.25	%	32,090			691		2.15	%	30,933			347			1.12	%
Total earning assets	12,273,224			613,906		5.00	%	11,080,325			545,529		4.93	%	7,887,718			338,332			4.29	%
Nonearning assets
Allowance for loan and lease losses	(58,504		)					(56,115		)					(56,599		)
Cash and due from banks	191,864							188,971							116,409
Accrued interest and other assets	1,804,135							1,398,257							663,875
Total assets	$	14,210,719						$	12,611,438						$	8,611,403
Interest-bearing liabilities
Deposits
Interest-bearing demand	$	2,326,193		$	12,748	0.55	%	$	2,169,396		$	8,446	0.39	%	$	1,491,114		$	4,242		0.28	%
Savings	3,027,725			21,383		0.71	%	2,990,731			18,050		0.60	%	2,412,788			15,941			0.66	%
Time	2,223,429			44,901		2.02	%	1,938,709			30,466		1.57	%	1,189,963			14,999			1.26	%
Total interest-bearing deposits	7,577,347			79,032		1.04	%	7,098,836			56,962		0.80	%	5,093,865			35,182			0.69	%
Borrowed funds
Short-term borrowings	1,146,719			25,235		2.20	%	947,427			18,033		1.90	%	830,365			8,193			0.99	%
Long-term debt	522,340			19,057		3.65	%	438,567			16,152		3.68	%	120,794			6,153			5.09	%
Total borrowed funds	1,669,059			44,292		2.65	%	1,385,994			34,185		2.47	%	951,159			14,346			1.51	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities	9,246,406			123,324		1.33	%	8,484,830			91,147		1.07	%	6,045,024			49,528			0.82	%
Noninterest-bearing liabilities
Noninterest-bearing demand deposits	2,524,011							2,217,349							1,540,384
Other liabilities	265,623							156,998							128,564
Shareholders' equity	2,174,679							1,752,261							897,431
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$	14,210,719						$	12,611,438						$	8,611,403
Net interest income and interest rate spread (fully tax equivalent)				$	490,582	3.67	%				$	454,382	3.86	%				$	288,804		3.47	%
Net interest margin (fully tax equivalent)						4.00	%						4.10	%							3.66	%
Interest income and yield				$	607,578	4.95	%				$	540,382	4.88	%				$	333,073		4.22	%
Interest expense and rate				123,324		1.33	%				91,147		1.07	%				49,528			0.82	%
Net interest income and spread				$	484,254	3.62	%				$	449,235	3.81	%				$	283,545		3.40	%
Net interest margin						3.95	%						4.05	%							3.59	%
(1) Nonaccrual loans are included in average loan balance and loan fees are included in interest income.
(2) Interest income on tax-exempt investments and on certain tax-exempt loans and leases has been adjusted to a tax equivalent basis using a 21.00% tax rate for 2019 and 2018 and a 35.00% tax rate for 2017.
(3) Includes HTM securities, AFS securities and other investments.
(4) Includes loans held-for-sale.
N/M = not meaningful

36 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

First Financial’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. First Financial’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under the supervision of First Financial’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Any system of internal control, no matter how well designed, has inherent limitations, including the possibility that a control can be circumvented or overridden and misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected. Also, because of changes in conditions, internal control effectiveness may vary over time. Accordingly, even an effective system of internal control will provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation. As of December 31, 2019, First Financial’s management, including the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of First Financial’s internal controls over financial reporting, using as its framework for that evaluation the Internal Control – Integrated Framework published by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework). Based on the evaluation, we believe that, as of December 31, 2019, our internal control over financial reporting is effective based on those criteria.

Crowe LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that audited the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K, has issued an attestation report on First Financial’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019. The report, which expresses an unqualified opinion on First Financial’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, is included in the information that follows under the heading “Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm."

/s/ Archie M. Brown, Jr.	/s/ James M. Anderson
President and Chief Executive Officer	Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
February 21, 2020	February 21, 2020

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 37

Crowe LLP Independent Member Crowe Global

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Shareholders and the Board of Directors of First Financial Bancorp

Cincinnati, Ohio

Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of First Financial Bancorp (the "Company") as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2019, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework: (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2019 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework: (2013) issued by COSO.

Basis for Opinions

The Company’s management is responsible for these financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

38 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Allowance for Loan Losses - Adjustments for other factors

As more fully described in Note 1 and Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company estimates and records an allowance for loan losses for loans collectively evaluated for impairment by developing a loss rate based on historical losses and other factors. Other factors are used to adjust historical loss rates considering relevant market factors such as composition of the portfolio; economic conditions; geographic footprint; the results of periodic internal and external evaluations of delinquent, nonaccrual and classified loans; and any other situations that may affect a specific borrower's ability to repay. The application of the adjustments for other factors to the historical loss rate calculation is subjective.

The principal considerations for our determination that auditing the adjustments to the historical loss rates is a critical audit matter is the high degree of management judgment in the determination of the adjustments, which involves evaluation of managements established floors, risk factors, and using a rating scale in concluding on the estimate. Our audit procedures included both control and substantive testing related to the adjustments for other factors. Procedures included, among others:

Control tests included:

◦ Management’s review of the accuracy of data inputs used to adjust historical loss rates.

◦ Management’s review of the appropriateness of the adjustments to the historical loss rates

◦ Management’s review of the changes that occurred in the allowance for loans losses for loans collectively evaluated for impairment during the period by portfolio segment based on the system calculation analyzing changes due to rate (changes in the adjustment) and volume (changes in loan balance).

◦ Approval of the conclusions reached over the allowance for loan losses for loans collectively evaluated for impairment.

• Substantive tests included:

◦ Objective inputs were agreed to source documentation such as trial balances, unemployment statistics, loan performance and relevant indices

◦ The adjustments for other factors were evaluated for reasonableness and appropriateness including both directional consistency and the magnitude of the adjustments for other factors.

◦ Analytical procedures were performed to evaluate changes that occurred in the allowance for loan losses for loans collectively evaluated for impairment at December 31, 2018 as compared to December 31, 2019.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 39

Crowe LLP

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2015, which is the year the engagement letter was signed for the audit of the 2016 financial statements.

Indianapolis, Indiana

February 21, 2020

40 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Consolidated Balance Sheets

	December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018
Assets
Cash and due from banks	$	200,691		$	236,221
Interest-bearing deposits with other banks	56,948			37,738
Investment securities available-for-sale, at fair value (amortized cost $2,798,298 at December 31, 2019 and $2,792,326 at December 31, 2018)	2,852,084			2,779,255
Investment securities held-to-maturity (fair value $142,821 at December 31, 2019 and $424,118 at December 31, 2018)	142,862			429,328
Other investments	125,020			115,660
Loans held for sale	13,680			4,372
Loans and leases
Commercial & industrial	2,465,877			2,514,661
Lease financing	88,364			93,415
Construction real estate	493,182			548,935
Commercial real estate	4,194,651			3,754,681
Residential real estate	1,055,949			955,646
Home equity	771,869			817,282
Installment	82,589			93,212
Credit card	49,184			46,382
Total loans and leases	9,201,665			8,824,214
Less: Allowance for loan and lease losses	57,650			56,542
Net loans and leases	9,144,015			8,767,672
Premises and equipment	214,506			215,652
Goodwill	937,771			880,251
Other intangibles	76,201			40,805
Accrued interest and other assets	747,847			479,706
Total assets	$	14,511,625		$	13,986,660
Liabilities
Deposits
Interest-bearing demand	$	2,364,881		$	2,307,071
Savings	2,960,979			3,167,325
Time	2,240,441			2,173,564
Total interest-bearing deposits	7,566,301			7,647,960
Noninterest-bearing	2,643,928			2,492,434
Total deposits	10,210,229			10,140,394
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase	165,181			183,591
FHLB short-term borrowings	1,151,000			857,100
Total short-term borrowings	1,316,181			1,040,691
Long-term debt	414,376			570,739
Total borrowed funds	1,730,557			1,611,430
Accrued interest and other liabilities	323,134			156,587
Total liabilities	12,263,920			11,908,411
Shareholders' equity
Common stock - no par value
Authorized - 160,000,000 shares; Issued - 104,281,794 shares in 2019 and 104,281,794 shares in 2018	1,640,771			1,633,256
Retained earnings	711,249			600,014
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	13,323			(44,408		)
Treasury stock, at cost, 5,790,796 shares in 2019 and 6,387,508 shares in 2018	(117,638		)	(110,613		)
Total shareholders' equity	2,247,705			2,078,249
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$	14,511,625		$	13,986,660

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 41

Consolidated Statements of Income

	Years ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands except per share data)	2019			2018			2017
Interest income
Loans and leases, including fees	$	499,009		$	447,187		$	280,111
Investment securities
Taxable	90,168			79,076			50,568
Tax-exempt	17,596			13,428			5,918
Total interest on investment securities	107,764			92,504			56,486
Other earning assets	805			691			(3,524		)
Total interest income	607,578			540,382			333,073
Interest expense
Deposits	79,032			56,962			35,182
Short-term borrowings	25,235			18,033			8,193
Long-term borrowings	19,057			16,152			6,153
Total interest expense	123,324			91,147			49,528
Net interest income	484,254			449,235			283,545
Provision for loan and lease losses	30,598			14,586			3,582
Net interest income after provision for loan and lease losses	453,656			434,649			279,963
Noninterest income
Service charges on deposit accounts	37,939			35,108			19,775
Trust and wealth management fees	15,644			15,082			14,073
Bankcard income	18,804			20,245			13,298
Client derivative fees	15,662			7,682			6,418
Foreign exchange income	7,739			0			0
Net gain from sales of loans	14,851			6,071			5,169
Net gain (loss) on sales/transfers of investment securities	(406		)	(161		)	1,649
Other	21,140			19,355			15,760
Total noninterest income	131,373			103,382			76,142
Noninterest expenses
Salaries and employee benefits	209,061			188,990			137,240
Net occupancy	24,069			24,215			17,397
Furniture and equipment	15,903			14,908			8,443
Data processing	21,881			28,077			14,022
Marketing	6,908			7,598			3,201
Communication	3,267			3,167			1,819
Professional services	11,254			12,272			15,023
State intangible tax	5,829			4,152			2,655
FDIC assessments	1,973			3,969			3,944
Intangible assets amortization	9,671			7,359			1,298
Other	32,351			29,103			34,900
Total noninterest expenses	342,167			323,810			239,942
Income before income taxes	242,862			214,221			116,163
Income tax expense	44,787			41,626			19,376
Net income	$	198,075		$	172,595		$	96,787
Earnings per common share
Basic	$	2.01		$	1.95		$	1.57
Diluted	$	2.00		$	1.93		$	1.56
Average common shares outstanding - basic	98,305,570			88,582,090			61,529,460
Average common shares outstanding - diluted	98,851,471			89,614,205			62,171,590

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

42 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

	Years ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2019		2018			2017
Net income	$	198,075	$	172,595		$	96,787
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Unrealized gain (loss) on debt securities arising during the period	51,959		(11,229		)	4,367
Change in retirement obligation	4,649		(8,180		)	3,172
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives	217		484			514
Other comprehensive income (loss)	56,825		(18,925		)	8,053
Comprehensive income	$	254,900	$	153,670		$	104,840

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 43

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity

								Accumulated
	Common	Common						other
	stock	stock			Retained			comprehensive			Treasury stock
(Dollars in thousands, except share amounts)	shares	amount			earnings			income (loss)			Shares		Amount			Total
Balance at January 1, 2017	68,730,731	$	570,382		$	437,188		$	(28,443	)	(6,751,179	)	$	(113,903	)	$	865,224
Net income					96,787											96,787
Other comprehensive income (loss)								8,053								8,053
Cash dividends declared:
Common stock at $0.68 per share					(42,128		)									(42,128		)
Warrant exercises		(99		)							5,843		99			0
Exercise of stock options, net of shares purchased		(912		)							58,212		987			75
Restricted stock awards, net of forfeitures		(1,708		)							25,480		(1,085		)	(2,793		)
Share-based compensation expense		5,446														5,446
Balance at December 31, 2017, as previously reported	68,730,731	573,109			491,847			(20,390		)	(6,661,644	)	(113,902		)	930,664
Impact of cumulative effect of adoption of new accounting principles					5,093			(5,093		)						0
Net income					172,595											172,595
Other comprehensive income (loss)								(18,925		)						(18,925		)
Cash dividends declared:
Common stock at $0.78 per share					(69,521		)									(69,521		)
Common stock issued in connection with business combinations	35,551,063	1,043,424														1,043,424
Stock options and warrants acquired and converted in connection with business combinations		16,037														16,037
Warrant exercises		(1,120		)							65,354		1,120			0
Exercise of stock options, net of shares purchased		(282		)							32,941		566			284
Restricted stock awards, net of forfeitures		(4,131		)							175,841		1,603			(2,528		)
Share-based compensation expense		6,219														6,219
Balance at December 31, 2018	104,281,794	1,633,256			600,014			(44,408		)	(6,387,508	)	(110,613		)	2,078,249
Impact of cumulative effect of adoption of new accounting principles					2,636			906								3,542
Net income					198,075											198,075
Other comprehensive income (loss)								56,825								56,825
Cash dividends declared:
Common stock at $0.90 per share					(89,476		)									(89,476		)
Purchase of common stock											(2,753,272	)	(66,218		)	(66,218		)
Common stock issued in connection with business combinations		13,658									2,601,823		47,276			60,934
Warrant exercises		(7,830		)							452,134		7,830			0
Exercise of stock options, net of shares purchased		(264		)							20,424		354			90
Restricted stock awards, net of forfeitures		(6,018		)							275,603		3,733			(2,285		)
Share-based compensation expense		7,969														7,969
Balance at December 31, 2019	104,281,794	$	1,640,771		$	711,249		$	13,323		(5,790,796	)	$	(117,638	)	$	2,247,705

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

44 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

	Year ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018			2017
Operating activities
Net income	$	198,075		$	172,595		$	96,787
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Provision for loan and lease losses	30,598			14,586			3,582
Depreciation and amortization	28,138			24,171			12,645
Stock-based compensation expense	7,969			6,219			5,446
Pension expense (income)	1,041			859			(628		)
Net amortization (accretion) on investment securities	11,430			10,846			10,798
Net (gains) losses on sales of investments securities	406			161			(1,649		)
Originations of loans held for sale	(390,578		)	(157,771		)	(157,796		)
Net (gains) losses on sales of loans held for sale	(14,851		)	(6,071		)	(5,169		)
Proceeds from sales of loans held for sale	396,121			167,374			163,300
Deferred income taxes	12,590			6,267			(4,488		)
Amortization of operating leases	7,324			0			0
Payments for operating leases	(7,335		)	0			0
Decrease (increase) cash surrender value of life insurance	(3,748		)	(5,454		)	(3,792		)
Decrease (increase) in interest receivable	2,117			(3,808		)	(5,707		)
Decrease in indemnification asset	0			1,900			10,117
(Decrease) increase in interest payable	1,545			5,207			55
Decrease (increase) in other assets	(166,477		)	34,360			(21,455		)
(Decrease) increase in other liabilities	71,964			(10,043		)	21,478
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	186,329			261,398			123,524
Investing activities
Proceeds from sales of investment securities available-for-sale	519,136			290,745			189,962
Proceeds from calls, paydowns and maturities of securities available-for-sale	557,034			387,351			224,690
Purchases of securities available-for-sale	(834,743		)	(852,131		)	(723,131		)
Proceeds from calls, paydowns and maturities of securities held-to-maturity	18,062			36,671			121,903
Purchases of securities held-to-maturity	0			(14,014		)	(23,402		)
Purchases of other investment securities	(12,120		)	(31,385		)	(2,353		)
Net decrease (increase) in interest-bearing deposits with other banks	(19,210		)	(3,764		)	48,476
Net decrease (increase) in loans and leases	(409,557		)	(28,577		)	(266,043		)
Proceeds from disposal of other real estate owned	1,453			3,797			6,983
Purchases of premises and equipment	(20,934		)	(18,228		)	(6,537		)
Net cash acquired (paid) from business combinations	(51,663		)	64,895			0
Net cash (paid) received for branch divestitures	118			(41,197		)	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(252,424		)	(205,837		)	(429,452		)
Financing activities
Net (decrease) increase in total deposits	69,953			(18,690		)	369,258
Net (decrease) increase in short-term borrowings	275,490			30,531			6,653
Payments on long-term borrowings	(159,653		)	(52,460		)	(94		)
Proceeds from FHLB borrowings	0			150,000			0
Cash dividends paid on common stock	(89,097		)	(79,655		)	(41,178		)
Purchases of common stock	(66,218		)	0			0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	90			284			341
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	30,565			30,010			334,980
Cash and due from banks
Net (decrease) increase in Cash and due from banks	(35,530		)	85,571			29,052
Cash and due from banks at beginning of year	236,221			150,650			121,598
Cash and due from banks at end of year	$	200,691		$	236,221		$	150,650

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 45

Supplemental disclosures
Interest paid	$	121,779		$	84,125	$	49,474
Income taxes paid	$	27,497		$	16,004	$	38,329
Acquisition of other real estate owned through foreclosure	$	2,448		$	1,821	$	4,119
Issuance of restricted stock awards	$	10,488		$	8,797	$	6,416
Securities transferred from HTM to AFS	$	268,703		$	372,128	$	0
Common stock issued in acquisitions	$	60,934		$	1,043,424	$	0
Initial recognition of operating lease right of use asset	$	60,249		$	0	$	0
Initial recognition of operating lease liabilities	$	65,799		$	0	$	0
Supplemental schedule for investing activities
Business combinations
Assets acquired, net of purchase consideration	$	(39,140	)	$	3,342,781	$	0
Liabilities assumed	18,380			4,018,948		0
Goodwill	$	57,520		$	676,167	$	0

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

46 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of presentation. The Consolidated Financial Statements of First Financial Bancorp., a financial holding company, principally serving Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, include the accounts and operations of First Financial and its wholly owned subsidiary, First Financial Bank. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain reclassifications of prior years' amounts have been made to conform to current year presentation. Such reclassifications had no effect on net earnings.

Use of estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying Notes. Actual realized amounts could differ materially from those estimates.

Cash and due from banks. Cash and due from banks consist of currency, coin and cash items due from banks. Cash items due from banks include noninterest-bearing balances that are on deposit at other depository institutions.

Investment securities. First Financial classifies debt securities into three categories: HTM, trading and AFS. Management classifies investment securities into the appropriate category at the time of purchase and re-evaluates that classification as deemed appropriate.

Investment securities are classified as HTM when First Financial has the positive intent and ability to hold the securities to maturity. HTM securities are recorded at amortized cost.

Investment securities classified as trading are held principally for resale in the near-term and are recorded at fair value. Fair value is determined using quoted market prices. Gains or losses on trading securities, both realized and unrealized, are reported in noninterest income.

Investment securities not classified as either HTM or trading are classified as AFS. AFS securities are recorded at fair value, with the unrealized gains and losses, net of tax, reported as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in shareholders' equity.

The amortized cost of investment securities classified as either HTM or AFS is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity, or in the case of mortgage-backed securities, over the estimated life of the security. Such amortization and accretion are considered an adjustment to the yield on the security and included in interest income from investments. Interest and dividends are also included in interest income from investment securities in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Realized gains and losses are based on the amortized cost of the security sold using the specific identification method. AFS and HTM securities are reviewed quarterly for potential impairment. In performing this review, management considers the length of time and extent to which the fair value of the security has been less than amortized cost, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer and the ability and intent of First Financial to hold the security for a period sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value. If the fair value of a security is less than the amortized cost and the impairment is determined to be other-than-temporary, the security is written down, establishing a new and reduced cost basis. The related charge is recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Other investments. Other investments include holdings in FRB and FHLB stock, which are both carried at cost, in addition to equity securities which are carried at fair value. Changes in the fair value of equity securities are recorded in Other noninterest income in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Loans held for sale. Loans held for sale consist of residential real estate loans newly originated for the purpose of sale to third parties, and in certain circumstances, loans previously originated that have been specifically identified by management for sale based on predetermined criteria. Loans held for sale are carried at fair value. Any subsequent change in the carrying value of transferred loans, not to exceed original cost, is recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income. First Financial sells loans with servicing retained or released depending on pricing and market conditions.  

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 47

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Loans and leases. Loans and leases for which First Financial has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future, or until maturity or payoff, are classified in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as loans and leases. Loans and leases are carried at the principal amount outstanding, net of unamortized deferred loan origination fees and costs, and net of unearned income. Loan origination and commitment fees received, as well as certain direct loan origination costs paid, are deferred, and the net amount is amortized as an adjustment to the related loan's yield.

Interest income on loans and leases is recorded on an accrual basis. When a loan is classified as nonaccrual, the accrual of interest income is discontinued and previously accrued, but unpaid interest is reversed. Any payments received while a loan is classified as nonaccrual are applied as a reduction to the carrying value of the loan. A loan may return to accrual status if collection of future principal and interest payments is no longer doubtful.

Acquired loans. Acquired loans are recorded at their estimated fair value at the time of acquisition. Estimated fair values for acquired loans are based on a discounted cash flow methodology that considers various factors including the type of loan and related collateral, classification status, interest rate, term of loan, whether or not the loan was amortizing and a discount rate reflecting the Company's assessment of risk inherent in the cash flow estimates. Acquired loans are grouped together according to similar characteristics and treated in the aggregate when applying various valuation techniques.

First Financial evaluates acquired loans for impairment in accordance with the provisions of FASB ASC Topic 310-30, Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality. Acquired loans with evidence of credit deterioration since origination are accounted for under FASB ASC Topic 310-30 and are referred to as purchased impaired loans. Accretion of the difference between the carrying value of the loans and the expected cash flows (accretable difference) is recognized on purchased impaired loans through interest income.

Acquired loans outside of the scope of FASB ASC Topic 310-30 are accounted for under FASB ASC Topic 310-20, Receivables-Nonrefundable Fees and Costs. Discounts created when the loans were recorded at their estimated fair values at acquisition are amortized over the remaining term of the loan as an adjustment to the related loan's yield. The accrual of interest income is discontinued when the collection of a loan or interest, in whole or in part, is doubtful.

Allowance for loan and lease losses. For each reporting period, management maintains the ALLL at a level that it considers sufficient to absorb probable incurred loan and lease losses inherent in the portfolio. Management determines the adequacy of the ALLL based on historical loss experience as well as other significant factors such as composition of the portfolio, economic conditions, geographic footprint, the results of periodic internal and external evaluations of delinquent, nonaccrual and classified loans and any other adverse situations that may affect a specific borrower's ability to repay (including the timing of future payments).

The ALLL is increased by provision expense and decreased by charge-offs net of recoveries of amounts previously charged-off. First Financial's policy is to charge-off all, or a portion of a loan, when, in management's opinion, it is unlikely to collect the principal amount owed in full through payments from the borrower or the liquidation of collateral.

Management evaluates Commercial loan and lease relationships greater than $250,000 that are considered impaired, or designated as a TDR to determine the need for a specific allowance. This evaluation is based on the borrower's overall financial condition, resources, payment record, guarantor support and the realizable value of any collateral.

The allowance for non-impaired commercial loans and leases, as well as impaired commercial loan and lease relationships less than $250,000, includes a process of estimating the probable losses incurred in the portfolio by loan type, based on First Financial's internal system of credit risk ratings and historical loss data. These estimates may also be adjusted based upon trends in delinquent and nonaccrual loans, prevailing economic conditions and changes in lending strategies, among other influencing factors.

Consumer loans generally exhibit homogeneous characteristics and are evaluated by loan type. The allowance for consumer loans, which includes residential real estate, installment, home equity, credit card loans and overdrafts, is established by estimating probable losses incurred in each particular category of consumer loans. The estimate of losses is primarily based on historical loss rates for each category and may be adjusted for trends in delinquent and nonaccrual loans, prevailing economic conditions and other significant influencing factors. Consumer loans greater than $250,000 classified as TDRs are individually evaluated to determine an appropriate allowance.

An allowance for loan losses will be established for any subsequent credit deterioration or adverse changes in expected cash flows.

48 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Reserve for unfunded commitments. First Financial maintains a reserve that it considers sufficient to absorb probable losses incurred in standby letters of credit and outstanding loan commitments. First Financial determines the adequacy of the reserve based upon an evaluation of the unfunded credit facilities, which includes consideration of historical commitment utilization experience, credit risk ratings and historical loss rates, consistent with the Company's ALLL methodology. The reserve for unfunded commitments is included in Accrued interest and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and adjustments are recorded in Other noninterest expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Premises and equipment. Premises and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization are principally computed on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Useful lives generally range from 10 to 40 years for building and building improvements; 3 to 10 years for furniture, fixtures and equipment; and 3 to 5 years for software, hardware and data handling equipment. Land improvements are depreciated over 20 years and leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the term of the respective lease or the useful life of the asset. Premises and equipment are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred.

Bank-owned life insurance. First Financial purchases life insurance policies on the lives of certain employees and is the owner and beneficiary of the policies. The Bank invests in these policies to provide an efficient form of funding for long-term retirement and other employee benefits costs. The policies are included within Accrued interest and other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at each policy’s respective cash surrender value with changes recorded in Other noninterest income in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Goodwill. Under accounting for business combinations, the net assets of entities acquired by First Financial are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The excess cost of the acquisition over the fair value of net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. Goodwill and other intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives are not amortized, but are subject to annual impairment tests. The Company is required to evaluate goodwill for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. First Financial performs its annual impairment test effective October 1, absent events or changes in circumstances that indicate the carrying value of goodwill may not be recoverable.

The Company’s goodwill is accounted for in a single reporting unit representing the consolidated entity. Fair value is estimated using the market capitalization of the Company as of the annual impairment testing date. First Financial also utilizes additional information and analyses to corroborate the use of the Company’s market capitalization as a proper indicator of fair value for purposes of the annual goodwill impairment test.

Other intangible assets. Other intangible assets consist primarily of core deposit, customer list and other miscellaneous intangibles.

CDI represent the estimated value of acquired customer deposit relationships. CDI are recorded at fair value at the date of acquisition and are based on a discounted cash flow methodology that gives appropriate consideration to expected customer attrition rates, cost of the deposit base, reserve requirements and the net maintenance cost attributable to customer deposits. Core deposit intangibles are recorded in Other intangibles on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are amortized on an accelerated basis over their estimated useful lives.

First Financial recorded a customer list intangible asset in conjunction with the Bannockburn merger to account for the obligation or advantage on the part of either the Company or the customer to continue the pre-existing relationship subsequent to the merger. The customer list intangible asset is amortized on a straight-line basis over its estimated useful life.

Other miscellaneous intangibles include purchase commissions, non-compete agreements and trade name intangibles. Other intangible assets are included in Other intangibles in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.  

Other real estate owned. OREO consists of properties acquired by the Company primarily through the loan foreclosure or repossession process, or other resolution activity that results in partial or total satisfaction of problem loans. OREO properties are recorded at fair value, less estimated disposal costs (net realizable value). Losses arising at the time of acquisition of such properties are charged against the ALLL. Management performs periodic valuations to assess the adequacy of recorded OREO balances and subsequent changes in the carrying value of OREO properties are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Improvements to OREO properties may be capitalized if the improvements contribute to the overall value of the

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 49

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

property, but may not be capitalized in excess of the net realizable value of the property. When management disposes of an OREO property, any gains or losses realized at the time of disposal are reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Affordable housing projects. First Financial has investments in certain qualified affordable housing projects. These projects are indirect federal subsidies that provide tax incentives to encourage investment in the development, acquisition and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing, and allow investors to claim tax credits and other tax benefits (such as deductions from taxable income for operating losses) on their federal income tax returns. The principal risk associated with qualified affordable housing investments is the potential for noncompliance with the tax code requirements, such as failure to rent properties to qualified tenants, resulting in unavailability or recapture of the tax credits and other tax benefits. Investments in affordable housing projects are included in Accrued interest and other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are accounted for under the proportional amortization method. Under the proportional amortization method, the initial cost of the investment is amortized in proportion to the tax credits and other benefits received and recognized as a component of Income tax expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Investments in historic tax credits. First Financial has noncontrolling financial investments in private investment funds and partnerships which are not consolidated. These investments may generate a return through the realization of federal and state income tax credits, as well as other tax benefits, such as tax deductions from net operating losses of the investments over a period of time. Investments in historic tax credits are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The Company’s recorded investment in these entities is carried in Accrued interest and other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. For historic tax credits, impairment is recorded in Other noninterest expense. The tax credit and other net tax benefits received are recognized as a component of income tax expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income. 

Income taxes. First Financial and its subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return. Each subsidiary provides for income taxes on a separate return basis, and remits to First Financial amounts determined to be currently payable. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Interest and penalties on income tax assessments or income tax refunds are recorded in Other noninterest expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Pension. First Financial sponsors a non-contributory defined benefit pension plan covering substantially all employees. The measurement of the accrued benefit liability and the annual pension expense involves actuarial and economic assumptions, which include the discount rate, the expected return on plan assets and the rate of compensation increase.

Derivative instruments. First Financial accounts for its derivative financial instruments in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging. FASB ASC Topic 815 requires all derivative instruments to be carried at fair value on the balance sheet.

The accounting for changes in the fair value of derivatives is based on the intended use of the derivative and the resulting designation.  Derivatives used to hedge the exposure to changes in the fair value of an asset, liability or firm commitment attributable to a particular risk, such as interest rate risk, are considered fair value hedges.  Derivatives used to hedge the exposure to variability in expected future cash flows, or other types of forecasted transactions, are considered cash flow hedges.

Client derivatives - First Financial utilizes matched interest rate swaps as a means to offer commercial borrowers fixed rate funding while providing the Company with floating rate assets. Upon entering into an interest rate swap with a borrower, the Bank simultaneously enters into an offsetting swap agreement with an institutional counterparty, with substantially matching terms. These matched interest rate swap agreements generally involve the receipt by First Financial of floating rate amounts from the counterparties in exchange for payments to these counterparties by First Financial of fixed rate amounts received from commercial borrowers over the life of the agreements.

First Financial's matched interest rate swaps qualify as derivatives, but are not designated as hedging instruments. The net interest receivable or payable on matched interest rate swaps is accrued and recognized as an adjustment to interest income.  The fair values of client derivatives are included within Accrued interest and other assets and Accrued interest and other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

First Financial may enter into foreign exchange derivative contracts for the benefit of commercial customers to hedge their exposure to foreign currency fluctuations. Similar to the hedging of interest rate risk from interest rate derivative contracts, First Financial also enters into foreign exchange contracts with major financial institutions to economically hedge a substantial

50 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

portion of the exposure from client driven foreign exchange activity. These derivatives are classified as free-standing instruments with the revaluation gain or loss recorded in Foreign exchange income in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Credit derivatives - In conjunction with participating interests in commercial loans, First Financial periodically enters into risk participation agreements with counterparties whereby First Financial assumes a portion of the credit exposure associated with an interest rate swap on the participated loan in exchange for a fee. Under these agreements, First Financial will make payments to the counterparty if the loan customer defaults on its obligation to perform under the interest rate swap contract with the counterparty. The fair value of these agreements is recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets in Accrued interest and other liabilities.

Mortgage derivatives - First Financial enters into IRLCs and forward commitments for the future delivery of mortgage loans to third party investors, which are considered derivatives. When borrowers secure an IRLC with First Financial and the loan is intended to be sold, First Financial will enter into forward commitments for the future delivery of the loans to third party investors in order to hedge against the effect of changes in interest rates impacting IRLCs and and Loans held for sale. The fair value of these agreements is recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets in Accrued interest and other assets.

Stock-based compensation. First Financial grants stock-based awards, including restricted stock awards and options to purchase the Company’s common stock. Stock option grants are for a fixed number of shares to employees and directors with an exercise price equal to the fair value of the shares at the date of grant. Stock-based compensation expense is recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. As compensation expense is recognized, a deferred tax asset is recorded that represents an estimate of the future tax deduction from exercise. At the time stock-based awards are exercised, canceled or expire, First Financial may be required to recognize an adjustment to tax expense.

Earnings per share. Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing net income available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per common share is computed by dividing net income available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, unvested shares and dilutive common stock equivalents outstanding during the period. Common stock equivalents, which consist of common stock issuable under the assumed exercise of stock options granted under First Financial's stock-based compensation plans and the assumed conversion of common stock warrants, are calculated using the treasury stock method.

Segments and related information. While the Company monitors the operating results of its six lines of business, operations are managed and financial performance is evaluated on a consolidated basis. Accordingly, and consistent with prior years, all of the Company's operations are considered by management to be aggregated in one reportable operating segment.

2. Accounting Standards Recently Adopted or Issued

Standards Adopted in 2019

In February 2016, the FASB issued an update (ASU 2016-02, Leases) which requires lessees to record most leases on their balance sheet and recognize leasing expenses in the income statement. Operating leases where the Company is the lessee, except for short-term leases that are subject to an accounting policy election, were recorded on the balance sheet by establishing a lease liability and corresponding ROU asset. All entities are required to use a modified retrospective approach for leases that exist or are entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements. As the Company elected the transition option provided in ASU No. 2018-11, the modified retrospective approach was applied on January 1, 2019 (as opposed to January 1, 2017). The Company also elected certain relief options offered in ASU 2016-02 including the package of practical expedients, the option not to separate lease and non-lease components and instead to account for them as a single lease component and the option not to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities that arise from short-term leases. The Company did not elect the hindsight practical expedient, which allows entities to use hindsight when determining lease term and impairment of ROU assets. The guidance in this ASU became effective January 1, 2019 at which time the Company recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheet an ROU asset of $60.2 million and a lease liability of $65.8 million. For further detail, see Note 7 – Leases.

In March 2017, the FASB issued an update (ASU 2017-08, Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20), Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities) which amends the amortization period for certain purchased callable debt securities held at a premium and shortens the amortization period for the premium to the earliest call date rather than as an adjustment of yield over the contractual life of the instrument. This update more closely aligns the

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 51

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

amortization period of premiums and discounts to expectations incorporated in market pricing on the underlying securities, as in most cases, market participants price securities to the call date that produces the worst yield when the coupon is above current market rates (that is, the security is trading at a premium) and price securities to maturity when the coupon is below market rates (that is, the security is trading at a discount) in anticipation that the borrower will act in its economic best interest in an attempt to more closely align interest income recorded on bonds held at a premium or a discount with the economics of the underlying instrument. The guidance in this ASU became effective at the beginning of 2019 but did not have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements.

In August 2017, the FASB issued an update (ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging: Targeted Improvements to Accounting

for Hedging Activities) to better align financial reporting for hedging activities with the economic objectives of those activities.

This update aligns certain aspects of hedge documentation, effectiveness assessments, accounting and disclosures and expands

permissible hedge strategies as of the date of adoption. The guidance in this ASU became effective January 1, 2019. Upon

adoption, the Company reclassified $268.7 million of HTM securities to AFS, resulting in a $0.2 million loss in the

Consolidated Statement of Income.

Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted

In June 2016, the FASB issued an update (ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses

on Financial Instruments), which significantly changes how entities are required to measure credit losses for most financial

assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. This update, commonly known as CECL, will replace the current incurred loss approach for estimating credit losses with an expected loss model for instruments measured at amortized cost, including loans and leases. Expected credit losses are required to be based on amortized cost and reflect losses expected over the remaining contractual life of the asset. Management is expected to consider any available information relevant to assessing the collectibility of contractual cash flows, such as information about past events, current conditions, voluntary prepayments and reasonable and supportable economic forecasts, when developing expected credit loss estimates. This update also expands the disclosure requirements regarding an entity’s assumptions, models and methods for estimating the ACL, including the disclosure of the amortized cost balance for each class of financial asset by credit quality indicator, disaggregated by the year of origination.

In addition to the new framework for calculating the ACL, this update requires allowances for AFS debt securities rather than a reduction of the security's carrying amount under the current other-than-temporary impairment model. This update also simplifies the accounting model for purchased credit-impaired debt securities and loans.

The guidance in this ASU will become effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. As of January 1, 2020, First Financial expects to recognize a one-time cumulative effect adjustment to increase the ACL with an offsetting reduction to the retained earnings component of equity. In December 2018, the federal bank regulatory agencies approved a final rule that modifies their regulatory capital rules and provides institutions the option to phase in over a three-year period any day-one regulatory capital effects of this update. First Financial expects to adopt the regulatory phase-in over the permissible three-year period.

First Financial formed a cross-functional internal management committee and engaged a third party vendor to assist with the transition to the guidance set forth in this update. The new allowance model implemented by First Financial estimates credit losses over the expected life of the portfolio and includes a qualitative framework to account for the drivers of losses that are not captured by the quantitative model. Based upon preliminary modeling results, management estimates that the reserve will increase to between $115.0 million and $125.0 million upon adoption of this ASU. The expected increase in the ACL is significantly impacted by the number of previously acquired loans with credit discounts, the credit losses expected over the life of the portfolio and management's consideration of future economic conditions. The actual impact from adopting this guidance may be subject to change based upon refinement and finalization of the model and associated assumptions, the implementation and testing of certain internal controls ensuring model effectiveness and management’s judgment. In addition, the adoption of this ASU may result in a more volatile provision for credit losses in future periods.

Management expects the ACL for unfunded commitments to increase to $11.0 million to $14.0 million upon adoption. First Financial does not expect a material allowance for credit losses on HTM securities as a result of guidance set forth in this update given the size and composition of the portfolio, which primarily includes government agency backed securities. In addition, the Company does not expect a material loss on AFS debt securities.

In August 2018, the FASB issued an update (ASU No. 2018-13, Disclosure Framework: Changes to the Disclosure

Requirements for Fair Value Measurement) which eliminates, adds and modifies certain disclosure requirements for fair value

52 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

measurements. Under the changes, entities will no longer be required to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers

between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, but will be required to disclose the range and weighted average used to

develop significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements. The update is effective for interim and annual

reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and early adoption is permitted. This update is not expected to have a

material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

3. Restrictions on Cash and Dividends

First Financial is required by the FRB to hold cash in reserve against deposit liabilities when total reservable deposit liabilities exceed the regulatory exemption known as the reserve requirement. The reserve requirement is calculated based on a two-week average of daily net transaction account deposits as defined by the FRB and may be satisfied with average vault cash during the following two-week maintenance period. When vault cash is not sufficient to meet the reserve requirement, the remaining amount must be satisfied with average funds held at the FRB. First Financial's deposit at the FRB is recorded in Interest-bearing deposits with other banks on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The average required reserve balances, based upon the average level of First Financial's transaction deposits were $84.1 million and $85.9 million for 2019 and 2018, respectively. Additionally, as of December 31, 2019, First Financial had $15.8 million in cash restricted for withdrawal and usage due to the centrally cleared derivative initial margin requirement.

Dividends paid by First Financial to its shareholders are principally funded through dividends paid to the Company by its subsidiaries, however, certain restrictions exist regarding the ability of the Bank to transfer funds to First Financial in the form of cash dividends, loans or advances. The approval of the Federal Reserve Board and the ODFI is required for the Bank to pay dividends in excess of the regulatory limit, which is equal to the net income of the current year through the dividend date combined with the Bank's retained net income from the two preceding years. As of December 31, 2019, First Financial's subsidiaries had retained earnings of $660.7 million, of which $155.7 million was available for distribution to First Financial without prior regulatory approval.

4. Investment Securities

During the year ended December 31, 2019, proceeds on the sale of $519.1 million of AFS securities resulted in gains of $2.1 million and losses of $2.1 million, with insignificant tax expense. During the year ended December 31, 2018, proceeds on the sale of $290.7 million of AFS securities resulted in gains of $0.5 million, losses of $0.6 million and insignificant tax expense. During the year ended December 31, 2017, proceeds on the sale of $190.0 million of AFS securities resulted in gains of $1.8 million and losses of $0.2 million in addition to tax expense of $0.6 million. In addition to the sale of certain securities, First Financial reclassified $268.7 million of HTM securities, in conjunction with the adoption of ASU 2017-12 in the first quarter of 2019, resulting in a $0.2 million realized loss recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Income. To align with post-merger investment strategies, during the second quarter 2018 First Financial sold certain securities and reclassified $372.1 million of HTM securities to AFS.

The carrying value of investment securities pledged as collateral to secure public deposits, repurchase agreements and for other purposes as required by law totaled $1.1 billion at December 31, 2019 and $1.2 billion at December 31, 2018.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 53

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The following is a summary of HTM and AFS investment securities as of December 31, 2019:

	Held-to-maturity									Available-for-sale
(Dollars in thousands)	Amortized cost		Unrecognized gain		Unrecognized loss			Fair value		Amortized cost		Unrealized gain		Unrealized loss			Fair value
U.S. Treasuries	$	0	$	0	$	0		$	0	$	99	$	1	$	0		$	100
Securities of U.S. government agencies and corporations	0		0		0			0		156		2		0			158
Mortgage-backed securities - residential	20,818		122		(174		)	20,766		421,945		9,709		(99		)	431,555
Mortgage-backed securities - commercial	101,267		571		(1,225		)	100,613		474,174		4,988		(2,644		)	476,518
Collateralized mortgage obligations	9,763		0		(108		)	9,655		769,076		16,753		(385		)	785,444
Obligations of state and other political subdivisions	11,014		804		(31		)	11,787		652,986		23,729		(462		)	676,253
Asset-backed securities	0		0		0			0		400,081		1,414		(1,064		)	400,431
Other securities	0		0		0			0		79,781		1,959		(115		)	81,625
Total	$	142,862	$	1,497	$	(1,538	)	$	142,821	$	2,798,298	$	58,555	$	(4,769	)	$	2,852,084

The following is a summary of HTM and AFS investment securities as of December 31, 2018:

	Held-to-maturity									Available-for-sale
(Dollars in thousands)	Amortized cost		Unrecognized gain		Unrecognized loss			Fair value		Amortized cost		Unrealized gain		Unrealized loss			Fair value
U.S. Treasuries	$	0	$	0	$	0		$	0	$	99	$	0	$	(2	)	$	97
Securities of U.S. government agencies and corporations	0		0		0			0		32,095		57		(233		)	31,919
Mortgage-backed securities - residential	25,565		0		(1,045		)	24,520		565,071		691		(7,163		)	558,599
Mortgage-backed securities - commercial	147,780		258		(4,385		)	143,653		423,797		819		(3,581		)	421,035
Collateralized mortgage obligations	12,540		0		(633		)	11,907		928,586		4,319		(6,158		)	926,747
Obligations of state and other political subdivisions	243,443		1,954		(1,359		)	244,038		257,300		2,554		(1,429		)	258,425
Asset-backed securities	0		0		0			0		511,430		611		(2,810		)	509,231
Other securities	0		0		0			0		73,948		358		(1,104		)	73,202
Total	$	429,328	$	2,212	$	(7,422	)	$	424,118	$	2,792,326	$	9,409	$	(22,480	)	$	2,779,255

54 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

The following table provides a summary of investment securities by contractual maturity as of December 31, 2019, except for residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations and asset-backed securities, which are shown as single totals, due to the unpredictability of the timing in principal repayments:

	Held-to-maturity				Available-for-sale
(Dollars in thousands)	Amortized cost		Fair value		Amortized cost		Fair value
Due in one year or less	$	0	$	0	$	7,382	$	7,408
Due after one year through five years	0		0		52,075		53,189
Due after five years through ten years	4,756		5,417		144,626		149,961
Due after ten years	6,258		6,370		528,939		547,578
Mortgage-backed securities - residential	20,818		20,766		421,945		431,555
Mortgage-backed securities - commercial	101,267		100,613		474,174		476,518
Collateralized mortgage obligations	9,763		9,655		769,076		785,444
Asset-backed securities	0		0		400,081		400,431
Total	$	142,862	$	142,821	$	2,798,298	$	2,852,084

Unrealized gains and losses on debt securities are generally due to fluctuations in current market yields relative to the yields of the securities at their amortized cost.  All securities with unrealized losses are reviewed quarterly to determine if any impairment is considered other than temporary, requiring a write-down to fair value. First Financial considers the percentage loss on a security, duration of the loss, average life or duration of the security, credit rating of the security and payment performance, in addition to the Company’s intent and ability to hold the security to maturity, when determining whether any impairment is other than temporary. At this time First Financial does not intend to sell, and it is not more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell, debt securities temporarily impaired prior to maturity or recovery of the recorded value. First Financial had no other than temporary impairment related to its investment securities portfolio as of December 31, 2019, 2018 or 2017.

As of December 31, 2019, the Company's investment securities portfolio consisted of 1,273 securities, of which 140 securities were in an unrealized loss position. As of December 31, 2018, the Company's investment securities portfolio consisted of 1,417 securities, of which 504 were in an unrealized loss position.

The following tables provide the fair value and gross unrealized losses on investment securities in an unrealized loss position, aggregated by investment category and the length of time the individual securities have been in a continuous loss position:

	December 31, 2019
	Less than 12 months					12 months or more					Total
(Dollars in thousands)	Fair value		Unrealized loss			Fair value		Unrealized loss			Fair value		Unrealized loss
U.S. Treasuries	$	0	$	0		$	0	$	0		$	0	$	0
Securities of U.S. government agencies and corporations	0		0			0		0			0		0
Mortgage-backed securities - residential	40,190		(209		)	11,063		(64		)	51,253		(273		)
Mortgage-backed securities - commercial	111,658		(298		)	104,069		(3,571		)	215,727		(3,869		)
Collateralized mortgage obligations	85,248		(297		)	30,628		(196		)	115,876		(493		)
Obligations of state and other political subdivisions	118,623		(457		)	7,950		(36		)	126,573		(493		)
Asset-backed securities	125,889		(553		)	54,963		(511		)	180,852		(1,064		)
Other securities	0		0			5,649		(115		)	5,649		(115		)
Total	$	481,608	$	(1,814	)	$	214,322	$	(4,493	)	$	695,930	$	(6,307	)

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 55

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

	December 31, 2018
	Less than 12 months					12 months or more					Total
(Dollars in thousands)	Fair value		Unrealized loss			Fair value		Unrealized loss			Fair value		Unrealized loss
U.S. Treasuries	$	0	$	0		$	97	$	(2	)	$	97	$	(2	)
Securities of U.S. Government agencies and corporations	0		0			16,777		(233		)	16,777		(233		)
Mortgage-backed securities - residential	186,029		(935		)	264,795		(7,273		)	450,824		(8,208		)
Mortgage-backed securities - commercial	147,754		(369		)	232,363		(7,597		)	380,117		(7,966		)
Collateralized mortgage obligations	194,795		(1,546		)	240,514		(5,245		)	435,309		(6,791		)
Obligations of state and other political subdivisions	62,805		(299		)	86,644		(2,489		)	149,449		(2,788		)
Asset-backed securities	336,437		(2,312		)	37,105		(498		)	373,542		(2,810		)
Other securities	33,752		(884		)	4,570		(220		)	38,322		(1,104		)
Total	$	961,572	$	(6,345	)	$	882,865	$	(23,557	)	$	1,844,437	$	(29,902	)

For further detail on the fair value of investment securities, see Note 22 – Fair Value Disclosures.

5. Loans and Leases

First Financial offers clients a variety of commercial and consumer loan and lease products with various interest rates and payment terms. Commercial loan categories include C&I, CRE, construction real estate and lease financing. Consumer loan categories include residential real estate, home equity, installment and credit card.

Lending activities are primarily concentrated in states where the Bank operates banking centers (Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois). First Financial also offers two nationwide lending platforms, one that provides equipment and leasehold improvement financing for franchisees in the quick service and casual dining restaurant sector and another that provides loans primarily to insurance agents and brokers that are secured by commissions and cash collateral accounts.

Credit quality. To facilitate the monitoring of credit quality for commercial loans, and for purposes of determining an appropriate ALLL, First Financial utilizes the following categories of credit grades:

Pass - Higher quality loans that do not fit any of the other categories described below.

Special Mention - First Financial assigns a special mention rating to loans and leases with potential weaknesses that deserve management's close attention. If left uncorrected, these potential weaknesses may result in deterioration of the repayment prospects for the loan or lease or in First Financial's credit position at some future date.

Substandard - First Financial assigns a substandard rating to loans or leases that are inadequately protected by the current sound financial worth and paying capacity of the borrower or the collateral pledged, if any. Substandard loans and leases have well-defined weaknesses that jeopardize repayment of the debt. Substandard loans and leases are characterized by the distinct possibility that the Company will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not addressed.

Doubtful - First Financial assigns a doubtful rating to loans and leases with all of the attributes of a substandard rating with the added characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or liquidation in full highly questionable and improbable, on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions and values. The possibility of loss is extremely high, but because of certain important and reasonably specific pending factors that may work to the advantage and strengthening of the credit quality of the loan or lease, its classification as an estimated loss is deferred until its more exact status may be determined. Pending factors include proposed merger, acquisition or liquidation procedures, capital injection, perfecting liens on additional collateral and refinancing plans.

56 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

The credit grades previously described are derived from standard regulatory rating definitions and are assigned upon initial approval of credit to borrowers and updated periodically thereafter.

First Financial considers repayment performance as the best indicator of credit quality for consumer loans. Consumer loans that have principal and interest payments that are past due by 90 days or more are generally classified as nonperforming. Additionally, consumer loans that have been modified in a TDR are classified as nonperforming. Purchased impaired loans are not classified as nonperforming as the loans are considered to be performing under FASB ASC Topic 310-30.

Commercial and consumer credit exposure by risk attribute was as follows:

	As of December 31, 2019
			Real Estate
(Dollars in thousands)	Commercial & industrial		Construction		Commercial		Lease financing		Total
Pass	$	2,324,021	$	493,182	$	4,108,752	$	85,262	$	7,011,217
Special Mention	100,954		0		59,383		488		160,825
Substandard	40,902		0		26,516		2,614		70,032
Doubtful	0		0		0		0		0
Total	$	2,465,877	$	493,182	$	4,194,651	$	88,364	$	7,242,074

	Residential real estate		Home equity		Installment		Credit card		Total
Performing	$	1,040,787	$	766,169	$	82,385	$	48,983	$	1,938,324
Nonperforming	15,162		5,700		204		201		21,267
Total	$	1,055,949	$	771,869	$	82,589	$	49,184	$	1,959,591

	As of December 31, 2018
			Real Estate
(Dollars in thousands)	Commercial & industrial		Construction		Commercial		Lease financing		Total
Pass	$	2,432,834	$	548,323	$	3,664,434	$	90,902	$	6,736,493
Special Mention	24,594		603		38,653		0		63,850
Substandard	57,233		9		51,594		2,513		111,349
Doubtful	0		0		0		0		0
Total	$	2,514,661	$	548,935	$	3,754,681	$	93,415	$	6,911,692

	Residential real estate		Home equity		Installment		Credit card		Total
Performing	$	939,936	$	811,108	$	93,038	$	46,382	$	1,890,464
Nonperforming	15,710		6,174		174		0		22,058
Total	$	955,646	$	817,282	$	93,212	$	46,382	$	1,912,522

Delinquency. Loans are considered past due or delinquent when the contractual principal or interest due in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement or any portion thereof remains unpaid after the due date of the scheduled payment.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 57

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Loan delinquency, including nonaccrual loans, was as follows:

	As of December 31, 2019
(Dollars in thousands)	30 – 59 days past due		60 – 89 days past due		> 90 days past due		Total past due		Current		Subtotal		Purchased impaired		Total		> 90 days past due and still accruing
Loans
Commercial & industrial	$	1,266	$	3,332	$	14,518	$	19,116	$	2,443,680	$	2,462,796	$	3,081	$	2,465,877	$	0
Lease financing	0		0		0		0		88,364		88,364		0		88,364		0
Construction real estate	0		0		0		0		493,167		493,167		15		493,182		0
Commercial real estate	776		857		5,613		7,246		4,151,513		4,158,759		35,892		4,194,651		0
Residential real estate	8,032		1,928		5,031		14,991		1,014,138		1,029,129		26,820		1,055,949		0
Home equity	2,530		1,083		2,795		6,408		762,863		769,271		2,598		771,869		0
Installment	111		50		148		309		82,022		82,331		258		82,589		0
Credit card	208		75		201		484		48,700		49,184		0		49,184		201
Total	$	12,923	$	7,325	$	28,306	$	48,554	$	9,084,447	$	9,133,001	$	68,664	$	9,201,665	$	201

	As of December 31, 2018
(Dollars in thousands)	30 - 59 days past due		60 - 89 days past due		> 90 days past due		Total past due		Current		Subtotal		Purchased impaired		Total		> 90 days past due and still accruing
Loans
Commercial & industrial	$	13,369	$	41	$	7,423	$	20,833	$	2,488,450	$	2,509,283	$	5,378	$	2,514,661	$	0
Lease financing	352		0		0		352		93,063		93,415		0		93,415		0
Construction real estate	0		0		0		0		548,687		548,687		248		548,935		0
Commercial real estate	6,279		1,158		12,644		20,081		3,682,455		3,702,536		52,145		3,754,681		0
Residential real estate	11,060		2,976		4,535		18,571		902,404		920,975		34,671		955,646		0
Home equity	5,245		1,228		2,578		9,051		804,835		813,886		3,396		817,282		0
Installment	420		37		145		602		92,128		92,730		482		93,212		0
Credit card	541		96		63		700		45,682		46,382		0		46,382		63
Total	$	37,266	$	5,536	$	27,388	$	70,190	$	8,657,704	$	8,727,894	$	96,320	$	8,824,214	$	63

Nonaccrual. Loans are classified as nonaccrual when, in the opinion of management, collection of principal or interest is doubtful or when principal or interest payments are 90 days or more past due. Generally, loans are classified as nonaccrual due to the continued failure to adhere to contractual payment terms by the borrower, coupled with other pertinent factors. When a loan is classified as nonaccrual, the accrual of interest income is discontinued and previously accrued but unpaid interest is reversed. Any payments received while a loan is on nonaccrual status are applied as a reduction to the carrying value of the loan. A loan classified as nonaccrual may return to accrual status if none of the principal and interest is due and unpaid, and the Bank expects repayment of the remaining contractual principal and interest.

Purchased impaired loans are classified as performing, even though they may be contractually past due, as any nonpayment of contractual principal or interest is considered in the periodic re-estimation of expected cash flows and is included in the resulting recognition of current period provision for loan and lease losses or prospective yield adjustments.

Troubled debt restructurings. A loan modification is considered a TDR when the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty and concessions are made by the Company that would not otherwise be considered for a borrower with similar credit characteristics. The most common types of modifications include interest rate reductions, maturity extensions and modifications to principal amortization, including interest-only structures. Modified terms are dependent upon the financial position and needs of the individual borrower. If the modification agreement is violated, the loan is managed by the Company’s credit administration group for resolution, which may result in foreclosure in the case of real estate.

58 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

TDRs are generally classified as nonaccrual for a minimum period of six months and may qualify for return to accrual status once they have demonstrated performance with the restructured terms of the loan agreement.

First Financial had 157 TDRs totaling $30.0 million at December 31, 2019, including $11.4 million of loans on accrual status and $18.5 million of loans classified as nonaccrual. First Financial had $2.5 million commitments outstanding to lend additional funds to borrowers whose loan terms had been modified through TDRs, and the ALLL included reserves of $2.5 million related to TDRs as of December 31, 2019. For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, First Financial charged off $2.6 million, $0.9 million and $0.3 million, respectively, for the portion of TDRs determined to be uncollectible. Additionally, as of December 31, 2019, approximately $4.7 million of the accruing TDRs have been performing in accordance with the restructured terms for more than one year.

First Financial had 196 TDRs totaling $38.5 million at December 31, 2018, including $16.1 million of loans on accrual status and $22.4 million of loans classified as nonaccrual. First Financial had no commitments outstanding to lend additional funds to borrowers whose loan terms had been modified through TDRs. At December 31, 2018 the ALLL included reserves of $1.5 million related to TDRs, and $7.9 million of the accruing TDRs had been performing in accordance with the restructured terms for more than one year.

First Financial had 214 TDRs totaling $23.9 million at December 31, 2017, including $17.5 million of loans on accrual status and $6.4 million of loans classified as nonaccrual. First Financial had an insignificant amount of commitments outstanding to lend additional funds to borrowers whose loan terms had been modified through TDRs. At December 31, 2017, the ALLL included reserves of $1.3 million related to TDRs, and $17.2 million of the accruing TDRs had been performing in accordance with the restructured terms for more than one year.

The following table provides information on loan modifications classified as TDRs during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017:

	Years ended December 31,
	2019					2018					2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Number of loans	Pre-modification loan balance		Period end balance		Number of loans	Pre-modification loan balance		Period end balance		Number of loans	Pre-modification loan balance		Period end balance
Commercial & industrial	8	$	25,009	$	25,071	17	$	23,943	$	23,890	7	$	5,724	$	5,661
Construction real estate	0	0		0		0	0		0		0	0		0
Commercial real estate	9	3,024		2,932		8	3,385		3,150		8	1,816		1,758
Residential real estate	30	3,415		3,062		13	1,148		1,073		6	416		315
Home equity	14	395		366		5	95		192		1	39		39
Installment	2	41		39		0	0		0		0	0		0
Total	63	$	31,884	$	31,470	43	$	28,571	$	28,305	22	$	7,995	$	7,773

The following table provides information on how TDRs were modified during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017:

	Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2019		2018		2017
Extended maturities	$	2,877	$	4,093	$	3,261
Adjusted interest rates	5,284		52		2,767
Combination of rate and maturity changes	516		0		489
Forbearance	20,320		23,175		1,181
Other (1)	2,473		985		75
Total	$	31,470	$	28,305	$	7,773

⁽¹⁾ Other includes covenant modifications and other concessions or combination of concessions that do not consist of interest rate adjustments, forbearance and maturity extensions.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 59

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

First Financial considers repayment performance as an indication of the effectiveness of the Company's loan modifications. Borrowers that are 90 days or more past due on any principal or interest payments, or who prematurely terminate a restructured loan agreement without paying off the contractual principal balance, are considered to be in payment default of the terms of the TDR agreement.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2019, there were three TDRs with a balance of $7.0 million for which there was a payment default during the period that occurred within twelve months of the loan modification. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2018, there was one TDR with an insignificant balance for which there was a payment default during the period that occurred within twelve months of the loan modification. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2017, there was one TDR with a balance $1.5 million for which there was a payment default during the period that occurred within twelve months of the loan modification.

Impaired loans. Loans classified as nonaccrual and loans modified as TDRs are considered impaired. The following table provides information on impaired loans, excluding purchased impaired loans, as of December 31:

(Dollars in thousands)	2019		2018		2017
Impaired loans
Nonaccrual loans (1)
Commercial & industrial	$	24,346	$	30,925	$	5,229
Lease financing	223		22		82
Construction real estate	0		9		29
Commercial real estate	7,295		20,500		10,616
Residential real estate	10,892		13,495		4,140
Home equity	5,242		5,580		3,743
Installment	167		169		243
Total nonaccrual loans	48,165		70,700		24,082
Accruing troubled debt restructurings	11,435		16,109		17,545
Total impaired loans	$	59,600	$	86,809	$	41,627
Interest income effect
Gross amount of interest that would have been recorded under original terms	$	5,813	$	4,656	$	3,397
Interest included in income
Nonaccrual loans	1,042		715		535
Troubled debt restructurings	801		642		710
Total interest included in income	1,843		1,357		1,245
Net impact on interest income	$	3,970	$	3,299	$	2,152
Commitments outstanding to borrowers with nonaccrual loans	$	3	$	200	$	0

⁽¹⁾ Nonaccrual loans include nonaccrual TDRs of $18.5 million, $22.4 million and $6.4 million as of December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

First Financial individually reviews all impaired commercial loan relationships greater than $250,000, as well as consumer loan TDRs greater than $250,000, to determine if a specific allowance is necessary based on the borrower’s overall financial condition, resources, and payment record, support from guarantors and the realizable value of any collateral. Specific allowances are based on discounted cash flows using the loan's initial effective interest rate or the fair value of the collateral for certain collateral dependent loans.

60 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

First Financial's investment in impaired loans, excluding purchased impaired loans, is as follows:

	December 31, 2019						December 31, 2018
(Dollars in thousands)	Current balance		Contractual principal balance		Related allowance		Current balance		Contractual principal balance		Related allowance
Loans with no related allowance recorded
Commercial & industrial	$	16,726	$	19,709	$	0	$	36,694	$	42,561	$	0
Lease financing	223		223		0		22		22		0
Construction real estate	0		0		0		9		26		0
Commercial real estate	10,160		17,897		0		23,513		31,375		0
Residential real estate	14,868		17,368		0		17,297		19,975		0
Home equity	5,700		6,462		0		6,351		7,461		0
Installment	204		341		0		174		563		0
Total	47,881		62,000		0		84,060		101,983		0
Loans with an allowance recorded
Commercial & industrial	10,754		21,513		2,044		939		939		667
Lease financing	0		0		0		0		0		0
Construction real estate	0		0		0		0		0		0
Commercial real estate	671		675		113		1,509		1,509		461
Residential real estate	294		294		18		301		301		32
Home equity	0		0		0		0		0		0
Installment	0		0		0		0		0		0
Total	11,719		22,482		2,175		2,749		2,749		1,160
Total
Commercial & industrial	27,480		41,222		2,044		37,633		43,500		667
Lease financing	223		223		0		22		22		0
Construction real estate	0		0		0		9		26		0
Commercial real estate	10,831		18,572		113		25,022		32,884		461
Residential real estate	15,162		17,662		18		17,598		20,276		32
Home equity	5,700		6,462		0		6,351		7,461		0
Installment	204		341		0		174		563		0
Total	$	59,600	$	84,482	$	2,175	$	86,809	$	104,732	$	1,160

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 61

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

	Years ended December 31,
	2019				2018				2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Average balance		Interest income recognized		Average balance		Interest income recognized		Average balance		Interest income recognized
Loans with no related allowance recorded
Commercial & industrial	$	31,846	$	926	$	14,498	$	360	$	13,167	$	280
Lease financing	168		0		21		0		112		4
Construction real estate	6		0		20		2		601		1
Commercial real estate	18,757		357		24,738		490		20,935		563
Residential real estate	15,915		307		11,359		301		7,616		196
Home equity	5,893		121		5,541		114		4,032		99
Installment	170		2		274		2		332		4
Total	72,755		1,713		56,451		1,269		46,795		1,147
Loans with an allowance recorded
Commercial & industrial	4,721		87		900		44		1,204		28
Lease financing	57		0		0		0		0		0
Construction real estate	0		0		0		0		0		0
Commercial real estate	1,339		31		1,402		18		2,634		40
Residential real estate	446		12		895		23		1,112		26
Home equity	0		0		80		3		101		4
Installment	0		0		0		0		0		0
Total	6,563		130		3,277		88		5,051		98
Total
Commercial & industrial	36,567		1,013		15,398		404		14,371		308
Lease financing	225		0		21		0		112		4
Construction real estate	6		0		20		2		601		1
Commercial real estate	20,096		388		26,140		508		23,569		603
Residential real estate	16,361		319		12,254		324		8,728		222
Home equity	5,893		121		5,621		117		4,133		103
Installment	170		2		274		2		332		4
Total	$	79,318	$	1,843	$	59,728	$	1,357	$	51,846	$	1,245

62 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

OREO. OREO is comprised of properties acquired by the Company primarily through the loan foreclosure or repossession process, that result in partial or total satisfaction of problem loans.

Changes in OREO were as follows:

	Years ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018			2017
Balance at beginning of year	$	1,401		$	2,781		$	6,284
Additions
Commercial	415			1,269			1,732
Residential	2,033			1,913			2,387
Total additions	2,448			3,182			4,119
Disposals
Commercial	(541		)	(2,967		)	(5,409		)
Residential	(912		)	(830		)	(1,574		)
Total disposals	(1,453		)	(3,797		)	(6,983		)
Valuation adjustments
Commercial	(112		)	(355		)	(439		)
Residential	(251		)	(410		)	(200		)
Total valuation adjustments	(363		)	(765		)	(639		)
Balance at end of year	$	2,033		$	1,401		$	2,781

6. Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses

Management maintains the ALLL at a level that it considers sufficient to absorb probable incurred loan and lease losses inherent in the portfolio. Management determines the adequacy of the ALLL based on historical loss experience as well as other significant factors such as composition of the portfolio, economic conditions, geographic footprint, the results of periodic internal and external evaluations of delinquent, nonaccrual and classified loans and any other adverse situations that may affect a specific borrower's ability to repay, including the timing of future payments. For further discussion of First Financial's allowance methodology, see Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.

The ALLL is increased by provision expense and decreased by charge-offs, net of recoveries of amounts previously charged-off. First Financial's policy is to charge-off all or a portion of a loan when, in management's opinion, it is unlikely to collect the principal amount owed in full, either through payments from the borrower, or from the liquidation of collateral.

Changes in the ALLL by loan category as of December 31 were as follows:

	2019
(Dollars in thousands)	Commercial & industrial			Lease financing			Construction real estate			Commercial real estate			Residential real estate			Home equity			Installment			Credit card			Total
Allowance for loan and lease losses
Balance at beginning of year	$	18,746		$	1,130		$	3,413		$	21,048		$	4,964		$	5,348		$	362		$	1,531		$	56,542
Provision for loan and lease losses	23,631			3			(1,100		)	5,107			739			695			2			1,521			30,598
Gross charge-offs	(26,676		)	(162		)	0			(3,689		)	(677		)	(2,591		)	(223		)	(1,547		)	(35,565		)
Recoveries	2,883			0			68			1,113			273			1,335			251			152			6,075
Total net charge-offs	(23,793		)	(162		)	68			(2,576		)	(404		)	(1,256		)	28			(1,395		)	(29,490		)
Ending allowance for loan and lease losses	$	18,584		$	971		$	2,381		$	23,579		$	5,299		$	4,787		$	392		$	1,657		$	57,650

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 63

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

	2018
(Dollars in thousands)	Commercial & industrial			Lease financing		Construction real estate			Commercial real estate			Residential real estate			Home equity			Installment			Credit card			Total
Allowance for loan and lease losses
Balance at beginning of year	$	17,598		$	675	$	3,577		$	20,930		$	4,683		$	4,935		$	307		$	1,316		$	54,021
Provision for loan and lease losses	10,615			454		(310		)	847			492			829			(85		)	1,744			14,586
Gross charge-offs	(11,533		)	0		0			(4,835		)	(422		)	(1,725		)	(435		)	(1,720		)	(20,670		)
Recoveries	2,066			1		146			4,106			211			1,309			575			191			8,605
Total net charge-offs	(9,467		)	1		146			(729		)	(211		)	(416		)	140			(1,529		)	(12,065		)
Ending allowance for loan and lease losses	$	18,746		$	1,130	$	3,413		$	21,048		$	4,964		$	5,348		$	362		$	1,531		$	56,542

	2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Commercial & industrial			Lease financing			Construction real estate			Commercial real estate			Residential real estate			Home equity			Installment			Credit card			Total
Allowance for loan and lease losses
Balance at beginning of year	$	19,225		$	716		$	3,282		$	26,540		$	3,208		$	3,043		$	388		$	1,559		$	57,961
Provision for loan and lease losses	6,917			(42		)	207			(7,291		)	1,695			1,778			(90		)	408			3,582
Gross charge-offs	(10,194		)	0			(1		)	(1,038		)	(435		)	(913		)	(225		)	(857		)	(13,663		)
Recoveries	1,650			1			89			2,719			215			1,027			234			206			6,141
Total net charge-offs	(8,544		)	1			88			1,681			(220		)	114			9			(651		)	(7,522		)
Ending allowance for loan and lease losses	$	17,598		$	675		$	3,577		$	20,930		$	4,683		$	4,935		$	307		$	1,316		$	54,021

The ALLL balance and the recorded investment in loans by portfolio segment and based on impairment method as of December 31 were as follows:

	December 31, 2019
(Dollars in thousands)	Commercial & industrial		Lease financing		Construction real estate		Commercial real estate		Residential real estate		Home equity		Installment		Credit card		Total
Ending allowance on loans individually evaluated for impairment	$	2,044	$	0	$	0	$	113	$	18	$	0	$	0	$	0	$	2,175
Ending allowance on loans collectively evaluated for impairment	16,540		971		2,381		23,466		5,281		4,787		392		1,657		55,475
Ending allowance for loan and lease losses	$	18,584	$	971	$	2,381	$	23,579	$	5,299	$	4,787	$	392	$	1,657	$	57,650
Loans and Leases
Ending balance of loans individually evaluated for impairment	$	27,480	$	223	$	0	$	10,831	$	15,162	$	5,700	$	204	$	0	$	59,600
Ending balance of loans collectively evaluated for impairment	2,438,397		88,141		493,182		4,183,820		1,040,787		766,169		82,385		49,184		9,142,065
Total loans	$	2,465,877	$	88,364	$	493,182	$	4,194,651	$	1,055,949	$	771,869	$	82,589	$	49,184	$	9,201,665

64 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

	December 31, 2018
(Dollars in thousands)	Commercial & industrial		Lease financing		Construction real estate		Commercial real estate		Residential real estate		Home equity		Installment		Credit card		Total
Ending allowance on loans individually evaluated for impairment	$	667	$	0	$	0	$	461	$	32	$	0	$	0	$	0	$	1,160
Ending allowance on loans collectively evaluated for impairment	18,079		1,130		3,413		20,587		4,932		5,348		362		1,531		55,382
Ending allowance for loan and lease losses	$	18,746	$	1,130	$	3,413	$	21,048	$	4,964	$	5,348	$	362	$	1,531	$	56,542
Loans and Leases
Ending balance of loans individually evaluated for impairment	$	37,633	$	22	$	9	$	25,022	$	17,598	$	6,351	$	174	$	0	$	86,809
Ending balance of loans collectively evaluated for impairment	2,477,028		93,393		548,926		3,729,659		938,048		810,931		93,038		46,382		8,737,405
Total loans	$	2,514,661	$	93,415	$	548,935	$	3,754,681	$	955,646	$	817,282	$	93,212	$	46,382	$	8,824,214

7. Premises and Equipment

Premises and equipment at December 31 were as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)	2019		2018
Land and land improvements	$	54,958	$	57,701
Buildings	163,277		161,817
Furniture and fixtures	74,881		66,567
Leasehold improvements	31,728		29,086
Construction in progress	4,096		5,731
	328,940		320,902
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization	114,434		105,250
Total	$	214,506	$	215,652

Rental expense recorded under operating leases in 2019, 2018 and 2017 was $11.2 million, $9.1 million and $7.1 million, respectively.

8.  Leases

A lease is defined as a contract, or part of a contract, that conveys the right to control the use of identified property, plant or equipment for a period of time in exchange for consideration. First Financial is primarily the lessee in its leasing agreements, and substantially all of those agreements are for real estate property for branches, ATM locations and office space.

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted Topic 842 and all subsequent modifications. For First Financial, this adoption primarily affected the accounting treatment for operating lease agreements in which the Company is the lessee. Substantially all of the Company's leases are classified as operating leases, and therefore, were previously not recognized on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.

With the adoption of Topic 842, operating lease agreements were required to be recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as an ROU asset and a corresponding lease liability. The Company's right to use an asset over the life of a lease is recorded as a "right of use" asset in Accrued interest and other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet and was $58.6 million at December 31, 2019. Certain adjustments to the ROU asset may be required for items such as initial direct costs paid or incentives received. First Financial recorded a $64.3 million lease liability in Accrued interest and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2019.

The calculated amount of the ROU assets and lease liabilities are impacted by the length of the lease term and the discount rate used to calculate the present value of minimum lease payments. Regarding the discount rate, Topic 842 requires the use of the

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 65

rate implicit in the lease whenever this rate is readily determinable. As this rate is rarely determinable, the Company utilizes its incremental borrowing rate at lease inception, on a collateralized basis, over a similar term. For operating leases existing prior to January 1, 2019, the rate was based upon the remaining lease term as of that date.

Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet and First Financial recognizes lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. Most leases include one or more options to renew, with renewal terms that can extend the lease term from one to 20 years or more. The exercise of renewal options on operating leases is at the Company's sole discretion, and certain leases may include options to purchase the leased property. If at lease inception, the Company considers the exercising of a renewal option to be reasonably certain, the Company will include the extended term in the calculation of the ROU asset and lease liability. First Financial does not enter into lease agreements which contain material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.

Certain leases provide for increases in future minimum annual rental payments as defined in the lease agreements and leases generally also include real estate taxes and common area maintenance charges in the annual rental payments.

The components of lease expense were as follows:

	Year ended
(dollars in thousands)	December 31, 2019
Operating lease cost	$	7,324
Short-term lease cost	55
Variable lease cost	2,553
Total operating lease cost	$	9,932

Future minimum commitments due under these lease agreements as of December 31, 2019 are as follows:

(dollars in thousands)	Operating leases
2020	$	7,200
2021	7,166
2022	6,640
2023	6,711
2024	6,457
Thereafter	50,504
Total lease payments	84,678
Less imputed interest	20,401
Total	$	64,277

The lease term and discount rate at December 31, 2019 were as follows:

Operating leases
Weighted-average remaining lease term	15.6 years
Weighted-average discount rate	3.43	%

Supplemental cash information at December 31, 2019 related to leases was as follows:

	Year ended
(dollars in thousands)	December 31, 2019
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities
Operating cash flows from operating leases	$	7,335
ROU assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations
Operating leases	64,902

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 66

9. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill. Assets and liabilities acquired in a business combination are recorded at their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date. The excess cost of the acquisition over the fair value of net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill.

Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 are shown below.

(Dollars in thousands)	2019		2018		2017
Balance at beginning of year	$	880,251	$	204,084	$	204,084
Goodwill resulting from business combinations	57,520		676,167		0
Balance at end of year	$	937,771	$	880,251	$	204,084

During 2019, First Financial recorded $58.0 million of additions to goodwill resulting from the Bannockburn acquisition. During 2018, First Financial recorded additions to goodwill of $676.2 million resulting from the merger with MSFG, and First Financial recorded its final adjustments to goodwill related to the MSFG merger in the first quarter of 2019. For further detail on the merger with MSFG or the acquisition of Bannockburn, see Note 23 - Business Combinations.

Goodwill is evaluated for impairment on an annual basis as of October 1 of each year, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value of a reporting unit may be below its carrying value.  First Financial performed its annual impairment test of goodwill as of October 1, 2019 and no impairment was indicated.  As of December 31, 2019, no events or changes in circumstances indicated that the fair value of a reporting unit was below its carrying value.

Other intangible assets. Other intangible assets consist primarily of core deposit, customer list and other miscellaneous intangibles.

Core deposit intangibles represent the estimated fair value of acquired customer deposit relationships on the date of acquisition and are amortized on an accelerated basis over their estimated useful lives. First Financial's core deposit intangibles have an estimated weighted average remaining life of 8.0 years.

First Financial recorded a $39.4 million customer list intangible asset in conjunction with the Bannockburn merger to account for the obligation or advantage on the part of either the Company or the customer to continue the pre-existing relationship subsequent to the merger. The customer list intangible asset is amortized on a straight-line basis over its estimated useful life of 11 years.

Other miscellaneous intangibles include purchase commissions, non-compete agreements and trade name intangibles. Other intangible assets are included in Other intangibles in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.  

The gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization of other intangible assets at December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)	December 31, 2019					December 31, 2018
Amortized intangible assets
Core deposit intangibles	$	51,031	$	(21,149	)	$	54,357	$	(16,500	)
Customer list	39,420		(1,195		)	0		0
Other	10,093		(1,999		)	3,763		(815		)
Total	$	100,544	$	(24,343	)	$	58,120	$	(17,315	)

Amortization expense recognized on intangible assets for 2019, 2018 and 2017 was $9.7 million, $7.4 million and $1.3 million, respectively. The estimated amortization expense of intangible assets for the next five years is as follows:

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 67

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Dollars in thousands)	Intangible amortization
2020	$	11,670
2021	10,263
2022	7,718
2023	6,739
2024	6,670

10. Deposits

Time deposits that meet or exceed the FDIC insurance limit of $250,000 at December 31, 2019 and 2018 were $285.0 million and $284.9 million, respectively.

Scheduled maturities of all time deposits for the next five years were as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)	Time deposits
2020	$	1,752,552
2021	294,579
2022	141,261
2023	37,757
2024	13,272
Thereafter	1,020
Total	$	2,240,441

11. Borrowings

Short-term borrowings on the Consolidated Balance Sheets include repurchase agreements utilized for corporate sweep accounts with cash management account agreements in place, overnight advances from the FHLB and a short-term line of credit. All repurchase agreements are subject to terms and conditions agreed to by the Bank and the client. To secure its liability to the client, the Bank is authorized to sell or repurchase U.S. Treasury, government agency and mortgage-backed securities.

The following shows the remaining contractual maturity of repurchase agreements by collateral pledged:

(Dollars in thousands)	Overnight and Continuous
Repurchase agreements
Mortgage-backed securities	$	9,755
Collateralized mortgage obligations	80,426
Total	$	90,181

Securities sold under agreements to repurchase are secured by securities with a carrying amount of $90.2 million and $85.5 million, as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

First Financial has a $30.0 million short-term credit facility with an unaffiliated bank that matures in September, 2020. This facility can have a variable or fixed interest rate and provides First Financial additional liquidity, if needed, for various corporate activities including the repurchase of First Financial common stock and the payment of dividends to shareholders. As of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, there was no outstanding balance. The credit agreement requires First Financial to comply with certain covenants including those related to asset quality and capital levels, and First Financial was in compliance with all covenants associated with this facility as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018.

68 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

The following is a summary of short-term borrowings for the last three years:

	2019				2018				2017
(Dollars in thousands)	Amount		Rate		Amount		Rate		Amount		Rate
At December 31,
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase	$	165,181	0.85	%	$	183,591	1.65	%	$	72,265	0.19	%
FHLB borrowings	1,151,000		1.73	%	857,100		2.48	%	742,300		1.43	%
Total	$	1,316,181	1.62	%	$	1,040,691	2.33	%	$	814,565	1.32	%
Average for the year
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase	$	155,859	1.15	%	$	87,221	0.58	%	$	69,766	0.19	%
FHLB borrowings	990,860		2.37	%	857,028		2.03	%	760,558		1.05	%
Other short-term borrowings	0		0.00	%	3,178		4.36	%	41		4.07	%
Total	$	1,146,719	1.90	%	$	947,427	1.90	%	$	830,365	0.98	%
Maximum month-end balances
Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase	$	260,621			$	183,591			$	130,633
FHLB borrowings	1,171,400				1,170,800				957,700
Other short-term borrowings	0				10,000				0

In 2015, First Financial issued $120.0 million of subordinated notes, which have a fixed interest rate of 5.13% payable semiannually and mature in August 2025. These notes are not redeemable by the Company or callable by the holders of the notes prior to maturity. In addition, First Financial acquired $49.5 million of variable rate subordinated notes in the MSFG merger that were issued to previously formed trusts in exchange for the trust proceeds. Interest on the acquired subordinated notes is payable quarterly, in arrears, and the Company has the option to defer interest payments for a period not to exceed 20 consecutive quarters. The acquired subordinated notes mature 30 years after the date of original issuance and may be called at par following the 5 year anniversary of issuance. First Financial also acquired $8.4 million of 7.40% fixed rate private placement subordinated debt in conjunction with the MSFG merger that was issued in 2015 and matures in 2025. These notes are redeemable by the Company at par following the 5 year anniversary of issuance. The subordinated notes are treated as Tier 2 capital for regulatory capital purposes and are included in Long-term debt on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

In addition to subordinated notes, long-term debt included $242.4 million and $400.6 million of fixed rate FHLB long-term advances as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. As of December 31, 2019, long-term FHLB advances had a weighted average interest rate of 1.94%. These instruments are primarily utilized to reduce overnight liquidity risk and to mitigate interest rate sensitivity on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

FHLB advances, both short-term and long-term, must be collateralized with qualifying assets, typically certain commercial and residential real estate loans, as well as certain government and agency securities. For ease of borrowing execution, First Financial utilizes a blanket collateral agreement with the FHLB, and at December 31, 2019, had collateral pledged with a book value of $6.2 billion.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 69

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The following is a summary of First Financial's long-term debt:

	2019					2018
(Dollars in thousands)	Amount			Average Rate		Amount			Average Rate
FHLB borrowings	$	242,428		1.94	%	$	400,599		2.08	%
Subordinated debt	170,967			4.97	%	170,550			5.28	%
Unamortized debt issuance costs	(1,007		)	n/a		(1,185		)	n/a
Capital lease liability	1,213			4.48	%	0			0.00	%
Capital loan with municipality	775			0.00	%	775			0.00	%
Total long-term debt	$	414,376		3.20	%	$	570,739		3.04	%

As of December 31, 2019, First Financial's long-term debt matures as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)	Long-term debt
2020	$	104,059
2021	19,052
2022	49,451
2023	49
2024	51
Thereafter	241,714
Total	$	414,376

12. Derivatives

First Financial uses certain derivative instruments, including rate caps, floors, swaps and foreign exchange contracts, to meet the operating needs of its clients while managing the interest and currency rate risk associated with certain transactions.  First Financial may also utilize interest rate swaps to manage the interest rate risk profile of the Company. Interest rate payments are exchanged with counterparties, based on the notional amount as established in the interest rate agreement. As only interest rate payments are exchanged, the cash requirements and credit risk associated with interest rate swaps are significantly less than the notional amount and the Company’s credit risk exposure is limited to the market value of the instruments. First Financial does not use derivatives for speculative purposes.

First Financial manages this market value credit risk through counterparty credit policies including a review of total derivative notional position to total assets, total credit exposure to total capital and counterparty credit exposure risk.

For discussion of First Financial's accounting for derivative instruments, see Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.

Client derivatives. First Financial utilizes interest rate swaps as a means to offer commercial borrowers fixed rate funding while providing the Company with floating rate assets.

At December 31, 2019, for interest rate derivatives, the Company had a total counterparty notional amount outstanding of $1.9 billion, spread among eighteen counterparties, with an outstanding liability from these contracts of $67.5 million. At December 31, 2018, the Company had interest rate derivatives with a total counterparty notional amount outstanding of $1.4 billion, spread among thirteen counterparties, with an outstanding liability from these contracts of $4.9 million.

First Financial monitors its derivative credit exposure to borrowers by monitoring the creditworthiness of the related loan

customers through the Company's normal credit review processes. Additionally, the Company's ALLL Committee monitors

derivative credit risk exposure associated with problem loans through the Company's ALLL committee. First Financial considers the market value of a derivative instrument to be part of the carrying value of the related loan for these purposes as the borrower is contractually obligated to pay First Financial this amount in the event the derivative contract is terminated.

70 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

In connection with its use of derivative instruments, First Financial and its counterparties may be required to post cash collateral to offset the market position of the derivative instruments. First Financial maintains the right to offset these derivative positions with the collateral posted against them by or with the relevant counterparties.

Foreign Exchange Contracts. First Financial may enter into foreign exchange derivative contracts for the benefit of commercial customers to hedge their exposure to foreign currency fluctuations. Similar to the hedging of interest rate risk from interest rate derivative contracts, First Financial also enters into foreign exchange contracts with major financial institutions to economically hedge a substantial portion of the exposure from client driven foreign exchange activity. These derivatives are classified as free-standing instruments with the revaluation gain or loss recorded in Foreign exchange income in the Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company has risk limits and internal controls in place to help ensure that it is not taking excessive risk when providing this service to customers. These controls include an independent determination of currency volatility and credit equivalent exposure on these contracts, counterparty credit approvals and country limits performed by independent risk management. At December 31, 2019, the Company had total counterparty notional amount outstanding of $1.9 billion spread among six counterparties, with an estimated fair value of $18.3 million at December 31, 2019 related to foreign exchange contracts, which is included in Accrued interest and other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

In connection with its use of foreign exchange contracts, First Financial and its counterparties may be required to post cash collateral to offset the market position of the derivative instruments. First Financial maintains the right to offset these derivative positions with the collateral posted against them by or with the relevant counterparties.

The following table details the location and amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets for client derivatives:

		December 31, 2019							December 31, 2018
				Estimated fair value							Estimated fair value
(Dollars in thousands)	Balance Sheet Classification	Notional amount		Gain		Loss			Notional amount		Gain		Loss
Client derivatives-instruments associated with loans
Matched interest rate swaps with borrower	Accrued interest and other assets and other liabilities	$	1,923,375	$	70,799	$	(2,636	)	$	1,359,990	$	17,402	$	(11,787	)
Matched interest rate swaps with counterparty	Accrued interest and other liabilities	1,923,375		2,636		(70,808		)	1,359,990		11,787		(17,401		)
Foreign exchange contracts
Matched foreign exchange contracts with customers	Accrued interest and other assets	1,869,934		28,739		(10,433		)	0		0		0
Match foreign exchange contracts with counterparty	Accrued interest and other liabilities	1,869,934		10,433		(28,739		)	0		0		0
Total		$	7,586,618	$	112,607	$	(112,616	)	$	2,719,980	$	29,189	$	(29,188	)

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 71

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The following table discloses the gross and net amounts of client derivative liabilities recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets:

	December 31, 2019								December 31, 2018
(Dollars in thousands)	Gross amounts of recognized liabilities		Gross amounts offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets			Net amounts of (assets)/liabilities presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets			Gross amounts of recognized liabilities		Gross amounts offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets			Net amounts of (assets)/liabilities presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets
Client derivatives
Matched interest rate swaps	$	73,444	$	(147,193	)	$	(73,749	)	$	29,189	$	(14,577	)	$	14,612
Foreign exchange contracts with counterparty	39,172		(41,202		)	(2,030		)	0		0			0
Total	$	112,616	$	(188,395	)	$	(75,779	)	$	29,189	$	(14,577	)	$	14,612

The following table details the derivative financial instruments, the average remaining maturities and the weighted-average interest rates being paid and received by First Financial at December 31, 2019:

(Dollars in thousands)	Notional amount		Average maturity (years)	Fair value
Client derivatives-interest rate contracts
Receive fixed, matched interest rate swaps with borrower	$	1,923,375	6.0	$	68,163
Pay fixed, matched interest rate swaps with counterparty	1,923,375		6.0	(68,172		)
Client derivatives-foreign exchange contracts
Foreign exchange contracts - pay USD	1,869,934		0.6	18,306
Foreign exchange contracts - receive USD	1,869,934		0.6	(18,306		)
Total client derivatives	$	7,586,618	3.3	$	(9	)

Credit derivatives. In conjunction with participating interests in commercial loans, First Financial periodically enters into risk participation agreements with counterparties whereby First Financial assumes a portion of the credit exposure associated with an interest rate swap on the participated loan in exchange for a fee. Under these agreements, First Financial will make payments to the counterparty if the loan customer defaults on its obligation to perform under the interest rate swap contract with the counterparty. The total notional value of these agreements totaled $216.2 million as of December 31, 2019 and $138.4 million as of December 31, 2018. The fair value of these agreements were recorded in Accrued interest and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets was $0.2 million at December 31, 2019 and $0.1 million at December 31, 2018.

Mortgage Derivatives. First Financial enters into IRLCs and forward commitments for the future delivery of mortgage loans to third party investors, which are considered derivatives. When borrowers secure an IRLC with First Financial and the loans are intended to be sold, First Financial will enter into forward commitments for the future delivery of the loans to third party investors in order to hedge against the effect of changes in interest rates impacting IRLCs and and loans held for sale. At December 31, 2019, the notional amount of the IRLCs was $33.4 million and the notional amount of forward commitments was $37.8 million. As of December 31, 2018, the notional amount of IRLCs was $20.8 million and the notional amount of forward commitments was $12.3 million. The fair value of these agreements was $0.9 million at December 31, 2019 and was insignificant at December 31, 2018 and was recorded in Accrued interest and other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

72 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

13. Commitments and Contingencies

First Financial offers a variety of financial instruments including letters of credit and outstanding commitments to extend credit to assist clients in meeting their requirement for liquidity and credit enhancement. GAAP does not require these financial instruments to be recorded in the Consolidated Financial Statements.

First Financial utilizes the same credit policies in issuing commitments and conditional obligations as it does for credit instruments recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. First Financial’s exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the counterparty is represented by the contractual amounts of those instruments. First Financial utilizes the ALLL methodology to maintain a reserve that it considers sufficient to absorb probable losses incurred in letters of credit and outstanding loan commitments and records the reserve within Accrued interest and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. First Financial had $0.6 million and $0.7 million of reserves for unfunded commitments recorded in Accrued interest and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Loan commitments. Loan commitments are agreements to extend credit to a client absent any violation of any condition established in the commitment agreement.  Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee.  Since many of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements.  The amount of collateral obtained, if deemed necessary by First Financial upon extension of credit, is based on management’s credit evaluation of the client.  The collateral held varies, but may include securities, real estate, inventory, plant or equipment.  First Financial had commitments outstanding to extend credit, totaling $3.3 billion and $3.0 billion at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. As of December 31, 2019, loan commitments with a fixed interest rate totaled $123.7 million while commitments with variable interest rates totaled $3.2 billion. At December 31, 2018, loan commitments with a fixed interest rate totaled $174.0 million while commitments with variable interest rates totaled $2.9 billion. The fixed rate loan commitments have interest rates ranging from 0.00% to 21.00% for both December 31, 2019 and 2018 and have maturities ranging from less than 1 year to 31.6 years for December 31, 2019 and between 1 and 30 years for December 31, 2018.

Letters of credit. Letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by First Financial to guarantee the performance of a client to a third party.  First Financial’s portfolio of letters of credit consists primarily of performance assurances made on behalf of clients who have a contractual commitment to produce or deliver goods or services.  The risk to First Financial arises from its obligation to make payment in the event of the client's contractual default to produce the contracted good or service to a third party.  First Financial has issued letters of credit aggregating $33.4 million and $32.7 million at December 31, 2019, and 2018, respectively. Management conducts regular reviews of these instruments on an individual client basis.

Investments in affordable housing projects. First Financial has made investments in certain qualified affordable housing tax credits. These credits are an indirect federal subsidy that provide tax incentives to encourage investment in the development, acquisition and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing, and allow investors to claim tax credits and other tax benefits (such as deductions from taxable income for operating losses) on their federal income tax returns. The principal risk associated with qualified affordable housing investments is the potential for noncompliance with the tax code requirements, such as failure to rent property to qualified tenants, resulting in the unavailability or recapture of the tax credits and other tax benefits. Investments in affordable housing projects are accounted for under the proportional amortization method and are included in Accrued interest and other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

First Financial's affordable housing commitments totaled $38.5 million and $39.4 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The Company recognized tax credits of $6.2 million, $4.9 million and $3.2 million related to its investments in affordable housing projects for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company recognized amortization expense which was included in income tax expense of $6.9 million, $5.7 million and $4.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. First Financial had no affordable housing contingent commitments as of December 31, 2019 or December 31, 2018.

Investments in historic tax credits. First Financial has noncontrolling financial investments in private investment funds and partnerships which are not consolidated. These investments may generate a return through the realization of federal and state income tax credits, as well as other tax benefits, such as tax deductions from net operating losses of the investments over a period of time. Investments in historic tax credits are accounted for under the equity method of accounting and are included in Accrued interest and other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company’s recorded investment in these entities was approximately $3.1 million at December 31, 2019, and $3.9 million at December 31, 2018. The maximum exposure to loss related to these investments was $5.1 million at December 31, 2019 and $3.9 million at December 31, 2018, representing the

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 73

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Company’s investment balance and its unfunded commitments to invest additional amounts. Investments in historic tax credits resulted in $3.5 million, $0.5 million and $13.7 million of tax credits for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Contingencies/Litigation. First Financial and its subsidiaries are engaged in various matters of litigation from time to time, and have a number of unresolved claims pending. Additionally, as part of the ordinary course of business, First Financial and its subsidiaries are parties to litigation involving claims to the ownership of funds in particular accounts, the collection of delinquent accounts, challenges to security interests in collateral and foreclosure interests, that is incidental to our regular business activities. While the ultimate liability with respect to these litigation matters and claims cannot be determined at this time, First Financial believes that damages, if any, and other amounts relating to pending matters are not probable or cannot be reasonably estimated as of December 31, 2019. Reserves are established for these various matters of litigation, when appropriate, under FASB ASC Topic 450, Contingencies, based in part upon the advice of legal counsel. First Financial had no reserves related to litigation matters as of December 31, 2019 or December 31, 2018.

14. Related Party Transactions

Outstanding balance of loans to directors, executive officers, principal holders of First Financial’s common stock and certain related persons were as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)	2019
Beginning balance	$	2,732
Additions	4,348
Deductions	(1,791		)
Ending balance	$	5,289
Loans 90 days or more past due	$	0

Related parties of First Financial, as defined for inclusion in the table above, were clients of, and had transactions with, subsidiaries of First Financial during the periods noted. Similar transactions with related parties may be expected in future periods.

15. Income Taxes

Income tax expense consisted of the following components:

(Dollars in thousands)	2019		2018		2017
Current expense
Federal	$	31,343	$	34,330	$	22,599
State	854		1,029		1,265
Total current expense	32,197		35,359		23,864
Deferred expense (benefit)
Federal	10,946		4,675		(4,657		)
State	1,644		1,592		169
Total deferred expense (benefit)	12,590		6,267		(4,488		)
Income tax expense	$	44,787	$	41,626	$	19,376

74 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

The difference between the federal income tax rates applied to income before income taxes and the effective rates were due to the following:

(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018			2017
Income taxes computed at federal statutory rate on income before income taxes (21% in 2019 and 2018; 35% in 2017)	$	51,001		$	44,986		$	40,657
Benefit from tax-exempt income	(5,964		)	(4,499		)	(3,427		)
Tax credits	(10,075		)	(5,439		)	(16,806		)
Tax rate reduction impact	0			0			(8,191		)
Basis reduction on tax credit	738			0			4,599
Tax benefit of equity compensation	(140		)	(565		)	(1,449		)
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit	1,973			2,070			932
Affordable housing investments	5,825			4,725			2,798
Other	1,429			348			263
Income tax expense	$	44,787		$	41,626		$	19,376

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law. As a result, First Financial revalued its deferred tax assets and liabilities as well as its investments in affordable housing projects utilizing a 21% federal rate compared to a 35% rate in prior periods, which resulted in an $8.2 million reduction in tax expense in 2017.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 75

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The major components of the temporary differences that gave rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2019, and 2018, were as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018
Deferred tax assets
Allowance for loan and lease losses	$	13,011		$	12,782
Fair value adjustments on business combinations	6,470			11,199
Deferred compensation	228			392
Postretirement benefits other than pension liability	666			676
Accrued stock-based compensation	1,296			1,145
OREO write-downs	162			118
Interest on nonaccrual loans	548			1,160
Accrued expenses	4,708			5,808
Net unrealized losses on investment securities and derivatives	0			3,221
State net operating loss	2,792			3,119
Leasing liability	14,806			0
Federal tax credit carryforwards	0			873
Other	816			425
Total deferred tax assets	45,503			40,918
Deferred tax liabilities
Tax depreciation in excess of book depreciation	(10,970		)	(9,530		)
FHLB and FRB stock	(4,043		)	(4,044		)
Mortgage-servicing rights	(2,435		)	(2,285		)
Leasing activities	(7,349		)	(3,881		)
Retirement obligation	(8,511		)	(6,614		)
Intangible assets	(11,647		)	(12,310		)
Deferred loan fees and costs	(1,100		)	(131		)
Prepaid expenses	(623		)	(582		)
Limited partnership investments	(2,249		)	(2,367		)
Net unrealized gains on investment securities	(11,359		)	0
Foreign exchange deferred income	(2,845		)	0
Right of use assets	(13,354		)	0
Other	(2,048		)	(1,867		)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(78,533		)	(43,611		)
Total net deferred tax liability	$	(33,030	)	$	(2,693	)

In conjunction with the MSFG merger, First Financial acquired a state net operating loss. At December 31, 2019 and 2018, the state net operating loss carryforward was $3.6 million and $3.9 million, and begin to expire in 2024 and 2022, respectively. The Company expects to fully utilize this net operating loss and, therefore, a valuation allowance is not required at December 31, 2019 and 2018. The acquired MSFG state net operating loss is subject to IRC Section 382 and is limited annually.

The realization of the Company’s deferred tax assets is dependent upon the Company’s ability to generate taxable income in future periods and the reversal of deferred tax liabilities during the same period. The Company has evaluated the available evidence supporting the realization of its deferred tax assets and determined it is more likely than not that the assets will be realized and thus no valuation allowance was recorded at December 31, 2019 and 2018.

The Bank’s retained earnings at December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 included base-year bad debt reserves of $16.1 million as a result of the merger with MSFG.  Base-year reserves are subject to recapture in the event the Bank redeems its stock, makes distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits (as calculated for federal income tax purposes), loses its “bank” status or liquidates.  The Bank has no intention of meeting any of the criteria for recapture.  Accordingly, a deferred income tax liability of $3.4 million has not been recorded.

76 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

At both December 31, 2019 and 2018, First Financial had $2.4 million and $2.9 million of unrecognized tax benefits, as determined in FASB ASC Topic 740-10, Income Taxes, that, if recognized, would favorably affect the effective income tax rate in future periods. A progression of gross unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 is as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018
Balance at beginning of year	$	3,735		$	3,735
Settlements	(729		)	0
Balance at end of year	$	3,006		$	3,735

The unrecognized tax benefits relate to state income tax exposures where First Financial believes it is likely that, upon examination, a state may take a position contrary to the position taken by the Company. The Company believes that resolution regarding our uncertain tax positions is reasonably possible within the next twelve months and could result in full, partial or no recognition of the benefit.

First Financial recognizes interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits and penalties as income tax expense. At December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company had no interest or penalties recorded.

First Financial and its subsidiaries are subject to U.S. federal income tax as well as state and local income tax in several jurisdictions. Tax years prior to 2016 have been closed and are no longer subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations. Tax years 2016 through 2019 remain open to examination by the federal taxing authority.

First Financial is no longer subject to state and local income tax examinations for years prior to 2011. Tax years 2011 through 2019 remain open to state and local examination by various other jurisdictions.

16. Employee Benefit Plans

Pension plan. First Financial sponsors a non-contributory defined benefit pension plan covering substantially all employees and uses a December 31 measurement date for the plan. Plan assets were primarily invested in fixed income and equity mutual funds. The pension plan does not directly own any shares of First Financial common stock or any other First Financial security or product.

The investment objective of the Plan is to structure the assets to mirror the liabilities of the Plan, with the fixed income component matching the identified near and long-term plan distributions and the equity component generating growth of capital to meet other future Plan liabilities. The determination of the overall expected long-term return on plan assets was based on the composition of plan assets and a consensus of estimates from similarly managed portfolios of expected future returns.

First Financial recorded expense related to its pension plan of $1.0 million for 2019 and $0.9 million for 2018. During 2017, First Financial recorded income of $0.6 million. The components of net periodic benefit cost other than the service cost component are included in Other noninterest expense while service costs are recorded as a component Salaries and employee benefits in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

First Financial made no cash contributions to the pension plan in 2019, 2018 or 2017 and does not expect to make any contributions in 2020.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 77

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The following tables set forth information concerning amounts recognized in First Financial's Consolidated Balance Sheets and Consolidated Statements of Income related to the Company's pension plan:

	December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	68,286		$	71,154
Service cost	6,591			6,501
Interest cost	2,778			2,394
Actuarial (gain) loss	6,848			(4,032		)
Benefits paid, excluding settlement	(9,459		)	(7,731		)
Benefit obligation at end of year	75,044			68,286
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	130,078			144,349
Actual return on plan assets	21,197			(6,540		)
Benefits paid, excluding settlement	(9,459		)	(7,731		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	141,816			130,078
Amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets
Assets	66,772			61,792
Liabilities	0			0
Net amount recognized	$	66,772		$	61,792
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Net actuarial loss	$	37,278		$	43,711
Net prior service cost	(1,095		)	(1,508		)
Deferred tax assets	(8,242		)	(9,613		)
Net amount recognized	$	27,941		$	32,590
Change in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	$	(4,649	)	$	12,959
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	74,424		$	66,320

78 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

The components of net periodic benefit cost are shown in the table that follows:

	December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018			2017
Service cost	$	6,591		$	6,501		$	4,894
Interest cost	2,778			2,394			2,325
Expected return on assets	(9,718		)	(9,811		)	(9,358		)
Amortization of prior service cost	(413		)	(413		)	(413		)
Recognized net actuarial loss	1,803			2,188			1,924
Net periodic benefit (income) cost	1,041			859			(628		)
Other changes recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Net actuarial (gain) loss	(4,630		)	12,319			(2,775		)
Prior service cost	0			0			0
Amortization of prior service cost	413			413			413
Amortization of gain	(1,803		)	(2,188		)	(1,924		)
Total recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(6,020		)	10,544			(4,286		)
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	$	(4,979	)	$	11,403		$	(4,914	)
Amount expected to be recognized in net periodic pension expense in the coming year
Amortization of (gain) loss	$	2,079		$	1,867		$	2,090
Amortization of prior service credit	(413		)	(413		)	(413		)

The pension plan assumptions are shown in the table that follows:

	December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
Benefit obligations
Discount rate	3.33	%	4.31	%	3.43	%
Rate of compensation increase	3.50	%	3.50	%	3.50	%
Net periodic benefit cost
Discount rate	4.31	%	3.43	%	3.88	%
Expected return on plan assets	7.25	%	7.25	%	7.25	%
Rate of compensation increase	3.50	%	3.50	%	3.50	%

The fair value of the plan assets as of December 31, 2019 by asset category is shown in the table that follows:

	Fair Value Measurements
(Dollars in thousands)	Total		Quoted Prices in  Active Markets  for  Identical Assets  (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Asset Category
Cash	$	195	$	195	$	0	$	0
U. S. Government agencies	5,357		0		5,357		0
Fixed income mutual funds	75,720		75,720		0		0
Equity mutual funds	60,544		60,544		0		0
Total	$	141,816	$	136,459	$	5,357	$	0

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 79

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The fair value of the plan assets as of December 31, 2018 by asset category is shown in the table that follows:

	Fair Value Measurements
(Dollars in thousands)	Total		Quoted Prices in  Active Markets  for  Identical Assets  (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Asset Category
Cash	$	216	$	216	$	0	$	0
U. S. Government agencies	8,053		0		8,053		0
Fixed income mutual funds	74,453		74,453		0		0
Equity mutual funds	47,356		47,356		0		0
Total	$	130,078	$	122,025	$	8,053	$	0

The level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant in the fair value measurement. See Note 22 – Fair Value Disclosures for further information related to the framework for measuring fair value and the fair value hierarchy.

The following benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, are expected to be paid:

(Dollars in thousands)	Expected benefit payments
2020	$	5,611
2021	5,210
2022	5,173
2023	5,125
2024	6,070
Thereafter	35,362

401(k) plan. First Financial sponsors a defined contribution 401(k) plan which covers substantially all employees. Employees may contribute up to 50.0% of their earnings into the plan, not to exceed applicable limitations prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service. First Financial's contributions to the 401(k) plan are discretionary. The Company made no contributions to the 401(k) plan during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. First Financial recorded $1.9 million of expense related to the Company's contributions to the 401(k) plan during 2017.

17. Revenue Recognition

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers using the modified retrospective method applied to all contracts not completed as of January 1, 2018. Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2018 are presented under the guidance set forth in this update while prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with legacy GAAP. Adoption of this update did not result in a change to the accounting for any of the in-scope revenue streams. As such, no cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings was recorded.

The majority of the Company's revenues come from interest income and other sources, including loans, leases, securities, derivatives and foreign exchange, that are outside the scope of ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The Company's services that fall within the scope of ASU 2019-09 are presented within Noninterest income and are recognized as revenue when the Company satisfies its obligation to the customer. Services within the scope of this guidance include service charges on deposits, trust and wealth management fees, bankcard income, gain/loss on the sale of OREO and investment brokerage fees.

Service charges on deposit accounts. The Company earns fees from its deposit customers for transaction-based, account maintenance and overdraft. Transaction-based fees, which include services such as ATM use fees, stop payment charges, statement rendering and ACH fees, are recognized at the time the transaction is executed as that is the point in time the

80 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Company fulfills the customer's request. Account maintenance fees, which relate primarily to monthly maintenance, are earned over the course of a month, representing the period over which the Company satisfies the performance obligation. Similarly, overdraft fees are recognized at the point in time that the overdraft occurs as this corresponds with the Company's performance obligation. Service charges on deposit accounts are withdrawn from the customer's account balance.

Trust and wealth management fees. Trust and wealth management fees are primarily asset-based, but can also include flat fees based upon a specific service rendered, such as tax preparation services. The Company’s performance obligation is generally satisfied over time and the resulting fees are recognized monthly, based upon the month-end market value of the assets under management and the applicable fees. The Company does not earn performance-based incentives. Optional services such as real estate sales and tax return preparation services are also available to existing trust and wealth management customers. The Company’s performance obligation for these transactional-based services is generally satisfied, and related revenue recognized, as incurred.

Bankcard income. The Company earns interchange fees from cardholder transactions conducted through the Visa payment network. Interchange fees from cardholder transactions represent a percentage of the underlying transaction value and are recognized concurrent with the transaction processing services provided to the cardholder. Interchange income is presented on the Consolidated Statements of Income net of expenses. Gross interchange income for 2019 was $30.4 million, and was partially offset by $11.9 million of expenses within Noninterest income. Gross interchange income for 2018 was $31.3 million, and was partially offset by $11.0 million of expenses within Noninterest income.

Other. Other noninterest income consists of other recurring revenue streams such as transaction fees, safe deposit rental income, insurance commissions, merchant referral income, gain (loss) on sale of OREO and brokerage revenue. Transaction fees primarily include check printing sales commissions, collection fees and wire transfer fees which arise from in-branch transactions. Safe deposit rental income arises from fees charged to the customer on an annual basis and recognized upon receipt of payment. Insurance commissions are agent commissions earned by the Company and earned upon the effective date of the bound coverage. Merchant referral income is associated with a program whereby the Company receives a share of processing revenue that is generated from clients that were referred by First Financial to the service provider. Revenue is recognized at the point in time when the transaction occurs.

The Company records a gain or loss from the sale of OREO when control of the property transfers to the buyer, which generally occurs at the time of the executed deed. When the Company finances the sale of OREO to the buyer, the Company assesses whether the buyer is committed to perform their obligations under the contract and whether collectibility of the transaction price is probable. Once these criteria are met, the OREO asset is derecognized and the gain or loss on sale is recorded upon the transfer of control of the property to the buyer.

Brokerage revenue represents fees from investment brokerage services provided to customers by a third party provider. The Company receives commissions from the third-party service provider on a monthly basis based upon customer activity for the month. The fees are recognized monthly and a receivable is recorded until commissions are paid the following month. Because the Company (i) acts as an agent in arranging the relationship between the customer and the third-party service provider and (ii) does not control the services rendered to the customers, investment brokerage fees are presented net of related costs.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 81

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

18. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Shareholders’ equity is affected by transactions and valuations of asset and liability positions that require adjustments to accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).  The related tax effects allocated to other comprehensive income and accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) are as follows:

	December 31, 2019
	Total other comprehensive income (loss)												Total accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
(Dollars in thousands)	Prior to reclass		Reclass from			Pre-tax		Tax effect			Net of tax		Beginning balance			Net activity		Cumulative effect of new standard		Ending balance
Unrealized gain (loss) on debt securities	$	65,858	$	(370	)	$	66,228	$	(14,269	)	$	51,959	$	(11,601	)	$	51,959	$	906	$	41,264
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives	281		0			281		(64		)	217		(217		)	217		0		0
Retirement obligation	4,630		(1,390		)	6,020		(1,371		)	4,649		(32,590		)	4,649		0		(27,941		)
Total	$	70,769	$	(1,760	)	$	72,529	$	(15,704	)	$	56,825	$	(44,408	)	$	56,825	$	906	$	13,323

	December 31, 2018
	Total other comprehensive income (loss)															Total accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
(Dollars in thousands)	Prior to reclass			Reclass from			Pre-tax			Tax-effect			Net of tax			Beginning Balance			Net Activity			Cumulative effect of new standard			Ending Balance
Unrealized gain (loss) on debt securities	$	(14,461	)	$	(161	)	$	(14,300	)	$	3,071		$	(11,229	)	$	(182	)	$	(11,229	)	$	(190	)	$	(11,601	)
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives	628			0			628			(144		)	484			(577		)	484			(124		)	(217		)
Retirement obligation	(12,319		)	(1,775		)	(10,544		)	2,364			(8,180		)	(19,631		)	(8,180		)	(4,779		)	(32,590		)
Total	$	(26,152	)	$	(1,936	)	$	(24,216	)	$	5,291		$	(18,925	)	$	(20,390	)	$	(18,925	)	$	(5,093	)	$	(44,408	)

	December 31, 2017
	Total other comprehensive income (loss)												Total accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
(Dollars in thousands)	Prior to reclass		Reclass from			Pre-tax		Tax-effect			Net of tax		Beginning Balance			Net Activity		Ending Balance
Unrealized gain (loss) on debt securities	$	8,447	$	1,649		$	6,798	$	(2,431	)	$	4,367	$	(4,549	)	$	4,367	$	(182	)
Unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives	810		0			810		(296		)	514		(1,091		)	514		(577		)
Retirement obligation	2,775		(1,511		)	4,286		(1,114		)	3,172		(22,803		)	3,172		(19,631		)
Total	$	12,032	$	138		$	11,894	$	(3,841	)	$	8,053	$	(28,443	)	$	8,053	$	(20,390	)

82 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

The following table details the activity reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into income during the period:

	Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (1)
	December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018			2017			Affected Line Item in the Consolidated Statements of Income
Realized gains and losses on securities available-for-sale	$	(370	)	$	(161	)	$	1,649		Net gain (loss) on sales of investment securities
Defined benefit pension plan
Amortization of prior service cost (2)	413			413			413			Other noninterest expense
Recognized net actuarial loss (2)	(1,803		)	(2,188		)	(1,924		)	Other noninterest expense
Amortization and settlement charges of defined benefit pension items	(1,390		)	(1,775		)	(1,511		)
Total reclassifications for the period, before tax	$	(1,760	)	$	(1,936	)	$	138

⁽¹⁾ Negative amounts are debits to profit/loss.

⁽²⁾ Included in the computation of net periodic pension cost (see Note 16 - Employee Benefit Plans for additional details).

19. Capital

Risk-based capital. First Financial and its subsidiary, First Financial Bank, are subject to regulatory capital requirements administered by federal banking agencies. Capital adequacy guidelines and, additionally for banks, prompt corrective action regulations involve quantitative measures of assets, liabilities and certain off-balance sheet items calculated under regulatory accounting practices. Capital amounts and classifications are also subject to qualitative judgments by regulators. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate regulatory action.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System approved Basel III in order to strengthen the regulatory capital framework for all banking organizations, subject to a phase-in period for certain provisions.  Basel III established and defined quantitative measures to ensure capital adequacy. These measures require First Financial to maintain minimum amounts and ratios of Common Equity tier 1 capital, total and tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets and tier 1 capital to average assets (leverage ratio).  

Basel III includes a minimum ratio of Common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of 7.00% at December 31, 2019 and 6.38% at December 31, 2018 and a phased-in capital conservation buffer of 2.5% of risk-weighted assets that began on January 1, 2016 at 0.625% until it was fully phased in as of January 1, 2019.  Further, the minimum ratio of tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets increased to 8.5% at December 31, 2019 and all banks are subject to a 4.0% minimum leverage ratio.  The required Total risk-based capital ratio is 10.50%. Failure to maintain the required Common equity Tier 1 capital conservation buffer will result in potential restrictions on a bank’s ability to pay dividends, repurchase stock and pay discretionary compensation to its employees. The capital requirements also provide strict eligibility criteria for regulatory capital instruments and change the method for calculating risk-weighted assets in an effort to better identify riskier assets, such as highly volatile commercial real estate and nonaccrual loans.

As of December 31, 2019, management believes that First Financial met all capital adequacy requirements to which it was subject. To be categorized as well-capitalized, First Financial must maintain minimum Total risk-based capital, Tier 1 risk-based capital and Tier 1 leverage ratios as set forth in the table that follows. The Company's most recent regulatory notifications categorized First Financial as "well-capitalized" under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action. There have been no conditions or events since those notifications that management believes have changed the Company's categorization. Total regulatory capital exceeded the “minimum” requirement by $318.3 million on a consolidated basis at December 31, 2019.  

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 83

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The following tables present the actual and required capital amounts and ratios as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 under the Basel III Capital Rules. The minimum required capital amounts presented include the minimum required capital levels based on the phase-in provisions of the Basel III Capital Rules as of the year presented. The 2018 table includes the minimum required capital levels as of January 1, 2019 when the Basel III Capital Rules had been fully phased-in. Capital levels required to be considered "well capitalized" are based upon prompt corrective action regulations, as amended to reflect the changes under the Basel III Capital Rules.

	Actual				Minimum capital required - Basel III				PCA requirement to be considered well capitalized
(Dollars in thousands)	Capital amount		Ratio		Capital amount		Ratio		Capital amount		Ratio
December 31, 2019
Common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets
Consolidated	$	1,245,746	11.30	%	$	771,666	7.00	%	N/A		N/A
First Financial Bank	1,333,978		12.11	%	770,997		7.00	%	$	715,926	6.50	%
Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets
Consolidated	1,288,185		11.69	%	937,023		8.50	%	N/A		N/A
First Financial Bank	1,334,082		12.11	%	936,211		8.50	%	$	881,140	8.00	%
Total capital to risk-weighted assets
Consolidated	1,475,813		13.39	%	1,157,498		10.50	%	N/A		N/A
First Financial Bank	1,399,817		12.71	%	1,156,496		10.50	%	1,101,425		10.00	%
Leverage
Consolidated	1,288,185		9.58	%	537,606		4.00	%	N/A		N/A
First Financial Bank	1,334,082		9.93	%	537,299		4.00	%	671,623		5.00	%

	Actual				Minimum capital required - Basel III				PCA requirement to be considered well capitalized				Minimum capital required - Basel III fully phased-in
(Dollars in thousands)	Capital amount		Ratio		Capital amount		Ratio		Capital amount		Ratio		Capital amount		Ratio
December 31, 2018
Common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets
Consolidated	$	1,215,613	11.87	%	$	652,874	6.38	%	N/A		N/A		$	716,881	7.00	%
First Financial Bank	1,279,492		12.50	%	652,590		6.38	%	$	665,386	6.50	%	716,570		7.00	%
Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets
Consolidated	1,257,366		12.28	%	806,491		7.88	%	N/A		N/A		870,499		8.50	%
First Financial Bank	1,279,596		12.50	%	806,141		7.88	%	818,937		8.00	%	870,120		8.50	%
Total capital to risk-weighted assets
Consolidated	1,444,146		14.10	%	1,011,314		9.88	%	N/A		N/A		1,075,322		10.50	%
First Financial Bank	1,344,388		13.13	%	1,010,875		9.88	%	1,023,671		10.00	%	1,074,855		10.50	%
Leverage
Consolidated	1,257,366		9.71	%	517,958		4.00	%	N/A		N/A		517,958		4.00	%
First Financial Bank	1,279,596		9.89	%	517,710		4.00	%	647,138		5.00	%	517,710		4.00	%

Share repurchases. In January 2019, First Financial's board of directors approved a stock repurchase plan, replacing the plan approved in 2012. The 2019 plan authorizes the purchase of up to 5,000,000 shares of the Company's common stock. First Financial repurchased 2,753,272 shares at an average market price of $24.05 under this plan during 2019. At December 31,

84 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

2019, 2,246,728 common shares remained available for repurchase under the 2019 plan. There were no share repurchases in 2018 or 2017.

ATM Offering. In March 2017, First Financial initiated an "at-the-market" equity offering program to provide flexibility with respect to capital planning and to support future growth. First Financial was not active through the ATM program during the period.

20. Stock Options and Awards

First Financial follows the provisions of FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation, which requires measurement of compensation cost for all stock-based awards at fair value on the date of grant and recognition of compensation expense over the service period for all awards expected to vest. First Financial recorded share-based compensation expense (within salaries and employee benefits on the Consolidated Statements of Income) of $8.0 million, $6.2 million and $5.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively, related to stock options and restricted stock awards. Total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested share-based compensation was $8.5 million at December 31, 2019 and is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.93 years.

As of December 31, 2019, First Financial had a single active stock-based compensation plan, the Amended and Restated 2012 Stock Plan, under which additional awards may be granted. At December 31, 2019, there were 1,513,826 shares available for issuance under the Amended and Restated 2012 Stock Plan.

In April 2018, in conjunction with the MSFG merger, First Financial assumed existing MSFG stock options, which were converted into 83,551 options to purchase First Financial common stock. The converted MSFG options remain subject to all of the terms and conditions of the plan and grant agreements under which the MSFG Stock Options were originally issued. The assumed options were exercisable at the time of the merger and remain outstanding for 10 years after the initial grant date with all options expiring at the end of the exercise period. At December 31, 2019, 37,856 options were outstanding under the Plan, all of which expire on or before February 3, 2024.

First Financial utilizes the Black-Scholes valuation model to determine the fair value of stock options granted. In addition to the stock option strike price, the Black-Scholes valuation model incorporates the following assumptions: the expected dividend yield based on historical dividend payouts; the expected stock price volatility based on the historical volatility of Company stock for a period approximating the expected life of the options; the risk-free rate based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected life of the option; and the expected option life represented by the period of time the options are expected to be outstanding, and is based on historical trends. No new options were granted in 2019, 2018 or 2017.

Stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2019, is summarized as follows:

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)	Number of shares		Weighted average exercise price		Weighted average remaining contractual life	Aggregate intrinsic value
Outstanding at beginning of year	62,410		$	9.08
Granted	0		0.00
Exercised	(24,554	)	8.37
Forfeited or expired	0		0.00
Outstanding at end of year	37,856		$	9.54	3.12	$	602
Exercisable at end of year	37,856		$	9.54	3.12	$	602

The intrinsic value of stock options is defined as the difference between the current market value and the exercise price. First Financial uses treasury shares purchased under the Company's share repurchase program to satisfy share-based exercises.

	2019		2018		2017
Total intrinsic value of options exercised	$	462	$	734	$	1,533
Cash received from exercises	$	90	$	284	$	341
Tax benefit from exercises	$	1,844	$	1,439	$	1,991

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 85

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Restricted stock awards are recorded at fair value as of the grant date as a component of shareholders' equity and amortized on a straight-line basis to salaries and benefits expense over the specified vesting periods, which is currently three years for employees and one year for non-employee directors. The vesting of these awards for employees and non-employee directors may require a service period to be met, and certain awards may also require performance measures to be met.

Activity in restricted stock for the previous three years ended December 31 is summarized as follows:

	2019				2018				2017
	Number of shares		Weighted  average grant date fair value		Number of shares		Weighted  average grant date fair value		Number of shares		Weighted  average grant date fair value
Nonvested at beginning of year	462,446		$	26.39	468,372		$	21.63	648,817		$	17.82
Granted	395,023		26.55		303,930		28.94		234,529		27.36
Vested	(295,633	)	24.94		(267,031	)	20.94		(307,825	)	18.12
Forfeited	(31,267	)	28.63		(42,825	)	26.38		(107,149	)	21.18
Nonvested at end of year	530,569		$	27.19	462,446		$	26.39	468,372		$	21.63

The fair value of restricted stock is determined based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of First Financial's common stock. The fair value of restricted stock vested during 2019, 2018 and 2017 was $7.4 million, $5.6 million and $5.6 million, respectively.

21. Earnings per Common Share

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)	2019		2018		2017
Numerator
Net income	$	198,075	$	172,595	$	96,787
Denominator
Basic earnings per common share - weighted average shares	98,305,570		88,582,090		61,529,460
Effect of dilutive securities
Employee stock awards	545,901		514,680		581,329
Warrants	0		517,435		60,801
Diluted earnings per common share - adjusted weighted average shares	98,851,471		89,614,205		62,171,590
Earnings per share available to common shareholders
Basic	$	2.01	$	1.95	$	1.57
Diluted	$	2.00	$	1.93	$	1.56

First Financial had no warrants outstanding to purchase the Company's common stock as of December 31, 2019. Warrants acquired in the MSFG merger were outstanding as of December 31, 2018 and represented the right to purchase 804,858 shares of First Financial's common stock at an exercise price of $10.62 per share. These warrants were exercised in January 2019. At December 31, 2017, First Financial had warrants outstanding representing the right to purchase 104,200 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $12.12. These warrants expired in December 2018.

Stock options and warrants with exercise prices greater than the average market price of the common shares were not included in the computation of net income per diluted share, as they would have been antidilutive.  Using the period end price, there were no antidilutive options at December 31, 2019, 2018, or 2017.

86 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

As of December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, First Financial was authorized to issue 10,000,000 preferred shares, however no preferred shares were issued or outstanding.

22. Fair Value Disclosures

The fair value framework as disclosed in the Fair Value Topic includes a hierarchy which focuses on prioritizing the inputs used in valuation techniques.  The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1), a lower priority to observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities (Level 2) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3).  When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities, First Financial looks to active markets to price identical assets or liabilities whenever possible and classifies such items in Level 1.  When identical assets and liabilities are not traded in active markets, First Financial looks to observable market data for similar assets and liabilities and classifies such items as Level 2.  Certain assets and liabilities are not actively traded in observable markets and First Financial must use alternative techniques, based on unobservable inputs, to determine the fair value and classifies such items as Level 3. The level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant in the fair value measurement.

The estimated fair values of First Financial's financial instruments not measured at fair value on a recurring or nonrecurring basis in the consolidated financial statements were as follows:

	Carrying		Estimated fair value
(Dollars in thousands)	value		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
December 31, 2019
Financial assets
Cash and short-term investments	$	257,639	$	257,639	$	257,639	$	0	$	0
Investment securities held-to-maturity	142,862		142,821		0		142,821		0
Other investments	125,020		N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A
Loans held for sale	13,680		13,680		0		13,680		0
Loans and leases	9,144,015		9,134,215		0		0		9,134,215
Accrued interest receivable	39,591		39,591		0		12,743		26,848
Financial liabilities
Deposits	10,210,229		10,209,790		0		10,209,790		0
Short-term borrowings	1,316,181		1,316,181		1,316,181		0		0
Long-term debt	414,376		414,937		0		414,937		0
Accrued interest payable	13,671		13,671		1,899		11,772		0

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 87

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

	Carrying		Estimated Fair Value
(Dollars in thousands)	Value		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
December 31, 2018
Financial assets
Cash and short-term investments	$	273,959	$	273,959	$	273,959	$	0	$	0
Investment securities held-to-maturity	429,328		424,118		0		424,118		0
Other investments	115,660		N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A
Loans held for sale	4,372		4,372		0		4,372		0
Loans and leases	8,767,672		8,662,868		0		0		8,662,868
Accrued interest receivable	41,816		41,816		0		13,819		27,997
Financial liabilities
Deposits	10,140,394		10,113,475		0		10,113,475		0
Short-term borrowings	1,040,691		1,040,691		1,040,691		0		0
Long-term debt	570,739		557,933		0		557,933		0
Accrued interest payable	12,126		12,126		2,035		10,091		0

In accordance with our adoption of ASU 2016-01 in 2018, the methods utilized to measure the fair value of financial instruments at December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 represent an approximation of exit price, however, an actual exit price may differ.

The following methods, assumptions and valuation techniques were used by First Financial to measure different financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring or nonrecurring basis.

Investment securities. Investment securities classified as available-for-sale are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis.  Fair value measurement is based upon quoted market prices, when available (Level 1).  If quoted market prices are not available, fair values are measured utilizing independent valuation techniques of identical or similar investment securities.  First Financial compiles prices from various sources who may apply such techniques as matrix pricing to determine the value of identical or similar investment securities (Level 2).  Matrix pricing is a mathematical technique widely used in the banking industry to value investment securities without relying exclusively on quoted prices for the specific investment securities but rather relying on the investment securities’ relationship to other benchmark quoted investment securities.  Any investment securities not valued based upon the methods previously described are considered Level 3.

First Financial utilizes values provided by third-party pricing vendors to price the investment securities portfolio in accordance with the fair value hierarchy of the Fair Value Topic and reviews the pricing methodologies utilized by the pricing vendors to ensure that the fair value determination is consistent with the applicable accounting guidance.  First Financial’s pricing process includes a series of quality assurance activities where prices are compared to recent market conditions, historical prices and other independent pricing services.  Further, the Company periodically validates the fair value of a sample of securities in the portfolio by comparing the fair values to prices from other independent sources for the same or similar securities.  First Financial analyzes unusual or significant variances, conducts additional research with the pricing vendor, and if necessary, takes appropriate action based on its findings.  The results of the quality assurance process are incorporated into the selection of pricing providers by the portfolio manager.

Derivatives. The fair values of derivative instruments are based primarily on a net present value calculation of the cash flows related to the interest rate swaps and foreign exchange contracts at the reporting date, using primarily observable market inputs such as interest rate yield curves and currency exchange rates, which represents the cost to terminate the swap if First Financial should choose to do so. Additionally, First Financial utilizes an internally-developed model to value the credit risk component of derivative assets and liabilities, which is recorded as an adjustment to the fair value of the derivative asset or liability on the reporting date. Derivative instruments are classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

Impaired loans. The fair value of impaired loans are specifically reviewed for purposes of determining the appropriate amount of impairment to be allocated to the ALLL.  Fair value is generally measured based on the value of the collateral securing the loans.  Collateral may be in the form of real estate or business assets including equipment, inventory and accounts receivable.  The value of real estate collateral is determined utilizing an income or market valuation approach based on an appraisal

88 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

conducted by an independent, licensed third-party appraiser (Level 3). The value of business equipment is based on an outside appraisal, if deemed significant, or the net book value on the applicable borrower financial statements.  Likewise, values for inventory and accounts receivable collateral are based on borrower financial statement balances or aging reports on a discounted basis as appropriate (Level 3).  Impaired loans are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis.  Any fair value adjustments are recorded in the period incurred as provision for loan and lease losses on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

OREO. Assets acquired through loan foreclosure are recorded at fair value less costs to sell, with any difference between the fair value of the property and the carrying value of the loan recorded as a charge-off. If the fair value is higher than the carrying amount of the loan, the excess is recognized first as a recovery and then as noninterest income. Subsequent declines in value are reported as adjustments to the carrying amount and are recorded in noninterest expense. The carrying value of OREO is not re-measured to fair value on a recurring basis, but is subject to fair value adjustments when the carrying value differs from the fair value, less estimated selling costs. Fair value is based on recent real estate appraisals and is updated at least annually. The Company classifies OREO in level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

The financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis in the consolidated financial statements were as follows:

	Fair Value Measurements Using						Assets/Liabilities
(Dollars in thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		at Fair Value
December 31, 2019
Assets
Investment securities available-for-sale	$	100	$	2,842,794	$	9,190	$	2,852,084
Interest rate derivative contracts	0		73,558		0		73,558
Foreign exchange derivative contracts	0		39,172		0		39,172
Total	$	100	$	2,955,524	$	9,190	$	2,964,814
Liabilities
Interest rate derivative contracts	$	0	$	73,750	$	0	$	73,750
Foreign exchange derivative contracts	0		39,172		0		39,172
Total	$	0	$	112,922	$	0	$	112,922

	Fair Value Measurements Using						Assets/Liabilities
(Dollars in thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		at Fair Value
December 31, 2018
Assets
Investment securities available-for-sale	$	97	$	2,764,443	$	14,715	$	2,779,255
Derivatives	0		29,543		0		29,543
Total	$	97	$	2,793,986	$	14,715	$	2,808,798
Liabilities
Derivatives	$	0	$	29,336	$	0	$	29,336

The following table presents a reconciliation for certain AFS securities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the year ended December 31, 2019.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 89

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

	Year ended
(dollars in thousands)	December 31, 2019
Beginning balance	$	14,715
Accretion (amortization)	(552		)
Increase (decrease) in fair value	30
Settlements	(5,003		)
Ending balance	$	9,190

Certain financial assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis.  Adjustments to the fair market value of these assets usually result from the application of fair value accounting or write-downs of individual assets.  The following table summarizes financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis:

	Fair Value Measurements Using
(Dollars in thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
December 31, 2019
Assets
Impaired loans	$	0	$	0	$	9,268
OREO	0		0		1,088

	Fair Value Measurements Using
(Dollars in thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
December 31, 2018
Assets
Impaired loans	$	0	$	0	$	1,320
OREO	0		0		1,089

23. Business Combination

In August, 2019, the Company completed its acquisition of Bannockburn Global Forex, LLC. Pursuant to the acquisition agreement, First Financial agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding membership interests of BGF for aggregate consideration of approximately $114.6 million consisting of $53.7 million in cash and $60.9 million of First Financial common stock. BGF was a privately held capital markets trading firm specializing in foreign currency advisory, hedge analytics and transaction processing for closely held enterprises.  Upon completion of the transaction, Bannockburn became a division of the Bank, but continues to operate as Bannockburn Global Forex, taking advantage of its existing brand recognition within the foreign exchange industry.

The Bannockburn transaction was accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting and accordingly, assets acquired, liabilities assumed and consideration exchanged were recorded at estimated fair value on the acquisition date in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations. The fair value measurements of assets acquired and liabilities assumed were $74.9 million and $18.4 million, respectively, and are subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of the acquisition as additional information relative to closing date fair values became available.  The measurement period ends in August 2020. Goodwill arising from the BGF acquisition was $58.0 million and reflects the business’s high growth potential and the expectation that the acquisition will provide additional revenue growth and diversification. The goodwill is deductible for income tax purposes as the transaction is considered a taxable exchange.  For further detail, see Note 9 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.

In April 2018, First Financial completed its acquisition of MainSource Financial Group, Inc. and its banking subsidiary, MainSource Bank. Under the terms of the merger agreement, shareholders of MSFG received 1.3875 common shares of First Financial common stock for each share of MSFG common stock, with cash paid in lieu of fractional shares. Including outstanding options and warrants to purchase MSFG common stock, the total purchase consideration was $1.1 billion and resulted in goodwill of $675.6 million. The goodwill arising from the acquisition largely reflected synergies and cost savings

90 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

resulting from combining the operations of the companies. First Financial incurred merger related expenses related to the MSFG acquisition of $3.2 million and $37.8 million during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

The MSFG acquisition provided additional revenue growth and diversification. The goodwill is not deductible for income tax purposes as the transaction was accounted for as a tax-free exchange. For further detail, see Note 9 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.

The MainSource transaction was accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting and accordingly, assets acquired, liabilities assumed and consideration exchanged were recorded at estimated fair value on the acquisition date, in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations. The fair value measurements of assets acquired and liabilities assumed were subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of the acquisition as additional information relative to closing date fair values became available.  The fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed were considered final as of March 31, 2019.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 91

The following table provides the purchase price calculation as of the acquisition date, identifiable assets purchased and liabilities assumed at their estimated fair value for the MSFG merger. As a condition of the merger, certain acquired assets and liabilities held for sale were divested subsequent to the closing of the merger. There was no gain or loss recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Income in conjunction with this divestiture.

(Dollars in thousands)	MainSource
Purchase consideration
Cash consideration	$	43
Stock consideration	1,043,424
Warrant consideration	14,460
Options consideration	1,577
Total purchase consideration	1,059,504
Assets acquired
Cash	71,806
Investment securities available-for-sale	900,935
Investment securities held-to-maturity	171,423
Other investments	28,763
Loans	2,792,572
Premises and equipment	98,814
Intangible assets	42,887
Other assets	167,829
Assets held for sale	127,775
Total assets acquired	4,402,804
Liabilities assumed
Deposits	3,263,920
Subordinated notes	49,027
FHLB advances	291,887
Other borrowings	205,620
Other liabilities	32,649
Liabilities held for sale	175,840
Total liabilities assumed	4,018,943
Net identifiable assets	383,861
Goodwill	$	675,643

The fair value of net assets acquired includes fair value adjustments to certain loans that were not considered impaired as of the acquisition date as the Company believes that all contractual cash flows will be collected. The fair value adjustments were determined using discounted cash flows. In conjunction with the MSFG merger, First Financial acquired non-impaired loans with a fair value and gross contractual amounts receivable of $2.8 billion and $2.9 billion, respectively.

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 92

The following table presents supplemental pro forma information as if the MSFG acquisition had occurred at the beginning of 2017. The pro forma information includes adjustments for interest income on acquired loans, amortization of intangible assets arising from the transaction, depreciation expense on property acquired, interest expense on deposits acquired, merger-related expenses incurred and the related income tax effects. The pro forma financial information is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that would have occurred had the transactions been effected on the assumed date. The disclosures regarding the results of operations for MSFG subsequent to its acquisition date are omitted as this information is not practical to obtain.

	Twelve months ended
	December 31,
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited)	2018		2017
Pro Forma Condensed Combined Income Statement Information
Net interest income	$	484,915	$	454,579
Net income	$	221,122	$	130,402
Basic earnings per share	$	2.27	$	1.34
Diluted earnings per share	$	2.25	$	1.33

24. First Financial Bancorp. (Parent Company Only) Financial Information

Balance Sheets

	December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2019		2018
Assets
Cash	$	55,869	$	86,878
Investment securities	1,116		694
Subordinated notes from subsidiaries	7,500		7,500
Investment in subsidiaries
Commercial bank	2,272,991		2,078,655
Non-banks	8,260		7,194
Total investment in subsidiaries	2,281,251		2,085,849
Premises and equipment	1,344		1,361
Other assets	77,572		71,817
Total assets	$	2,424,652	$	2,254,099
Liabilities
Subordinated notes	$	171,983	$	171,416
Dividends payable	849		465
Other liabilities	4,115		3,969
Total liabilities	176,947		175,850
Shareholders’ equity	2,247,705		2,078,249
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	2,424,652	$	2,254,099

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 93

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income

	Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018			2017
Income
Interest income	$	30		$	23		$	6
Noninterest income	191			0			86
Dividends from subsidiaries	196,800			107,340			54,600
Total income	197,021			107,363			54,692
Expenses
Interest expense	9,552			8,798			6,152
Salaries and employee benefits	8,169			6,413			5,519
Professional services	1,040			5,130			970
Other	6,599			5,648			4,819
Total expenses	25,360			25,989			17,460
Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed net earnings of subsidiaries	171,661			81,374			37,232
Income tax expense (benefit)	(5,975		)	(6,687		)	(7,080		)
Equity in undistributed earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	20,439			84,534			52,475
Net income	$	198,075		$	172,595		$	96,787
Comprehensive income	$	254,900		$	153,670		$	104,840

94 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Statements of Cash Flows

	Years Ended December 31,
(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018			2017
Operating activities
Net income	$	198,075		$	172,595		$	96,787
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities
Equity in undistributed (earnings) loss of subsidiaries	(20,439		)	(84,534		)	(52,475		)
Depreciation and amortization	584			194			193
Stock-based compensation expense	7,969			6,219			5,446
Deferred income taxes	1,255			739			(360		)
(Decrease) increase in dividends payable	384			(10,500		)	579
Increase (decrease) in other liabilities	(244		)	9,979			(889		)
Decrease (increase) in other assets	(7,187		)	16,346			(6,951		)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	180,397			111,038			42,330
Investing activities
Capital contributions to subsidiaries	0			(3,000		)	0
Net cash acquired (paid) in business combinations	(53,660		)	11,353			0
Proceeds from sales and maturities of investment securities	264			0			0
Purchases of investment securities	(500		)	0			0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(53,896		)	8,353			0
Financing activities
(Decrease) increase in short-term borrowings	0			(8,333		)	0
Cash dividends paid on common stock	(89,097		)	(79,655		)	(41,178		)
Purchases of common stock	(66,218		)	0			0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options, net of shares purchased	90			284			341
Other	(2,285		)	(2,528		)	(3,059		)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(157,510		)	(90,232		)	(43,896		)
Net increase (decrease) in cash	(31,009		)	29,159			(1,566		)
Cash at beginning of year	86,878			57,719			59,285
Cash at end of year	$	55,869		$	86,878		$	57,719

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 95

Quarterly Financial And Common Stock Data (Unaudited)
	Three months ended
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	December 31		September 30		June 30		March 31
2019
Interest income	$	147,651	$	153,645	$	154,523	$	151,759
Interest expense	28,749		32,110		32,221		30,244
Net interest income	118,902		121,535		122,302		121,515
Provision for loan and lease losses	4,629		5,228		6,658		14,083
Noninterest income	36,768		33,140		34,638		26,827
Noninterest expenses	93,064		86,226		84,378		78,499
Income before income taxes	57,977		63,221		65,904		55,760
Income tax expense	9,300		12,365		13,201		9,921
Net income	$	48,677	$	50,856	$	52,703	$	45,839
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.49	$	0.52	$	0.54	$	0.47
Diluted	$	0.49	$	0.51	$	0.53	$	0.47
Cash dividends paid per common share	$	0.23	$	0.23	$	0.22	$	0.22
Market price
High	$	26.04	$	25.49	$	25.80	$	28.56
Low	$	23.24	$	22.37	$	22.16	$	23.02
2018
Interest income	$	153,429	$	149,220	$	147,379	$	90,354
Interest expense	27,470		25,735		23,400		14,542
Net interest income	125,959		123,485		123,979		75,812
Provision for loan and lease losses	5,310		3,238		3,735		2,303
Noninterest income	29,504		28,684		28,256		16,938
Noninterest expenses	83,352		85,415		102,755		52,288
Income before income taxes	66,801		63,516		45,745		38,159
Income tax expense	11,787		12,859		9,327		7,653
Net income	$	55,014	$	50,657	$	36,418	$	30,506
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.56	$	0.52	$	0.37	$	0.49
Diluted	$	0.56	$	0.51	$	0.37	$	0.49
Cash dividends paid per common share	$	0.20	$	0.20	$	0.19	$	0.36
Market price
High	$	29.58	$	32.35	$	33.55	$	29.35
Low	$	22.40	$	29.40	$	28.10	$	26.40

First Financial Bancorp common stock trades on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol FFBC.

96 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

Total Return to Shareholders

The following graph compares the five-year cumulative total return to shareholders of First Financial Bancorp common stock with that of companies that comprise the Nasdaq Composite Index and the KBW Regional Bank Index. The KBW Regional Bank Index is comprised of 50 banks headquartered throughout the country and is used frequently by investors when comparing First Financial Bancorp's stock performance to that of other similarly sized institutions. First Financial Bancorp is included in the KBW Regional Bank Index.

The following table assumes $100 invested on December 31, 2014 in First Financial Bancorp, the Nasdaq Composite Index and the KBW Regional Bank Index, and assumes that dividends are reinvested.

COMPARISON OF FIVE-YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN

AMONG FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP, NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX

AND KBW REGIONAL BANK INDEX

	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
First Financial Bancorp	100.00	100.68	163.47	155.39	143.64	159.86
Nasdaq Composite Index	100.00	106.00	147.46	150.13	123.87	153.44
KBW Regional Bank Index	100.00	107.11	116.71	151.40	147.15	201.21

First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report 97

Shareholder Information Annual Meeting of Shareholders Investor Relations The annual meeting of shareholders will be held on Corporate and investor information, including news Tuesday, May 26, 2020, at 10:00 AM (EDT) via a releases, webcasts, investor presentations, annual reports, virtual shareholder meeting. proxy statements and SEC filings, as well as information on the Company’s corporate governance practices are Common Stock Listing available within the Investor Relations section of our First Financial Bancorp’s common stock trades website at www.bankatfirst.com/investor. on the Nasdaq Stock Market (NASDAQ) under the symbol FFBC. Shareholders, analysts and other investment professionals who would like corporate and financial information on Registrar and Transfer Agent First Financial Bancorp should contact: Computershare Shareholder Services serves as the registrar and transfer agent for First Financial Bancorp Jamie Anderson common stock for registered shareholders. Shareholder Chief Financial Officer account inquiries, including changes of address or First Financial Bancorp ownership, transferring stock and replacing lost 255 East Fifth Street, 29th Floor certificates or dividend checks should be directed to Cincinnati, OH 45202 Computershare Shareholder Services at: (513) 887-5400 Email: InvestorRelations@bankatfirst.com Transfer Agent Computershare Shareholder Services Securities and Exchange Commission Filings P.O. Box 505000 All reports filed electronically by First Financial Bancorp Louisville, KY 40233 with the United States Securities and Exchange (800) 368-5948 Commission (SEC), including the Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and Shareholders of record can also access their shareholder current reports on Form 8-K, as well as any amendments account records and request information related to their to those reports, are accessible at no cost within shareholder account via the internet. To register for online the Investor Relations section of our website at account access, go to: www.computershare.com/investor. www.bankatfirst.com/investor, or by contacting Investor Relations. These filings are also accessible on the Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Shareholders of record holding 25 shares or more are eligible to participate in our Dividend Reinvestment Plan. Shareholders of record may elect to have cash dividends automatically reinvested in additional common shares and can also purchase additional common shares by making optional cash payments. To obtain a prospectus, enroll in the plan, or to contact Investor Relations, please visit the Investor Relations section of our website at www.bankatfirst.com/investor.

98 First Financial Bancorp 2019 Annual Report

First Financial Bancorp First Financial Bank First Financial Center 255 East Fifth Street Suite 800 Cincinnati, OH 45202-4248 www.bankatfirst.com