Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement Overview On July 21, 2026, First Financial Bancorp., an Ohio corporation (the “Company”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Finward Bancorp, an Indiana corporation (“Seller” or “Finward”). The Merger Agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, Seller would merge with and into the Company (the “Merger”), with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation in the…

Results of Operation and Financial Condition. On July 21, 2026, the Company issued its earnings press release that included its results of operations and financial condition for the first six months and second quarter of 2026 (the “Press Release”). A copy of the Press Release is attached as Exhibit 99.1. The Company also provided electronic presentation slides that will be used in connection with the earnings conference call. A copy of the electronic presentation slides is attached hereto as…

The filing describes a new stock plan approved by shareholders, not a management change.

Results of Operations and Financial Condition. On April 23, 2026, First Financial Bancorp. (the "Company") issued its earnings press release that included its results of operations and financial condition for the first three months of 2026. A copy of the earnings press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1. The Company also provided electronic presentation slides that will be used in connection with the earnings conference call. A copy of the electronic presentation slides is included in this R…

Other Events. Also on April 23, 2026, the Company announced that the Board of Directors has authorized the purchase of up to 5,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, representing approximately 4.8% of the Company's issued and outstanding shares of common stock as of March 31, 2026. The stock repurchase plan was effective on April 21, 2026, in replacement of the stock repurchase plan previously authorized in December 2023 that expired on December 31, 2025. The current stock repurchase p…

Results of Operations and Financial Condition. On January 28, 2026, First Financial Bancorp. (the "Company") issued its earnings press release that included its results of operations and financial condition for the first twelve months and fourth quarter of 2025. A copy of the earnings press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1. The Company also provided electronic presentation slides that will be used in connection with the earnings conference call. A copy of the electronic presentation slides…

Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets. On January 1, 2026, the Company completed its previously announced Merger with BankFinancial pursuant to the Merger Agreement. Immediately following the Merger, and also effective as of January 1, 2026, BankFinancial’s wholly owned banking subsidiary, BankFinancial, National Association, merged with and into First Financial’s wholly owned banking subsidiary, First Financial Bank (the “ Bank Merger ”), with First Financial Bank continuing as…

Other Events. Regulatory Approvals of Pending Merger Applications. On December 9, 2025, First Financial Bancorp., an Ohio corporation (the “ Company ”), received notification that the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Financial Institutions approved the application of the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, First Financial Bank, an Ohio state-chartered bank, for prior approval of the merger of BankFinancial, National Association, a national banking association, with and into First Finan…

Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant. The information in

Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. On November 10, 2025, First Financial Bancorp. (the “Company”) completed the issuance and sale (the “Offering”) of $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.375% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2035 (the “Notes”). The Offering was completed pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-291294) (including a base prospectus) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on November 5, 2…

On November 1, First Financial Bancorp., an Ohio corporation (the “ Company ”), issued 2,753,094 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “ Company Stock ”) in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Stock Purchase Agreement (the “ Purchase Agreement ”), by and between the Company and Ohio Farmers Insurance Company, an Ohio insurance company (the “ Seller ”), dated as of June 23, 2025. The Closing, as defined in the Purchase Agreement (the “ Closing ”), occur…

Results of Operations and Financial Condition. On October 23, 2025, First Financial Bancorp. (the "Company") issued its earnings press release that included its results of operations and financial condition for the first nine months and third quarter of 2025. A copy of the earnings press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1. The Company also provided electronic presentation slides that will be used in connection with the earnings conference call. A copy of the electronic presentation slides is…

Other Events. Regulatory Approvals of Pending Merger Applications. On October 10, 2025, First Financial Bancorp., an Ohio corporation (the “Company”), received notification that the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Financial Institutions approved the application of the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, First Financial Bank, an Ohio state-chartered bank (the “Bank”), for prior approval of the merger of Westfield Bank, FSB, a fed…

Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. Overview On August 11, 2025, First Financial Bancorp., an Ohio corporation (the “Company”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with BankFinancial Corporation, a Maryland corporation (“Seller” or “BankFinancial”). The Merger Agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, Seller would merge with and into the Company (the “Merger”), with the Company continuing as the surviving…

Results of Operations and Financial Condition. On July 24, 2025, First Financial Bancorp. (the "Company") issued its earnings press release that included its results of operations and financial condition for the first six months and second quarter of 2025. A copy of the earnings press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1. The Company also provided electronic presentation slides that will be used in connection with the earnings conference call. A copy of the electronic presentation slides is in…

Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. On June 23, 2025, First Financial Bancorp., an Ohio corporation (the “Company”) entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), by and between the Company and Ohio Farmers Insurance Company, an Ohio insurance company (the “Seller”). Seller is the sole owner of Westfield Bancorp, Inc., an Ohio corporation (“Westfield Bancorp”), which is the sole owner of Westfield Bank, FSB, a federal savings bank (“Westfield Bank”). Pursuant to t…

Regulation FD Disclosure. On June 23, 2025, the Company issued a press release announcing its entry into the Purchase Agreement. A copy of the Company’s press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein. The executive officers of the Company intend to use the materials filed herewith, in whole or in part, in one or more meetings with investors and analysts. A copy of the investor presentation is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2. The Company does not inten…

The Company will issue the Stock Consideration in the Acquisition to persons who are “accredited investors” as defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The offering and sale of Stock Consideration in the Acquisition is being made in reliance on the exemption from registration afforded under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and/or Rule 506 of Regulation D under the Securities Act.

Results of Operations and Financial Condition. On April 24, 2025, First Financial Bancorp. (the "Company") issued its earnings press release that included its results of operations and financial condition for the three months of 2025. A copy of the earnings press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1. The Company also provided electronic presentation slides that will be used in connection with the earnings conference call. A copy of the electronic presentation slides is included in this Report…

Director — Cynthia Booth: The filing discloses the planned retirement of a director at the end of her term, which is a routine board succession event rather than a sudden executive departure.

Results of Operations and Financial Condition. On January 23, 2025, First Financial Bancorp. (the "Company") issued its earnings press release that included its results of operations and financial condition for the twelve months and fourth quarter of 2024. A copy of the earnings press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1. The Company also provided electronic presentation slides that will be used in connection with the earnings conference call. A copy of the electronic presentation slides is in…

Results of Operations and Financial Condition. On October 24, 2024, First Financial Bancorp. (the "Company") issued its earnings press release that included its results of operations and financial condition for the first nine months and third quarter of 2024. A copy of the earnings press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1. The Company also provided electronic presentation slides that will be used in connection with the earnings conference call. A copy of the electronic presentation slides is…

Results of Operations and Financial Condition. On July 25, 2024, First Financial Bancorp. (the "Company") issued its earnings press release that included its results of operations and financial condition for the first six months and second quarter of 2024. A copy of the earnings press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1. The Company also provided electronic presentation slides that will be used in connection with the earnings conference call. A copy of the electronic presentation slides is in…

Results of Operations and Financial Condition. On April 25, 2024, First Financial Bancorp. (the "Company") issued its earnings press release that included its results of operations and financial condition for the first three months of 2024. A copy of the earnings press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1. The Company also provided electronic presentation slides that will be used in connection with the earnings conference call. A copy of the electronic presentation slides is included in this R…

Director — William Barron and Susan Knust: Two directors are retiring at the end of their terms without standing for re-election, which is a routine board turnover event.