Finward Bancorp to Merge with First Financial for $208M

Finward Bancorp announced an agreement to merge with First Financial Bancorp in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $208 million. Under the terms, Finward shareholders will receive 1.35 shares of First Financial common stock for each Finward share. The merger is expected to be 5% accretive to First Financial's earnings per share and result in a 0.4% dilution to tangible book value per share with a 0.6-year earnback. This strategic acquisition will expand First Financial's presence in northwest Indiana and Chicago, adding Finward's $2.0 billion in assets and 24 locations, and is anticipated to close in Q4 2026.