First Financial Bancorp To Pay Cash Dividend

CINCINNATI, Nov. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First Financial Bancorp (Nasdaq: FFBC) announced today that the board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 10 cents per share on November 24, 2009. The dividend will be payable January 4, 2010 to shareholders of record as of December 4, 2009.

First Financial Bancorp has paid a cash dividend every quarter since its formation as the holding company of First Financial Bank in April 1983.  

About First Financial Bancorp

First Financial Bancorp is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank holding company. At September 30, 2009, the company had $7.3 billion in assets, including $4.9 billion in total loans and $5.8 billion in deposits. Its banking subsidiary, First Financial Bank, N.A., founded in 1863, provides consumer and commercial banking products and services, and investment and insurance products through its retail banking center network. Currently First Financial Bank, N.A. operates 128 banking centers. Its strategic operating markets are located within the four state regions of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan where it operates 118 banking centers.  The bank's wealth management division, First Financial Wealth Resource Group, provides investment management, traditional trust, brokerage, private banking, and insurance services, and had approximately $2.0 billion in assets under management at September 30, 2009. Additional information about the company, including its products, services, and banking locations, is available at www.bankatfirst.com/investor.

SOURCE First Financial Bancorp