First Financial Bancorp price target raised to $25 from $24 at RBC Capital

RBC Capital analyst Jon Arfstrom raised the firm’s price target on First Financial Bancorp to $25 from $24 and keeps a Sector Perform rating on the shares as part of a broader research note previewing Q2 earnigns among small / regional banking names. The timing of the Fed’s interest rate path remains uncertain, but the firm continues to believe that net interest income path should be favorable for many regionals in a high for longer environment, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Credit quality remains the medium-term question, particularly in commercial real-estate, but the firm expects trends to remain “similar to recent quarters”, RBC added.