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TABLE OF CONTENTS ( Mark One ) UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington , D.C. 20549 FORM 10 - K × ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( D ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2020 OR TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( D ) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1934 Commission File Number 001-34762 FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP . Ohio ( State of incorporation ) 255 East Fifth Street , Suite 800 ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) Cincinnati Ohio ( Address of principal executive offices ) 31-1042001 ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) 45202 ( Zip Code ) Registrant's telephone number , including area code : ( 877 ) 322-9530 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Title of each class Common stock , No par value Trading symbol FFBC Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None Name of each exchange on which registered The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . > Yes □ No Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Act . Yes > No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . > Yes ☐ No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Date File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . ☑ Yes ☐ No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , a smaller reporting company , or an emerging growth company . See definitions of “ large accelerated filer , " " accelerated filer , " " smaller reporting company , " and " emerging growth company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act . Large accelerated filer Non - accelerated filer ☑ Accelerated filer Smaller reporting company Emerging growth company If an emerging growth company , indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 ( a ) of the Exchange Act . ☐ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . ☑ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act ) . Yes No The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non - affiliates of the registrant , computed by reference to the sales price of the last trade of such stock as of June 30 , 2020 , was $ 1,334,086,000 . ( The exclusion from such amount of the market value of the shares owned by any person shall not be deemed an admission by the registrant that such person is an affiliate of the registrant . ) As of February 18 , 2021 , there were issued and outstanding 97,374,512 common shares of the registrant . Documents Incorporated by Reference : Portions of the registrant's Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended December 31 , 2020 are incorporated by reference into Parts I and II . Portions of the registrant's definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 25 , 2021 are incorporated by reference into Part III .