Page 1

Exhibit 99.1 FIRST first financial bancorp First Financial Bancorp Announces Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results Earnings per diluted share of $ 0.63 and on both GAAP and adjusted ( 1 ) basis Return on average assets of 1.49 % on both GAAP and adjusted ( 1 ) basis Net interest margin FTE ( 1 ) of 3.32 % Loan growth of $ 74.8 million , excluding decline in PPP loans Provision recapture of $ 10.1 million Repurchased 2,484,295 shares during the quarter Cincinnati , Ohio - October 21 , 2021 First Financial Bancorp . ( Nasdaq : FFBC ) ( " First Financial " or the " Company " ) announced financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30 , 2021 . For the three months ended September 30 , 2021 , the Company reported net income of $ 60.0 million , or $ 0.63 per diluted common share . These results compare to net income of $ 50.9 million , or $ 0.52 per diluted common share , for the second quarter of 2021 and $ 41.5 million , or $ 0.42 per diluted common share , for the third quarter of 2020. For the nine months ended September 30 , 2021 , First Financial had earnings per diluted common share of $ 1.64 compared to $ 1.10 for the same period in 2020 . Return on average assets for the third quarter of 2021 was 1.49 % while return on average tangible common equity was 19.03 % ( ¹ ) . These compare to returns on average assets of 1.26 % and 1.04 % , and returns on average tangible common equity of 16.31 % ( 1 ) and 13.61 % ( 1 ) , in the second quarter of 2021 and the third quarter of 2020 , respectively . Third quarter 2021 highlights include : Net interest margin of 3.32 % on a fully tax - equivalent basis ( 1 ) in line with expectations 1 basis point increase from linked quarter driven by PPP forgiveness , which offset lower yields on earning assets Noninterest income of $ 42.5 million , or $ 42.2 million as adjusted ( 1 ) Strong mortgage banking income of $ 8.6 million driven by higher premiums during the period Elevated wealth management fees of $ 5.9 million Other noninterest income increased $ 1.1 million , or 34.3 % ; driven by income from limited partnership investments and insurance proceeds Noninterest expenses of $ 99.1 million , or $ 93.6 million as adjusted ( 1 ) Adjustments ( ¹ ) include : $ 5.3 million of tax credit investment write - downs Increase in expenses driven by incentive compensation tied to the Company's strong financial performance and modest increases in marketing costs and professional services Efficiency ratio of 63.5 % ; 60.1 % as adjusted ( 1 ) Loan balances declined $ 150.6 million from the second quarter driven by PPP forgiveness of $ 225.4 million during the quarter Core loan balances increased $ 74.8 million , or 3.3 % on an annualized basis compared to the second quarter Non - PPP C & I loan balances increased 16.0 % on an annualized basis ( 1 ) Financial information in this release that is described as " adjusted " or that is presented on a fully tax equivalent basis is non - GAAP . For details on the calculation of these non - GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to the GAAP financial measure , see the sections titled " Use of Non - GAAP Financial Measures " in this release and " Appendix : Non - GAAP to GAAP Reconciliation " in the accompanying slide presentation . 1