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INVESTMENTS
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2026
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]  
INVESTMENTS INVESTMENTS
For the three months ended September 30, 2026, there were $15.5 million of sales of AFS securities with insignificant gross realized gains or losses. For the three months ended September 30, 2025, there were $189.3 million sales of AFS securities with $3.4 million of gross realized gains and no gross realized losses.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2026, there were $576.0 million of sales of AFS securities with $7.1 million of gross realized gains and insignificant gross realized losses. For the nine months ended September 30, 2025, there were $353.9 million of sales of AFS securities with $3.5 million of gross realized gains and $10.0 million of gross realized losses.
First Financial had three AFS securities with unrealized losses due to credit deterioration at September 30, 2026. These securities totaled $14.1 million, net of $0.8 million unrealized losses. The Company had six AFS securities with unrealized losses due to credit deterioration at December 31, 2025, which totaled $20.9 million, net of unrealized losses of $9.8 million. The Company continues to monitor these securities and believes that the Company will receive the full par value.

Additionally, the Company recognized no impairment losses on AFS securities during the three months ended September 30, 2026 and $3.4 million of impairment losses on AFS securities during the three months ended September 30, 2025. For the nine months ended September 30, 2026, the Company recognized impairment losses of $8.3 million and $3.4 million impairment losses were recognized on AFS securities during the nine months ended September 30, 2025. The losses were included in Net gain (loss) on investment securities in the Consolidated Statements of Income. These losses were on securities with credit deterioration where the Company determined that it no longer intended to hold the securities until the recovery of their amortized cost bases.

The following is a summary of HTM and AFS investment securities as of September 30, 2026:
  
Held-to-maturityAvailable-for-sale
(Dollars in thousands)Amortized
cost
Unrecognized gainUnrecognized lossFair
value
Amortized
cost
Unrealized
gain
Unrealized
loss
Fair
value
U.S. Treasuries$0 $0 $0 $0 $100 $0 $(5)$95 
Securities of U.S. government agencies and corporations0 0 0 0 104,978 135 (5,231)99,882 
Mortgage-backed securities - residential 0 0 0 0 2,002,626 31 (199,374)1,803,283 
Mortgage-backed securities - commercial 25,732 0 (4,396)21,336 425,734 136 (30,792)395,078 
Collateralized mortgage obligations5,402 0 (710)4,692 1,084,939 10 (78,811)1,006,138 
Obligations of state and other political subdivisions7,187 0 (315)6,872 771,939 306 (133,628)638,617 
Asset-backed securities0 0 0 0 523,108 116 (12,294)510,930 
Other securities0 0 0 0 184,972 17 (3,708)181,281 
Total$38,321 $0 $(5,421)$32,900 $5,098,396 $751 $(463,843)$4,635,304 

The following is a summary of HTM and AFS investment securities as of December 31, 2025:
  
Held-to-maturityAvailable-for-sale
(Dollars in thousands)Amortized
cost
Unrecognized gainUnrecognized
loss
Fair
value
Amortized
cost
Unrealized
gain
Unrealized
loss
Fair
value
U.S. Treasuries$0 $0 $0 $0 $99 $0 $(4)$95 
Securities of U.S. government agencies and corporations0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Mortgage-backed securities - residential 0 0 0 0 1,607,916 11,265 (69,767)1,549,414 
Mortgage-backed securities - commercial 27,373 0 (3,392)23,981 394,129 1,212 (13,741)381,600 
Collateralized mortgage obligations6,088 0 (499)5,589 741,819 3,765 (36,347)709,237 
Obligations of state and other political subdivisions8,334 60 (179)8,215 706,668 931 (89,509)618,090 
Asset-backed securities0 0 0 0 568,366 1,817 (13,639)556,544 
Other securities16,750 0 (201)16,549 163,078 1,063 (7,189)156,952 
Total$58,545 $60 $(4,271)$54,334 $4,182,075 $20,053 $(230,196)$3,971,932 
The following table provides a summary of investment securities by contractual maturity as of September 30, 2026, except for residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations and asset-backed securities, which are shown as single totals due to the unpredictability of the timing in principal repayments.
Held-to-maturityAvailable-for-sale
(Dollars in thousands)Amortized
cost
Fair
value
Amortized
cost
Fair
value
By Contractual Maturity:
Due in one year or less$495 $493 $37,621 $37,493 
Due after one year through five years5,438 5,348 81,754 72,700 
Due after five years through ten years0 0 263,969 229,926 
Due after ten years1,254 1,031 678,645 579,756 
Mortgage-backed securities - residential 0 0 2,002,626 1,803,283 
Mortgage-backed securities - commercial 25,732 21,336 425,734 395,078 
Collateralized mortgage obligations5,402 4,692 1,084,939 1,006,138 
Asset-backed securities0 0 523,108 510,930 
Total$38,321 $32,900 $5,098,396 $4,635,304 

Unrealized gains and losses on AFS debt securities are generally due to fluctuations in current market yields relative to the yields of the securities at their amortized cost. All AFS securities with unrealized losses are reviewed quarterly to determine if any impairment exists, which would require a write-down to fair value. For AFS securities in an unrealized loss position, the Company first assesses whether it intends to sell or it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either of the criteria regarding intent or requirement to sell is met, the security’s amortized cost basis is written down to fair value through income.

For AFS securities in an unrealized loss position that do not meet the aforementioned criteria, the Company evaluates whether the decline in fair value has resulted from credit losses or other factors. In making this assessment, management considers the extent to which fair value is less than amortized cost, any changes to the rating of the security by a rating agency and adverse conditions specifically related to the security, among other factors. If this assessment indicates that a credit loss exists, the present value of cash flows expected to be collected from the security are compared to the amortized cost basis of the security. If the present value of cash flows expected to be collected is less than the amortized cost basis for the security, a credit loss exists and an ACL is recorded, limited to the amount that the fair value of the security is less than its amortized cost basis.

First Financial does not intend to sell, and it is not more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell, debt securities prior to maturity or recovery of the recorded value other than the previously mentioned securities on which the Company recorded impairment losses. Additionally, based on the Company's credit assessment of AFS securities in an unrealized loss position, the Company recorded no reserves for the periods ended September 30, 2026 or December 31, 2025.

As of September 30, 2026, the Company's investment securities portfolio consisted of 849 AFS and HTM securities, of which 789 were in an unrealized loss position. As of December 31, 2025, the Company's investment securities portfolio consisted of 949 AFS and HTM securities, of which 533 were in an unrealized loss position.

Primarily all of First Financial’s HTM debt securities are issued by U.S. government-sponsored enterprises. These securities carry the explicit and/or implicit guarantee of the U.S. government, are widely recognized as “risk free,” and have a long history of zero credit loss. The remainder of the Company's HTM securities are non-agency collateralized mortgage obligations and obligations of state and other political subdivisions which currently carry ratings no lower than A+. There were no HTM securities on nonaccrual status or past due at September 30, 2026 or December 31, 2025.

Management measures expected credit losses on HTM debt securities on a collective basis by security type. The estimate of expected credit losses considers historical credit loss information that is adjusted for current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The Company did not record an ACL for these securities as of September 30, 2026 or December 31, 2025.
The following tables provide the fair value and gross unrealized losses of AFS investment securities in an unrealized loss position for which an ACL has not been recorded, aggregated by investment category and the length of time the individual securities have been in a continuous loss position:

September 30, 2026
Less than 12 months12 months or moreTotal
(Dollars in thousands)Fair
value
Unrealized
loss
Fair
value
Unrealized
loss
Fair
value
Unrealized
loss
U.S. Treasuries$0 $0 $95 $(5)$95 $(5)
Securities of U.S. Government agencies and corporations80,609 (5,231)0 0 80,609 (5,231)
Mortgage-backed securities - residential 1,408,559 (112,009)377,631 (87,365)1,786,190 (199,374)
Mortgage-backed securities - commercial 234,818 (14,799)129,252 (15,993)364,070 (30,792)
Collateralized mortgage obligations748,886 (32,854)240,608 (45,957)989,494 (78,811)
Obligations of state and other political subdivisions208,210 (16,964)413,019 (116,664)621,229 (133,628)
Asset-backed securities320,447 (2,331)41,773 (9,963)362,220 (12,294)
Other securities103,729 (1,721)54,035 (1,987)157,764 (3,708)
Total$3,105,258 $(185,909)$1,256,413 $(277,934)$4,361,671 $(463,843)

December 31, 2025
Less than 12 months12 months or moreTotal
(Dollars in thousands)Fair
value
Unrealized
loss
Fair
value
Unrealized
loss
Fair
value
Unrealized
loss
U.S. Treasuries$0 $0 $95 $(4)$95 $(4)
Securities of U.S. Government agencies and corporations0 0 0 0 0 0 
Mortgage-backed securities - residential277,394 (1,349)536,694 (68,418)814,088 (69,767)
Mortgage-backed securities - commercial39,084 (108)166,649 (13,633)205,733 (13,741)
Collateralized mortgage obligations56,942 (130)286,606 (36,217)343,548 (36,347)
Obligations of state and other political subdivisions71,825 (511)466,766 (88,998)538,591 (89,509)
Asset-backed securities70,967 (48)54,351 (13,591)125,318 (13,639)
Other securities7,321 (54)76,141 (7,135)83,462 (7,189)
Total$523,533 $(2,200)$1,587,302 $(227,996)$2,110,835 $(230,196)
The following tables provide the fair value and gross unrecognized losses of HTM investment securities in an unrecognized loss position for which an ACL has not been recorded, aggregated by investment category and the length of time the individual securities have been in a continuous loss position:
September 30, 2026
Less than 12 months12 months or moreTotal
(Dollars in thousands)Fair
value
Unrecognized
loss
Fair
value
Unrecognized
loss
Fair
value
Unrecognized
loss
U.S. Treasuries$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 
Securities of U.S. Government agencies and corporations0 0 0 0 0 0 
Mortgage-backed securities - residential0 0 0 0 0 0 
Mortgage-backed securities - commercial0 0 21,336 (4,396)21,336 (4,396)
Collateralized mortgage obligations0 0 4,692 (710)4,692 (710)
Obligations of state and other political subdivisions4,113 (92)1,031 (223)5,144 (315)
Asset-backed securities0 0 0 0 0 0 
Other securities0 0 0 0 0 0 
Total$4,113 $(92)$27,059 $(5,329)$31,172 $(5,421)

December 31, 2025
Less than 12 months12 months or moreTotal
(Dollars in thousands)Fair
value
Unrecognized
loss
Fair
value
Unrecognized
loss
Fair
value
Unrecognized
loss
U.S. Treasuries$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 
Securities of U.S. Government agencies and corporations0 0 0 0 0 0 
Mortgage-backed securities - residential0 0 0 0 0 0 
Mortgage-backed securities - commercial0 0 23,981 (3,392)23,981 (3,392)
Collateralized mortgage obligations0 0 5,589 (499)5,589 (499)
Obligations of state and other political subdivisions2,273 (4)1,217 (175)3,490 (179)
Asset-backed securities0 0 0 0 0 0 
Other securities0 0 16,549 (201)16,549 (201)
Total$2,273 $(4)$47,336 $(4,267)$49,609 $(4,271)

For further detail on the fair value of investment securities, see Note 17 – Fair Value Disclosures.