First Financial Bancorp. will complete its acquisition of Chicago-based BankFinancial Corporation on January 1, 2026, expanding its presence in the Chicago market with its first retail consumer-focused locations. With this transaction, First Financial gains BankFinancial's 18 financial centers in the area, as well as its regional and national commercial loan, lease, and deposit lines of business. The combined company will have $22 billion in assets and offer a broader range of consumer, commercial, specialty lending, and wealth management services. BankFinancial locations will continue operating under their current name until a conversion process, expected to finish in June 2026, consolidates products and operating systems. This move follows First Financial's recent expansions in the Midwest, including commercial and banking operations in Chicago, Northeast Ohio, and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. First Financial Bancorp published the original content used to generate this news brief via PR Newswire (Ref. ID: CL55129) on December 31, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.