UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report: April 25, 2000
First Financial Bancorp
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Commission File Number : 0-12499
California 94-28222858
(State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization) Identification No.)
701 South Ham Lane, Lodi, California 95242
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(209)-367-2000
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
NA
(Former name or if changed since last report.)
ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS
a) First Financial Bancorp Declares Five Percent Stock Dividend
1
<PAGE>
Based upon the earnings for the first quarter of 2000, First Financial
Bancorp's Board of Directors declared a 5% stock dividend payable May 23, 2000
to shareholders of record on May 9, 2000.
Earnings for the quarter ended March 31, 2000, were $346,000, or $.23 per
diluted share. Annualized return on average assets and equity were .79% and
9.5%, respectively. The net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2000
represents an increase of 27% over the prior year quarter's net income of
$273,000. Earnings benefited from increases in loan and deposit volumes as well
as improvement in noniterest income.
Total assets at March 31, 2000, were $176 million, and were unchanged from
December 31, 1999. First Financial Bancorp was formed in 1982 and now provides a
number of financial services to the California communities of Lodi, Woodbridge,
Lockeford, Galt, Plymouth, San Andreas, Elk Grove, and Folsom through its wholly
owned subsidiary, Bank of Lodi, and Bank of Lodi's affiliation with Investment
Centers of America.
2
<PAGE>
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
First Financial Bancorp
Date April 25, 2000 /s/ Leon J. Zimmerman
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Leon J. Zimmerman
President & CEO
First Financial Bancorp
P R E S S R E L E A S E
For Immediate Release April 25, 2000
Contact Person:
Leon Zimmerman
President and CEO
First Financial Bancorp Reports First Quarter 2000 Earnings and
Declares Twenty-first Consecutive Quarterly Dividend
Based upon the earnings for the first quarter of 2000, First Financial
Bancorp's Board of Directors declared a 5% stock dividend payable May 23, 2000
to shareholders of record on May 9, 2000.
Earnings for the quarter ended March 31, 2000, were $346,000, or $.23 per
diluted share. Annualized return on average assets and equity were .79% and
9.5%, respectively. The net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2000
represents an increase of 27% over the prior year quarter's net income of
$273,000. Earnings benefited from increases in loan and deposit volumes as well
as improvement in noniterest income.
Total assets at March 31, 2000, were $176 million, and were unchanged from
December 31, 1999. First Financial Bancorp was formed in 1982 and now provides a
number of financial services to the California communities of Lodi, Woodbridge,
Lockeford, Galt, Plymouth, San Andreas, Elk Grove, and Folsom through its wholly
owned subsidiary, Bank of Lodi, and Bank of Lodi's affiliation with Investment
Centers of America.
