NEW YORK, July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Class Action Attorney Juan Monteverde with Monteverde & Associates PC (the "M&A Class Action Firm"), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2025 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and are investigating

NEW YORK, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Class Action Attorney Juan Monteverde with Monteverde & Associates PC (the "M&A Class Action Firm"), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2025 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. The firm is headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and is investigating Finward Bancorp (NASDAQ: FNWD) related to its sale to First Financial Bancorp. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, Finward shareholders are expected to receive 1.35 shares of First Financial common stock for each share of Finward common stock. Is it a fair deal?

Earnings per diluted share of $0.73; $0.80 on an adjusted(1) basis is highest in Company history Return on average assets of 1.37%; 1.50% on an adjusted(1) basis Net interest margin on FTE basis(1) of 3.98% Loan growth of $240 million, or 7.1% on an annualized basis Net charge-offs 0.20% of total loans ROTCE of 18.0%; 19.7% on adjusted(1) basis Board of Directors approved quarterly dividend increase to $0.26 to be paid in 3Q26 Agreement to acquire Finward Bancorp, the holding company for Peoples Bank, in all stock transactionÂ