Finward Bancorp entered into a definitive merger agreement with First Financial Bancorp to be acquired in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $208 million. Under the terms, Finward shareholders will receive 1.35 shares of First Financial common stock for each share of Finward common stock held. The merger is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and shareholder consent. Finward Bancorp is a financial holding company that provides banking and wealth management services through its subsidiary, Peoples Bank.

On June 24, 2026, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) terminated the memorandum of understanding (MOU) previously entered into on August 9, 2024, with Peoples Bank, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Finward Bancorp. This termination ends the informal administrative agreement between the regulators and the bank. Finward Bancorp is a financial holding company that operates a commercial bank.