First Illinois Corporation filed a Rule 425 communication on November 10, 2026, correcting the date of its shareholder special meeting to December 17, 2026, and including an unaudited third-quarter 2026 shareholder letter with financial results.

Key Highlights

  • Date correction: The special meeting of First Illinois Corporation shareholders to vote on the merger with First Financial Corporation was incorrectly stated as December 11, 2026; the correct date is Thursday, December 17, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
  • Q3 2026 net income: Net income for the three months ended September 30, 2026 was $2,006,014, compared to $1,864,260 in the same quarter of 2025, according to the filing.
  • Nine-month net income: Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2026 was $6,282,800, up from $5,632,261 in the prior-year period, the filing disclosed.
  • Tangible book value per share: The company reported tangible book value per share of $34.10 as of September 30, 2026, compared to $32.06 as of September 30, 2025.
  • Net interest margin: Net interest margin rose to 4.01% in the third quarter of 2026 from 3.64% in the third quarter of 2025, according to the filing.
  • Quarterly dividend declared: On November 5, 2026, the board declared a dividend of $0.25 per share, payable November 19, 2026, to shareholders of record as of November 12, 2026, described as the company's thirty-first consecutive quarterly dividend.
  • Merger-related expenses: The filing noted that third-quarter 2026 results included approximately $488,000 of merger-related expenses.

First Illinois Shareholder Letter and Merger Meeting Date Correction

Filed by First Illinois Corporation's merger counterpart, First Financial Corporation, pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933, this communication was submitted solely to correct an error in a prior filing dated November 6, 2026. According to the filing, the special meeting of First Illinois Corporation shareholders to vote on the merger agreement between First Illinois Corporation and First Financial Corporation, dated August 26, 2026, had been incorrectly listed as December 11, 2026. The corrected date is Thursday, December 17, 2026, with no other information changed. Proxy materials are stated to be mailed to shareholders on or around November 13, 2026.

The filing also includes an unaudited shareholder letter covering the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2026, issued from First Illinois Corporation's headquarters at 225 North Water Street, Decatur, IL. The company disclosed total assets of $695,722,942 as of September 30, 2026, with cash and investment securities of $215,435,170 representing, as stated in the letter, 31% of total assets. Total equity was reported at $82,680,952, and the Tier-1 capital ratio stood at 11.45%. Non-performing assets represented 0.04% of total assets, according to the filing. Basic earnings per share were $0.83 for the third quarter of 2026 and $2.59 for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, compared to $0.77 and $2.31 respectively in the prior-year periods.

The filing states that the higher earnings were "primarily attributable to increases in net interest income and non-interest income and disciplined cost containment." The filing further notes that First Financial Corporation has filed a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC in connection with the proposed merger, which includes a proxy statement and prospectus for First Illinois Corporation shareholders. The filing does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation, as stated in the boilerplate language included.

What Was Disclosed

First Financial Corporation filed a Rule 425 correction notice on November 10, 2026, changing the First Illinois Corporation shareholder special meeting date from December 11 to December 17, 2026, and attaching an unaudited Q3 2026 shareholder letter with financial and merger-related disclosures.