COLB vs FFBC: Correlation
Columbia Banking System, Inc. (COLB) and First Financial Bancorp. (FFBC) show a very strong relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.83.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are COLB and FFBC?
On 3 years of weekly data the COLB/FFBC correlation comes out at 0.83, very strong, meaning they move nearly in lockstep. Recent behaviour matches the longer record: 0.82 over 1 year against 0.83 over 3. The 5-year figure is 0.78, and annualized covariance runs at 817.9 %².
In COLB's tracked universe of 13 assets, FFBC sits right near the top at #1. The trailing year gives FFBC the advantage: +18.3% versus +26.7%, a 8.4-point spread.
How is this computed?
Pearson correlation on weekly returns: ρ(A,B) = cov(rA, rB) / (σA · σB), over windows of 52, 156 and 260 weeks. Covariance is annualized (×52) and expressed in %². Full definitions on the methodology page.
COLB vs FFBC: side by side
| COLB (Columbia Banking System, Inc.) | FFBC (First Financial Bancorp.) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +18.3% | +26.7% |
| 5-year return | +9.4% | +69.6% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 35.2% | 28.0% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.01 | 0.81 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -36.4% | -26.1% |
| Market cap | $8.7B | $3.4B |
| P/E (trailing) | 12.1 | 11.6 |
| Dividend yield | 4.79% | 3.05% |
| Sector / category | US Listed | US Listed |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | COLB | FFBC |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -4.3% | +3.4% |
| 2023 | -5.9% | +2.4% |
| 2024 | +8.1% | +17.6% |
| 2025 | +9.4% | -3.3% |
| 2026 | +12.6% | +33.1% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are COLB and FFBC good diversifiers for each other?
Not really. At 0.83, the two trade almost as one position, and owning both buys little extra protection.
FAQ
What is the correlation between COLB and FFBC?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.83 over 3 years, with 0.82 over the last year and 0.78 over 5 years.
Is FFBC a good diversifier for COLB?
Not really. At 0.83, the two trade almost as one position, and owning both buys little extra protection.
What does a correlation of 0.83 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.83 describes how much the two returns move together: +1 is lockstep, 0 is independence, negative values mean opposite directions. It says nothing about which performed better.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/colb-vs-ffbc.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/colb-vs-ffbc/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: COLB correlations · FFBC correlations
