First Merchants Declares Quarterly Dividend on Preferred Shares

First Merchants ( (FRME) ) just unveiled an announcement.

On April 16, 2026, First Merchants Corporation announced that its board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $46.88 per share on its 7.50% Non‑Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock Series A, equivalent to $0.4688 per NASDAQ‑listed FRMEP depositary share, payable on May 15, 2026 to stockholders of record as of April 30, 2026. The move underscores the Indiana‑based bank holding company’s ongoing commitment to returning capital to preferred shareholders, signaling balance sheet stability and predictable income for investors in its preferred securities.

The most recent analyst rating on (FRME) stock is a Buy with a $49.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on First Merchants stock, see the FRME Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on FRME Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, FRME is a Outperform.

FRME scores well primarily on solid financial quality (profits, cash generation, and improving leverage) and an attractive valuation (low P/E with a solid dividend yield). The earnings call reinforced a positive outlook (growth targets, buybacks, and acquisition synergies), while the main offsets are slowing revenue momentum, expected modest margin compression, and some credit/integration-related near-term risk. Technicals are supportive but not strongly momentum-driven.

To see Spark’s full report on FRME stock, click here.

More about First Merchants

First Merchants Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Muncie, Indiana, operating a single full‑service bank charter under the First Merchants Bank name and its First Merchants Private Wealth Advisors division. The company’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol FRME, while depositary shares representing interests in its 7.50% Non‑Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock Series A trade under FRMEP.

Average Trading Volume: 436,773

Technical Sentiment Signal: Strong Buy

Current Market Cap: $2.57B

For an in-depth examination of FRME stock, go to TipRanks’ Overview page.