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FRME Stock Chart & Stats
$43.18
-$0.51(-1.18%)
At close: 4:00 PM EDT
$43.18
-$0.51(-1.18%)
Day’s Range― - ―
52-Week Range$34.66 - $45.33
Previous Close$42.67
Volume599.76K
Average Volume (3M)495.36K
Market Cap
$2.64B
Enterprise Value$4.28K
Total Cash (Recent Filing)$3.91B
Total Debt (Recent Filing)$1.60B
Price to Earnings (P/E)13.4
Beta0.78
Next Earnings
Oct 27, 2026EPS Estimate
1.04Next Dividend Ex-DateN/A
Dividend Yield3.46%
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)3.14
Shares Outstanding62,801,422
10 Day Avg. Volume556,837
30 Day Avg. Volume495,363
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.68
Price to Book (P/B)0.88
Price to Sales (P/S)2.06
P/FCF Ratio7.63
Enterprise Value/Market Cap<0.01
Enterprise Value/Revenue<0.01
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit<0.01
Enterprise Value/Ebitda<0.01
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$50.50Price Target Upside16.95% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering2
EPS Forecast (FY)3.46
Revenue Forecast (FY)$807.16M
Bulls Say, Bears Say
Bulls Say
Cash GenerationImproving operating cash flow and full free-cash-flow coverage of net income indicate solid earnings quality. This provides internal funding for growth, capital returns and balance-sheet management, although debt coverage remains a constraint.
Loan Growth And Margin ExpansionPlanned mid-single-digit loan growth, higher new-loan yields and modest expected NIM expansion support recurring revenue generation. Redeploying lower-yielding bond cash flows into loans could improve earning-asset productivity over coming quarters.
Franchise Scale And IntegrationThe enlarged Midwest franchise increases customer reach, deposits and lending capacity while completed integration limits execution risk. Realized cost synergies can strengthen operating leverage and support more efficient growth over the medium term.
Bears Say
Credit Quality DeteriorationThe migration of sizable commercial exposures to nonaccrual and the rise in classified assets indicate elevated credit risk. Even if management views the issues as isolated, resolution losses and tighter underwriting could pressure earnings and loan growth.
Higher Credit CostsThe large provision and higher expected charge-offs reduce near-term profitability and reveal greater uncertainty in the credit book. Further deterioration among the identified borrowers or other exposures could require additional reserves and constrain capital deployment.
Leverage And Capital EfficiencyHigher leverage combined with weaker returns on equity reduces financial flexibility and indicates less efficient use of shareholder capital. Low operating-cash-flow coverage of total debt could become more important if credit losses or funding costs rise.
First Merchants News
FRME FAQ
What was First Merchants’s price range in the past 12 months?
First Merchants lowest stock price was $34.66 and its highest was $45.33 in the past 12 months.
What is First Merchants’s market cap?
First Merchants’s market cap is $2.64B.
When is First Merchants’s upcoming earnings report date?
First Merchants’s upcoming earnings report date is Oct 27, 2026 which is in 67 days.
How were First Merchants’s earnings last quarter?
First Merchants released its earnings results on Jul 22, 2026. The company reported $0.7 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.022 by -$0.322.
Is First Merchants overvalued?
According to Wall Street analysts First Merchants’s price is currently Undervalued.
Does First Merchants pay dividends?
First Merchants pays a Quarterly dividend of $0.37 which represents an annual dividend yield of 3.46%. See more information on First Merchants dividends here
What is First Merchants’s EPS estimate?
First Merchants’s EPS estimate is 1.04.
How many shares outstanding does First Merchants have?
First Merchants has 62,801,422 shares outstanding.
What happened to First Merchants’s price movement after its last earnings report?
First Merchants reported an EPS of $0.7 in its last earnings report, missing expectations of $1.022. Following the earnings report the stock price went down -4.251%.
Which hedge fund is a major shareholder of First Merchants?
Currently, no hedge funds are holding shares in FRME
What is the TipRanks Smart Score and how is it calculated?
Smart Score combines eight research factors - such as analyst recommendations, hedge fund trends, and technical indicators - to measure a stock’s outlook. These signals are unified into a single score that reflects bullish or bearish momentum. See detailed methodology
First Merchants Stock Smart Score
Neutral
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Analyst Consensus
Moderate Buy
Average Price Target:
$50.50 (16.95% Upside)
$50.50 (16.95% Upside)
Blogger Sentiment
Bullish
FRME Sentiment 67%
Sector Average ―
Sector Average ―
Hedge Fund Trend
Decreased
By 32.6K Shares
Last Quarter.
Last Quarter.
Insider Transactions
Sold Shares
Worth $835.0K over
the Last 3 Months
the Last 3 Months
Crowd Wisdom
Very Negative
Last 7 Days ▼ 1.9%
Last 30 Days ▼ 5.1%
Last 30 Days ▼ 5.1%
Technicals
SMA
Positive
20 days / 200 days
Momentum
11.24%
12-Months-Change
Fundamentals
Return on Equity
3.46%
Trailing 12-Months
Asset Growth
14.82%
Trailing 12-Months
Company Description
First Merchants
First Merchants Corporation operates as a financial holding entity, primarily conducting its business through its subsidiary, First Merchants Bank. This institution delivers a full spectrum of community banking solutions. It accepts various types of deposits, including term, savings, and checking accounts. The company also extends a wide array of lending products, such as consumer, commercial, agricultural business, and real estate mortgage loans, in addition to public finance options. Beyond standard banking, First Merchants provides personal and corporate trust services, brokerage capabilities, and private wealth management. Its corporate offerings further include letters of credit, repurchase agreements, and other specialized financial services. The company maintains a network of 109 physical banking locations situated across counties in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan. Furthermore, it offers convenient access to its services via electronic and mobile platforms. First Merchants Corporation was established in 1893 and is headquartered in Muncie, Indiana.
FRME Company Deck
FRME Earnings Call
Q2 2026
0:00 / 0:00
Earnings Call Sentiment|Neutral
The call presented a mix of solid operational momentum — including NIM expansion, strong loan production, revenue growth, successful integration of First Savings, improved liquidity, and resumed buybacks — alongside material, relationship-specific credit deterioration that required a sizeable provision and is expected to drive higher net charge-offs for 2026. Management characterized the credit issues as isolated and the broader portfolio as performing within expectations. Given the meaningful positive trends in revenue, margins, balance sheet repositioning and capital return capacity, but balanced by the notable near-term credit headwinds and increased NPAs/classified loans, the overall tone is balanced with cautious optimism.View all FRME earnings summariesFRME Stock 12 Month Forecast
All Analysts
Top Analysts
Average Price Target
$50.50
▲(16.95% Upside)
Technical Analysis
1 Day
3 Days
1 Week
1 Month
Ownership Overview
2.11% Insiders
24.00% Mutual Funds
13.63% Other Institutional Investors
36.99% Public Companies and
Individual Investors








