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FRME Stock Chart & Stats
$41.14
-$0.07(-0.18%)
At close: 4:00 PM EST
$41.14
-$0.07(-0.18%)
Day’s Range― - ―
52-Week Range$34.66 - $44.59
Previous CloseN/A
Volume29.51K
Average Volume (3M)318.56K
Market Cap
$2.74B
Enterprise Value$4.11B
Total Cash (Recent Filing)$1.47B
Total Debt (Recent Filing)$1.64B
Price to Earnings (P/E)12.7
Beta0.80
Next Earnings
Jul 22, 2026EPS Estimate
1.02Next Dividend Ex-DateN/A
Dividend Yield3.72%
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)3.42
Shares Outstanding63,022,740
10 Day Avg. Volume351,773
30 Day Avg. Volume318,562
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 Cap1.50
Enterprise Value/Revenue3.90
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit6.46
Enterprise Value/Ebitda16.19
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$50.50Price Target Upside22.75% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering3
EPS Forecast (FY)3.66
Revenue Forecast (FY)$809.57M
Bulls Say, Bears Say
Bulls Say
Scale And Market FootprintThe post‑acquisition balance sheet and branch network expansion provide durable revenue base and cross‑sell opportunities across the Midwest. Larger scale improves funding diversification, supports treasury/wealth distribution, and lowers per‑unit operating costs as integrations and synergies complete over multiple quarters.
Improving NII And Deposit MixSustained net interest income growth and a lower deposit cost base reflect structural funding improvement. A higher share of noninterest‑bearing deposits and lower deposit rates reduce funding expenses, which supports NIM resilience and enables durable loan yield pickup as redeployment occurs over the medium term.
Capital Position And Shareholder ReturnsHealthy CET1 and tangible equity provide regulatory cushion while management maintains active buybacks and dividends. This balance of capital strength and disciplined returns supports investor confidence and signals management believes earnings/cash flow can sustain distributions without compromising regulatory ratios over coming quarters.
Bears Say
Rising LeverageThe material step‑up in leverage reduces financial flexibility and increases sensitivity to funding shocks or credit stress. Higher debt relative to equity constrains future capital actions and magnifies earnings volatility from interest rate or credit swings, making capital management and regulatory buffers more consequential.
Free Cash Flow DeteriorationA steep year‑over‑year decline in free cash flow growth signals weakened internal funding for organic growth, buybacks, or cushioning credit losses. Persistent cash flow deterioration would pressure the sustainability of shareholder returns and limit the bank’s ability to self‑fund balance sheet redeployments over the medium term.
Mortgage MTM Charge & Delayed Margin PickupThe sizable mark‑to‑market hit from selling lower‑coupon mortgages is a structural reminder that repositioning legacy securities can depress near‑term earnings. Redeployment into higher yield assets is expected to take 18–24+ months, so margin improvement may be gradual and contingent on sustained loan demand and stable credit trends.
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 $44.59 in the past 12 months.
What is First Merchants’s market cap?
First Merchants’s market cap is $2.74B.
When is First Merchants’s upcoming earnings report date?
First Merchants’s upcoming earnings report date is Jul 22, 2026 which is in 19 days.
How were First Merchants’s earnings last quarter?
First Merchants released its earnings results on Apr 22, 2026. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.887 by -$0.437.
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 3.72%. See more information on First Merchants dividends here
What is First Merchants’s EPS estimate?
First Merchants’s EPS estimate is 1.02.
How many shares outstanding does First Merchants have?
First Merchants has 63,022,740 shares outstanding.
What happened to First Merchants’s price movement after its last earnings report?
First Merchants reported an EPS of $0.45 in its last earnings report, missing expectations of $0.887. Following the earnings report the stock price went down -1.66%.
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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10
Analyst Consensus
Moderate Buy
Average Price Target:
$50.50 (22.75% Upside)
$50.50 (22.75% Upside)
Blogger Sentiment
Bullish
FRME Sentiment 70%
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 ▼ 1.1%
Last 30 Days ▼ 3.7%
Last 30 Days ▼ 3.7%
News Sentiment
Neutral
Bullish news 50%
Bearish news 50%
Bearish news 50%
Technicals
SMA
Positive
20 days / 200 days
Momentum
15.58%
12-Months-Change
Fundamentals
Return on Equity
8.03%
Trailing 12-Months
Asset Growth
14.28%
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
Q1 2026
0:00 / 0:00
Earnings Call Sentiment|Positive
The call conveyed constructive momentum: core revenue and margin trends improved, acquisition integration is progressing with less dilution than expected, deposit mix and NII rose, and asset quality is described as contained. Negative items were largely one-time or transitional (acquisition expenses, a mortgage MTM charge, and a few idiosyncratic charge-offs), and management articulated clear actions and timelines for liquidity redeployment and cost synergies. Balanced against manageable credit items and temporary mark losses, the positive operating and capital developments outweigh the lowlights.View all FRME earnings summariesFRME Stock 12 Month Forecast
Average Price Target
$50.50
▲(22.75% Upside)
Technical Analysis
Ownership Overview
2.03% Insiders
23.92% Mutual Funds
0.12% Other Institutional Investors
50.76% Public Companies and
Individual Investors