Education
About Us
Working with TipRanks
Follow Us
First Merchants Corp. (FRME)
NASDAQ:FRME
FRME Stock Chart & Stats
$37.55
-$0.07(-0.18%)
At close: 4:00 PM EST
$37.55
-$0.07(-0.18%)
Day’s Range― - ―
52-Week Range$33.13 - $43.22
Previous CloseN/A
Volume29.51K
Average Volume (3M)440.45K
Market Cap
$2.38B
Enterprise Value$3.30B
Total Cash (Recent Filing)$1.49B
Total Debt (Recent Filing)$999.93M
Price to Earnings (P/E)9.6
Beta0.84
Next Earnings
Apr 28, 2026EPS Estimate
0.88Next Dividend Ex-DateN/A
Dividend Yield3.72%
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.99
Shares Outstanding63,392,750
10 Day Avg. Volume464,511
30 Day Avg. Volume440,450
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 Cap1.38
Enterprise Value/Revenue3.14
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit5.14
Enterprise Value/Ebitda11.42
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$46.50Price Target Upside23.83% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering2
EPS Forecast (FY)4.1
Revenue Forecast (FY)$806.59M
Bulls Say, Bears Say
Bulls Say
Cash Generation / Free Cash FlowConsistent and rising free cash flow, with FCF matching net income, provides durable internal funding for dividends, buybacks and loan growth. Strong cash conversion reduces reliance on external financing, supporting capital returns and strategic investments over the next several quarters.
Improving Leverage And Balance SheetMeaningful improvement in leverage and steady equity growth bolster financial flexibility and loss-absorption capacity. A stronger balance sheet supports continued lending, acquisition integration and opportunistic capital returns while lowering refinancing and liquidity risk over a mid-term horizon.
Strategic Acquisition & ScaleThe First Savings deal enlarges the franchise, diversifies geography and product mix (SBA, net-lease platforms) and creates meaningful cost-synergy potential. Scale gains should increase fee income potential, efficiency and competitive position once integration delivers the planned savings.
Bears Say
Slowing Revenue GrowthTop-line momentum has decelerated to flat year-over-year, reducing operating leverage. Persistently softer revenue forces greater dependence on margin expansion, cost cuts or M&A synergies to drive EPS, making near-term profitability gains more contingent on execution.
Margin/NIM PressureEven small core NIM compression materially impacts a regional bank's net interest income and ROE. If deposit rate relief and repricing of securities are insufficient, recurring margin erosion will require offsetting loan growth, fee gains or cost reductions to sustain earnings power.
Elevated Credit Stress / NPAsRising charge-offs, new nonaccruals and higher NPAs signal localized asset-quality stress (construction, sponsor finance, CRE). Continued deterioration would increase provisions, strain earnings and capital, and could constrain lending or capital returns until reserves normalize.
First Merchants News
FRME FAQ
What was First Merchants Corp.’s price range in the past 12 months?
First Merchants Corp. lowest stock price was $33.13 and its highest was $43.22 in the past 12 months.
What is First Merchants Corp.’s market cap?
First Merchants Corp.’s market cap is $2.38B.
When is First Merchants Corp.’s upcoming earnings report date?
First Merchants Corp.’s upcoming earnings report date is Apr 28, 2026 which is in 50 days.
How were First Merchants Corp.’s earnings last quarter?
First Merchants Corp. released its earnings results on Jan 26, 2026. The company reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.952 by $0.038.
Is First Merchants Corp. overvalued?
According to Wall Street analysts First Merchants Corp.’s price is currently Undervalued.
Does First Merchants Corp. pay dividends?
First Merchants Corp. pays a Quarterly dividend of $0.36 which represents an annual dividend yield of 3.72%. See more information on First Merchants Corp. dividends here
What is First Merchants Corp.’s EPS estimate?
First Merchants Corp.’s EPS estimate is 0.88.
How many shares outstanding does First Merchants Corp. have?
First Merchants Corp. has 63,392,750 shares outstanding.
What happened to First Merchants Corp.’s price movement after its last earnings report?
First Merchants Corp. reported an EPS of $0.99 in its last earnings report, beating expectations of $0.952. Following the earnings report the stock price went up 0.473%.
Which hedge fund is a major shareholder of First Merchants Corp.?
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
Underperform
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Analyst Consensus
Moderate Buy
Average Price Target:
$46.50 (23.83% Upside)
$46.50 (23.83% Upside)
Blogger Sentiment
Bullish
FRME Sentiment 66%
Sector Average ―
Sector Average ―
Hedge Fund Trend
Decreased
By 58.0K Shares
Last Quarter.
Last Quarter.
Insider Transactions
Sold Shares
Worth $518.6K over
the Last 3 Months
the Last 3 Months
Crowd Wisdom
Very Negative
Last 7 Days ▼ 1.8%
Last 30 Days ▼ 4.3%
Last 30 Days ▼ 4.3%
Technicals
SMA
Positive
20 days / 200 days
Momentum
-6.48%
12-Months-Change
Fundamentals
Return on Equity
9.47%
Trailing 12-Months
Asset Growth
3.89%
Trailing 12-Months
Company Description
First Merchants Corp.
First Merchants Corporation operates as the financial holding company for First Merchants Bank that provides community banking services. It accepts time, savings, and demand deposits; and provides consumer, commercial, agri-business, and real estate mortgage loans, as well as public finance. The company also offers personal and corporate trust; brokerage and private wealth management; and letters of credit, repurchase agreements, and other corporate services. It operates 109 banking locations in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan counties. The company also offers its services through electronic and mobile delivery channels. First Merchants Corporation was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Muncie, Indiana.
FRME Company Deck
FRME Earnings Call
Q4 2026
0:00 / 0:00
Earnings Call Sentiment|Positive
The call conveyed strong positive operational and financial momentum: record assets, loans, deposits, net income and EPS; robust loan and deposit growth; margin and fee income gains; solid capital ratios; and an accretive acquisition with planned cost synergies. Headwinds were noted but appear manageable: modest margin compression from rate cuts, a limited number of credit charge-offs and new nonaccruals, some short-term expense and integration costs, and a higher-cost mix of certain deposits. Management provided a constructive 2026 outlook (mid- to high-single-digit loan growth, double-digit fee income growth target, continued buybacks) and emphasized confidence in asset quality and capital positions. Overall, positives materially outweighed the setbacks discussed.View all FRME earnings summariesFRME Stock 12 Month Forecast
Average Price Target
$46.50
▲(23.83% Upside)
Technical Analysis
Ownership Overview
1.53% Insiders
24.79% Mutual Funds
17.78% Other Institutional Investors
35.00% Public Companies and
Individual Investors