First Merchants (FRME) Projected to Post Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday

First Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) is expected to release its Q1 2026 results before the market opens on Wednesday, April 22nd. Analysts expect First Merchants to post earnings of $1.04 per share and revenue of $201.9090 million for the quarter. Investors are encouraged to explore the company’s upcoming Q1 2026 earning overview page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET.

First Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) last posted its earnings results on Monday, January 26th. The bank reported $0.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $178.36 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $172.89 million. First Merchants had a net margin of 21.49% and a return on equity of 9.58%. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.10 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect First Merchants to post $4 EPS for the current fiscal year and $4 EPS for the next fiscal year.

First Merchants Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FRME opened at $41.14 on Monday. First Merchants has a twelve month low of $34.60 and a twelve month high of $43.22. The stock has a market cap of $2.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.58 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company’s fifty day moving average is $39.53 and its 200-day moving average is $38.27.

First Merchants Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th were paid a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. First Merchants’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FRME has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised First Merchants from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Piper Sandler raised their price target on First Merchants from $46.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, First Merchants has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $48.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Merchants

In other news, VP Larry W. Myers sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.50, for a total transaction of $207,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 109,491 shares in the company, valued at $4,543,876.50. This represents a 4.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Eva D. Scurlock sold 3,227 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.29, for a total value of $136,469.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 20,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $848,464.27. The trade was a 13.86% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 1.77% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in shares of First Merchants by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 54,058 shares of the bank’s stock worth $2,070,000 after purchasing an additional 417 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of First Merchants by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 12,749 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $478,000 after buying an additional 453 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in First Merchants by 361.7% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 771 shares of the bank’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 604 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in First Merchants by 325.7% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 796 shares of the bank’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 609 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC lifted its stake in First Merchants by 10.9% in the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 6,489 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $249,000 after acquiring an additional 639 shares during the last quarter. 73.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Merchants Company Profile

First Merchants Corporation, through its subsidiary First Merchants Bank, offers a comprehensive suite of banking and financial services to individuals, businesses and public sector clients. The company’s core business activities include retail and commercial banking, lending, treasury and cash management, and wealth advisory services. With a focus on relationship banking, First Merchants seeks to deliver tailored solutions for deposit accounts, loan financing and other credit products.

On the consumer side, First Merchants provides checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, personal and mortgage loans, and electronic banking conveniences.