First Merchants (FRME) Expected to Post Earnings on Wednesday

First Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) is expected to issue its Q2 2026 results after the market closes on Wednesday, July 22nd. Analysts expect the company to post earnings of $1.03 per share and revenue of $202.78 million for the quarter. Individuals may review the information on the company’s upcoming Q2 2026 earning results page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, July 23, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET.

First Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.07. First Merchants had a return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 18.87%.The company had revenue of $163.53 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $201.91 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.00 EPS. On average, analysts expect First Merchants to post $4 EPS for the current fiscal year and $5 EPS for the next fiscal year.

First Merchants Price Performance

First Merchants stock opened at $43.30 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.94. First Merchants has a 52 week low of $34.66 and a 52 week high of $44.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.74 and a beta of 0.84. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $41.23 and a 200-day moving average of $39.99.

First Merchants Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 5th were given a $0.37 dividend. This is a boost from First Merchants’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.36. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 5th. First Merchants’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.53%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FRME has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on First Merchants from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of First Merchants from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, May 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of First Merchants from a “buy (b)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $49.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Larry W. Myers sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.50, for a total value of $415,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 99,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,139,666.50. This represents a 9.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.77% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Merchants

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FRME. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in First Merchants by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 54,058 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,070,000 after buying an additional 417 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC boosted its holdings in First Merchants by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 12,749 shares of the bank’s stock worth $478,000 after acquiring an additional 453 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in First Merchants by 361.7% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 771 shares of the bank’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 604 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in First Merchants by 325.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 796 shares of the bank’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 609 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC grew its stake in shares of First Merchants by 10.9% in the 2nd quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 6,489 shares of the bank’s stock worth $249,000 after acquiring an additional 639 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.92% of the company’s stock.

About First Merchants

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.