First Merchants (FRME) Expected to Announce Quarterly Earnings on Wednesday

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

First Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The bank reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $163.53 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $201.91 million. First Merchants had a net margin of 18.87% and a return on equity of 9.58%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.00 earnings per share. 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 Stock Performance

Shares of FRME stock opened at $44.59 on Monday. First Merchants has a fifty-two week low of $34.66 and a fifty-two week high of $45.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.94. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $41.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $40.13. The company has a market cap of $2.81 billion, a PE ratio of 13.11 and a beta of 0.84.

First Merchants Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th were issued a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. This is a boost from First Merchants’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.36. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 5th. First Merchants’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.53%.

Insider Activity at First Merchants

In other news, Director Larry W. Myers sold 10,000 shares of First Merchants stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.50, for a total transaction of $415,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 99,751 shares in the company, valued at $4,139,666.50. The trade was a 9.11% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.77% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of FRME. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of First Merchants by 325.7% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 796 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 609 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of First Merchants by 361.7% in 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 in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Merchants in the second quarter worth $203,000. Inceptionr LLC bought a new stake in First Merchants during the fourth quarter valued at $219,000. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new stake in First Merchants during the third quarter valued at $235,000. 73.92% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on FRME shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded First Merchants from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, May 17th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of First Merchants from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut First Merchants from a “buy (b)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $49.00.

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.