First Merchants Corporation Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend for Series A Preferred Stock

First Merchants Corporation declares a $46.88 quarterly cash dividend on its Series A preferred stock, payable February 16, 2026.

Quiver AI Summary

First Merchants Corporation has announced a quarterly cash dividend of $46.88 per share for its 7.50% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock Series A, which is represented by depositary shares. Shareholders will receive $0.4688 per depositary share, with the dividend payment set for February 16, 2026, to those on record by January 30, 2026. Headquartered in Muncie, Indiana, First Merchants Corporation operates a single full-service bank, First Merchants Bank, and its common stock is listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol FRME, while the depositary shares are traded under the symbol FRMEP. For further details, interested parties can visit the company's website or contact the Director of Corporate Administration.

Potential Positives

First Merchants Corporation has declared a substantial quarterly cash dividend of $46.88 per share on its 7.50% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock Series A, indicating strong financial health and commitment to returning value to shareholders.
The dividend payment reinforces investor confidence, as it signals the company's consistent profitability and ability to generate cash flow.
The dividend will be payable to stockholders of record, ensuring that existing shareholders are rewarded for their investment in the company.
The trading of the preferred stock and depositary shares on NASDAQ provides liquidity and transparency for investors, enhancing the company's market presence.

Potential Negatives

The announcement of dividends may signal a lack of more strategic investments or growth opportunities, as the company might be prioritizing shareholder returns over reinvestment in other areas.
The specified amount per share may indicate constraints on cash flow or earnings, which could raise concerns among investors about the company's financial health moving forward.
Without additional financial context, the focus on preferred stock dividends may suggest that common stockholders could be sidelined in favor of preferred shareholders, potentially leading to dissatisfaction among the broader shareholder base.

FAQ

What is the dividend amount declared by First Merchants Corporation?

First Merchants Corporation has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $46.88 per share on its 7.50% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock Series A.

When is the dividend payable for depositary shares?

The dividend will be payable on February 16, 2026, to stockholders of record on January 30, 2026.

What is the symbol for the depositary shares on NASDAQ?

The depositary shares representing the 7.50% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A are traded on NASDAQ under the symbol FRMEP.

Who should I contact for more information about this dividend?

For more information, you can contact Nicole M. Weaver at 765-521-7619.

What type of company is First Merchants Corporation?

First Merchants Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Muncie, Indiana, operating First Merchants Bank.

Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.

$FRME Insider Trading Activity

$FRME insiders have traded $FRME stock on the open market 1 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 1 have been sales.

Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $FRME stock by insiders over the last 6 months:

STEPHAN FLUHLER (Chief Information Officer) sold 5,689 shares for an estimated $202,243

To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.

$FRME Revenue

$FRME had revenues of $166.1M in Q3 2025. This is an increase of 6.52% from the same period in the prior year.

You can track FRME financials on Quiver Quantitative's FRME stock page.

$FRME Hedge Fund Activity

We have seen 137 institutional investors add shares of $FRME stock to their portfolio, and 104 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.

Here are some of the largest recent moves:

AMERICAN CENTURY COMPANIES INC removed 538,704 shares (-47.8%) from their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $20,309,140
CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS added 527,545 shares (+64.4%) to their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $19,888,446
SCHRODER INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT GROUP removed 331,163 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $12,484,845
FJ CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC added 294,718 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $11,110,868
HOTCHKIS & WILEY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC added 230,192 shares (+252.0%) to their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $8,678,238
STRS OHIO removed 159,752 shares (-87.2%) from their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $6,022,650
PROSHARE ADVISORS LLC added 147,704 shares (+84.2%) to their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $5,568,440

To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.

$FRME Analyst Ratings

Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $FRME in the last several months. We have seen 2 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.

Here are some recent analyst ratings:

Piper Sandler issued a "Overweight" rating on 10/27/2025
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods issued a "Outperform" rating on 09/26/2025

To track analyst ratings and price targets for $FRME, check out Quiver Quantitative's $FRME forecast page.

$FRME Price Targets

Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $FRME recently. We have seen 3 analysts offer price targets for $FRME in the last 6 months, with a median target of $46.0.

Here are some recent targets:

Nathan Race from Piper Sandler set a target price of $46.0 on 10/27/2025
Terry McEvoy from Stephens & Co. set a target price of $46.0 on 09/29/2025
Damon Delmonte from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods set a target price of $50.0 on 09/26/2025

Full Release

MUNCIE, Ind., Jan. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Merchants Corporation has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $46.88 per share on its 7.50% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock Series A, represented by depositary shares (NASDAQ: FRMEP) each representing a 1/100th interest in a share of the Series A preferred stock. Holders of depositary shares will receive $0.4688 per depositary share. The dividend will be payable on February 16, 2026, to stockholders of record on January 30, 2026.

About First Merchants Corporation:

First Merchants Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Muncie, Indiana. The Corporation has one full-service bank charter, First Merchants Bank. The Bank also operates as First Merchants Private Wealth Advisors (as a division of First Merchants Bank).

First Merchants Corporation’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market System under the symbol FRME. Depositary shares representing a 1/100th interest in a share of First Merchants Corporation’s 7.50% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market System under the symbol FRMEP. Quotations are carried in daily newspapers and can be found on the company’s Internet web page (http://www.firstmerchants.com).

FIRST MERCHANTS and the Shield Logo are federally registered trademarks of First Merchants Corporation.

For more information, contact:
Nicole M. Weaver, First Vice President and Director of Corporate Administration
765-521-7619
http://www.firstmerchants.com