Should I buy or sell First Merchants stock right now?

2 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for First Merchants in the last year. There are currently 2 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "buy" FRME shares. View FRME analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks .

What is First Merchants' stock price target for 2024?

2 Wall Street research analysts have issued 1 year target prices for First Merchants' shares. Their FRME share price targets range from $36.00 to $40.00. On average, they predict the company's stock price to reach $38.00 in the next twelve months. This suggests a possible upside of 16.3% from the stock's current price. View analysts price targets for FRME or view top-rated stocks among Wall Street analysts .

How have FRME shares performed in 2024?

First Merchants' stock was trading at $37.08 at the start of the year. Since then, FRME stock has decreased by 11.9% and is now trading at $32.67. View the best growth stocks for 2024 here .

Are investors shorting First Merchants?

First Merchants saw a drop in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 504,600 shares, a drop of 7.2% from the March 15th total of 543,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 269,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.9 days. View First Merchants' Short Interest .

When is First Merchants' next earnings date?

The company is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings announcement on Thursday, April 25th 2024. View our FRME earnings forecast .

How can I listen to First Merchants' earnings call?

First Merchants will be holding an earnings conference call on Thursday, April 25th at 11:30 AM Eastern. Interested parties can register for or listen to the call using this link .

How were First Merchants' earnings last quarter?

First Merchants Co. (NASDAQ:FRME) posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January, 25th. The bank reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.87. The bank had revenue of $156.51 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $158.50 million. First Merchants had a net margin of 22.39% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 10.97%.

How often does First Merchants pay dividends? What is the dividend yield for First Merchants?

First Merchants announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, February 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.34 per share on Friday, March 15th. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.16%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 29th. Read our dividend analysis for FRME .

Is First Merchants a good dividend stock?

First Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) pays an annual dividend of $1.36 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.11%. FRME has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The company has been increasing its dividend for 12 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 36.36%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, FRME will have a dividend payout ratio of 38.97% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for FRME .

What ETFs hold First Merchants' stock?

ETFs with the largest weight of First Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) stock in their portfolio include First Trust NASDAQ ABA Community Bank Index Fund (QABA) , ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF (SMDV) , First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF (AIRR) and EA Bridgeway Omni Small-Cap Value ETF (BSVO) . Avantis U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (AVSC) .

What is Michael C. Rechin's approval rating as First Merchants' CEO?

48 employees have rated First Merchants Chief Executive Officer Michael C. Rechin on Glassdoor.com . Michael C. Rechin has an approval rating of 82% among the company's employees.

What other stocks do shareholders of First Merchants own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some companies that other First Merchants investors own include BankFinancial (BFIN) , Energy Transfer (ET) , Main Street Capital (MAIN) , Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) , AbbVie (ABBV) , Comerica (CMA) , Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) , International Business Machines (IBM) , Iron Mountain (IRM) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) .

How do I buy shares of First Merchants?

Shares of FRME stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services. Compare Top Brokerages Here .

NASDAQ:FRME

First Merchants (FRME) Stock Price, News & Analysis

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$32.67

-0.19 (-0.58%)

(As of 03:21 PM ET)

Compare

Today's Range: $32.29
▼
$32.72
50-Day Range: $32.58
▼
$35.06
52-Week Range: $24.52
▼
$38.16

Volume: 73,275 shs
Average Volume: 262,414 shs
Market Capitalization: $1.94 billion

P/E Ratio: 8.74
Dividend Yield: 4.16%
Price Target: $38.00

Get First Merchants alerts:

First Merchants MarketRank™ Stock Analysis

Analyst Rating: Buy
3.00 Rating Score
Upside/Downside: 16.3% Upside
$38.00 Price Target
Short Interest: Healthy
0.85% of Shares Sold Short
Dividend Strength: Strong
Based on Four Factors
Sustainability: -0.62
Upright™ Environmental Score
News Sentiment: 0.23
Based on 7 Articles This Week
Insider Trading: Selling Shares
$105,912 Sold Last Quarter
Proj. Earnings Growth: 4.18%
From $3.35 to $3.49 Per Share

Overall MarketRank^™

New Rank-Based ScoringMarketRank^™ is calculated by averaging available category scores (with extra weight given to analysis and valuation), then ranking the company's weighted average against that of other companies.

4.90 out of 5 stars

Finance Sector

41st out of 851 stocks

National Commercial Banks Industry

10th out of 80 stocks

2.5

Analyst's Opinion

Consensus Rating
First Merchants has received a consensus rating of Buy. The company's average rating score is 3.00, and is based on 2 buy ratings, no hold ratings, and no sell ratings.
Amount of Analyst Coverage
First Merchants has only been the subject of 1 research reports in the past 90 days.

5.0

Short Interest

Percentage of Shares Shorted
0.85% of the outstanding shares of First Merchants have been sold short.
Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover
First Merchants has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 1.9, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.
Change versus previous month
Short interest in First Merchants has recently decreased by 7.16%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

5.0

Dividend Strength

Dividend Leadership
First Merchants is a leading dividend payer. It pays a dividend yield of 4.11%, putting its dividend yield in the top 25% of dividend-paying stocks.
Dividend Growth
First Merchants has been increasing its dividend for 12 years.
Dividend Coverage
The dividend payout ratio of First Merchants is 36.36%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.
Dividend Sustainability
Based on earnings estimates, First Merchants will have a dividend payout ratio of 38.97% next year. This indicates that First Merchants will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

2.7

Sustainability and ESG

Overall ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Score
First Merchants has received a 19.50% net impact score from Upright. The largest positive contribution comes from its "Societal infrastructure" impact, which is mostly driven by its "Mortgages provided by brick and mortar banks", "Home equity loans", "Home improvement financing", "Wire transfer services", "Development loans for corporations", and "Consumer savings accounts provided by brick and mortar banks" products. See details.
Environmental Sustainability
The Environmental Impact score for First Merchants is -0.62.

1.8

News and Social Media Coverage

News Sentiment
First Merchants has a news sentiment score of 0.23. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a lower news sentiment than the 0.64 average news sentiment score of Finance companies.
News Coverage This Week
MarketBeat has tracked 7 news articles for First Merchants this week, compared to 2 articles on an average week.

3.3

Company Ownership

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling
In the past three months, First Merchants insiders have sold 9,816.85% more of their company's stock than they have bought. Specifically, they have bought $1,068.00 in company stock and sold $105,912.00 in company stock.
Percentage Held by Insiders
Only 1.40% of the stock of First Merchants is held by insiders.
Percentage Held by Institutions
73.92% of the stock of First Merchants is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

2.5

Earnings and Valuation

Earnings Growth
Earnings for First Merchants are expected to grow by 4.18% in the coming year, from $3.35 to $3.49 per share.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market
The P/E ratio of First Merchants is 8.74, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 138.49.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector
The P/E ratio of First Merchants is 8.74, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Finance sector average P/E ratio of about 59.66.
Price to Book Value per Share Ratio
First Merchants has a P/B Ratio of 0.87. P/B Ratios below 1 indicate that a company could be undervalued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

See Top Rated MarketRank™ Stocks Here

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About First Merchants Stock (NASDAQ:FRME)

First Merchants Corporation operates as the financial holding company for First Merchants Bank that provides community banking services. The company offers a range of financial services, including time, savings, and demand deposits; and consumer, commercial, agri-business, public finance, and real estate mortgage loans. It also provides personal and corporate trust; brokerage and private wealth management; and letters of credit, repurchase agreements, and other corporate services. The company operates banking locations in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan counties. It also offers its services through electronic and mobile delivery channels. First Merchants Corporation was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Muncie, Indiana.

FRME Stock Price History

30 days | 90 days | 365 days | Advanced Chart

FRME Stock News Headlines

April 16, 2024 | americanbankingnews.com

First Merchants Co. (NASDAQ:FRME) Sees Large Drop in Short Interest

April 15, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

First Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) investors are sitting on a loss of 21% if they invested three years ago

April 16, 2024 | Manward Press (Ad)

Can't believe it's happening again

April 15, 2024 | globenewswire.com

First Merchants Corporation Announces Cash Dividend on Its Preferred Stock

April 14, 2024 | americanbankingnews.com

First Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) Rating Lowered to Sell at StockNews.com

April 4, 2024 | globenewswire.com

First Merchants Corporation to Report First Quarter 2024 Financial Results, Host Conference Call and Webcast

March 3, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

First Merchants Full Year 2023 Earnings: EPS Misses Expectations

February 24, 2024 | msn.com

First Merchants (FRME) Price Target Increased by 6.33% to 42.84

April 16, 2024 | Manward Press (Ad)

Can't believe it's happening again

February 24, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

Be Sure To Check Out First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ:FRME) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend

February 21, 2024 | msn.com

Merchants file claims against SF demanding removal of controversial Valencia St. bike lane

February 9, 2024 | msn.com

First Merchants Corp. Unveils 2024 Executive Incentive Program

February 8, 2024 | msn.com

First Merchants Corp. Declares Cash Dividend for Shareholders

February 7, 2024 | msn.com

First Merchants declares $0.34 dividend

February 7, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

First Merchants Corporation Announces Cash Dividend

January 28, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ:FRME) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

January 26, 2024 | markets.businessinsider.com

KBW Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on First Merchants (FRME)

January 26, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

Q4 2023 First Merchants Corp Earnings Call

January 26, 2024 | seekingalpha.com

First Merchants Corporation 2023 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation

January 25, 2024 | seekingalpha.com

First Merchants Non-GAAP EPS of $0.87 in-line, revenue of $156.5M misses by $8.98M

January 25, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

First Merchants Corp (FRME) Reports Mixed Results Amidst Economic Headwinds

January 25, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

First Merchants (FRME) Q4 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

January 25, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

First Merchants Corporation Announces Fourth Quarter 2023 Earnings Per Share

January 23, 2024 | seekingalpha.com

First Merchants Bank announces plans to expand in Detroit

January 23, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

First Merchants Bank Announces Plans to Expand in Detroit, Bringing Financial Services to Fitzgerald

January 22, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com

Unveiling First Merchants (FRME) Q4 Outlook: Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics

January 17, 2024 | forbes.com

Regional Banks Trading Below Book Value And Paying Dividends

See More Headlines

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Company Calendar

Last Earnings: 1/25/2024
Ex-Dividend for 3/15 Dividend: 2/29/2024
Dividend Payable: 3/15/2024
Today: 4/16/2024
Next Earnings (Confirmed): 4/25/2024
Fiscal Year End: 12/31/2024

Get Stock Alerts

Industry, Sector and Symbol

Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
Sector: Finance
Industry: National commercial banks
Sub-Industry: Regional Banks
Current Symbol: NASDAQ:FRME
CUSIP: 32081710
CIK: 712534
Web: www.firstmerchants.com
Phone: (765) 747-1500
Fax: 765-282-6304
Employees: 2,162
Year Founded: 1982

Price Target and Rating

Average Stock Price Target: $38.00
High Stock Price Target: $40.00
Low Stock Price Target: $36.00
Potential Upside/Downside: +17.0%
Consensus Rating: Buy
Rating Score (0-4): 3.00
Research Coverage: 2 Analysts

Profitability

EPS (Most Recent Fiscal Year): $3.74
Trailing P/E Ratio: 8.68
Forward P/E Ratio: 9.69
P/E Growth: N/A
Net Income: $223.79 million
Net Margins: 22.39%
Pretax Margin: 25.94%
Return on Equity: 10.97%
Return on Assets: 1.29%

Debt

Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 0.39
Current Ratio: 0.86
Quick Ratio: 0.86

Sales & Book Value

Annual Sales: $999.49 million
Price / Sales: 1.93
Cash Flow: $4.05 per share
Price / Cash Flow: 8.02
Book Value: $37.42 per share
Price / Book: 0.87

Miscellaneous

Outstanding Shares: 59,280,000
Free Float: 58,454,000
Market Cap: $1.92 billion
Optionable: Optionable
Beta: 1.08

Social Links

12 Stocks Corporate Insiders are Abandoning

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Key Executives

Mr. Mark K. Hardwick (Age 53)
CEO & Director
Comp: $1.17M
Mr. Michael J. Stewart (Age 58)
President
Comp: $967.65k
Ms. Michele M. Kawiecki (Age 51)
Executive VP, CFO & Principal Accounting Officer
Comp: $698.49k
Mr. Stephan H. Fluhler (Age 55)
Senior VP & Chief Information Officer
Comp: $532.39k
Mr. Michael C. Rechin (Age 65)
Advisor & Director
Comp: $60.82k
Mr. John J. Martin (Age 57)
Executive VP & Chief Credit Officer
Comp: $617.04k
Mr. Marcos Nogues C.F.A.
Chief Investment Officer
Ms. Nicole M. Weaver
VP & Director of Corporate Administration
Mr. Brian T. Hunt (Age 64)
Secretary & Legal Counsel
Mr. Steven C. Harris (Age 60)
Senior VP & Chief Human Resources Officer

Key Competitors

View All Competitors

Insiders & Institutions

View All Insider Transactions
View All Institutional Transactions

FRME Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

Should I buy or sell First Merchants stock right now?: 2 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for First Merchants in the last year. There are currently 2 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "buy" FRME shares.
View FRME analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks.
What is First Merchants' stock price target for 2024?: 2 Wall Street research analysts have issued 1 year target prices for First Merchants' shares. Their FRME share price targets range from $36.00 to $40.00. On average, they predict the company's stock price to reach $38.00 in the next twelve months. This suggests a possible upside of 16.3% from the stock's current price.
View analysts price targets for FRME or view top-rated stocks among Wall Street analysts.
How have FRME shares performed in 2024?: First Merchants' stock was trading at $37.08 at the start of the year. Since then, FRME stock has decreased by 11.9% and is now trading at $32.67.
View the best growth stocks for 2024 here.
Are investors shorting First Merchants?: First Merchants saw a drop in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 504,600 shares, a drop of 7.2% from the March 15th total of 543,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 269,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.9 days.
View First Merchants' Short Interest.
When is First Merchants' next earnings date?: The company is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings announcement on Thursday, April 25th 2024.
View our FRME earnings forecast.
How can I listen to First Merchants' earnings call?: First Merchants will be holding an earnings conference call on Thursday, April 25th at 11:30 AM Eastern. Interested parties can register for or listen to the call using this link.
How were First Merchants' earnings last quarter?: First Merchants Co. (NASDAQ:FRME) posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January, 25th. The bank reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.87. The bank had revenue of $156.51 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $158.50 million. First Merchants had a net margin of 22.39% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 10.97%.

How often does First Merchants pay dividends? What is the dividend yield for First Merchants?: First Merchants announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, February 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.34 per share on Friday, March 15th. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.16%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 29th.
Read our dividend analysis for FRME.
Is First Merchants a good dividend stock?: First Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) pays an annual dividend of $1.36 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.11%. FRME has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The company has been increasing its dividend for 12 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 36.36%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, FRME will have a dividend payout ratio of 38.97% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.
Read our dividend analysis for FRME.
What ETFs hold First Merchants' stock?: ETFs with the largest weight of First Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) stock in their portfolio include First Trust NASDAQ ABA Community Bank Index Fund (QABA), ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF (SMDV), First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF (AIRR) and EA Bridgeway Omni Small-Cap Value ETF (BSVO).Avantis U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (AVSC).
What is Michael C. Rechin's approval rating as First Merchants' CEO?: 48 employees have rated First Merchants Chief Executive Officer Michael C. Rechin on Glassdoor.com. Michael C. Rechin has an approval rating of 82% among the company's employees.
What other stocks do shareholders of First Merchants own?: Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some companies that other First Merchants investors own include BankFinancial (BFIN), Energy Transfer (ET), Main Street Capital (MAIN), Enterprise Products Partners (EPD), AbbVie (ABBV), Comerica (CMA), Huntington Bancshares (HBAN), International Business Machines (IBM), Iron Mountain (IRM) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM).
How do I buy shares of First Merchants?: Shares of FRME stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.
Compare Top Brokerages Here.

This page (NASDAQ:FRME) was last updated on 4/16/2024 by MarketBeat.com Staff

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First Merchants (FRME) Stock Price, News & Analysis

First Merchants MarketRank™ Stock Analysis

Overall MarketRank™

Analyst's Opinion

Short Interest

Percentage of Shares Shorted

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Change versus previous month

Dividend Strength

Sustainability and ESG

Overall ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Score

Environmental Sustainability

News and Social Media Coverage

News Sentiment

News Coverage This Week

Company Ownership

Earnings and Valuation

About First Merchants Stock (NASDAQ:FRME)

FRME Stock Price History

FRME Stock News Headlines

Company Calendar

Industry, Sector and Symbol

Price Target and Rating

Profitability

Debt

Sales & Book Value

Miscellaneous

Social Links

Key Executives

Key Competitors

Insiders & Institutions

FRME Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

Overall MarketRank^™