NASDAQ:FRME First Merchants (FRME) Stock Price, News & Analysis → [Urgent!] Generational Wealth Gameplan (From Crypto 101 Media) (Ad) Free FRME Stock Alerts $32.48 -0.03 (-0.09%) (As of 04/17/2024 ET) Add Compare Share Share Today's Range$32.31▼$33.0050-Day Range$32.51▼$35.0652-Week Range$24.52▼$38.16Volume156,568 shsAverage Volume192,276 shsMarket Capitalization$1.93 billionP/E Ratio8.68Dividend Yield4.19%Price Target$38.00 Stock AnalysisStock AnalysisAnalyst ForecastsChartCompetitorsDividendEarningsFinancialsHeadlinesInsider TradesOptions ChainOwnershipSEC FilingsShort InterestSocial MediaSustainabilityStock AnalysisAnalyst ForecastsChartCompetitorsDividendEarningsFinancialsHeadlinesInsider TradesOptions ChainOwnershipSEC FilingsShort InterestSocial MediaSustainability Get First Merchants alerts: Email Address First Merchants MarketRank™ Stock AnalysisAnalyst RatingBuy3.00 Rating ScoreUpside/Downside17.0% Upside$38.00 Price TargetShort InterestHealthy0.85% of Shares Sold ShortDividend StrengthStrongBased on Four FactorsSustainability-0.62Upright™ Environmental ScoreNews Sentiment0.21Based on 7 Articles This WeekInsider TradingSelling Shares$105,912 Sold Last QuarterProj. Earnings Growth4.18%From $3.35 to $3.49 Per ShareSee Full Details Hide Full Details 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.4.89 out of 5 starsFinance Sector44th out of 847 stocksNational Commercial Banks Industry9th out of 81 stocks 2.5 Analyst's Opinion Consensus RatingFirst 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 CoverageFirst Merchants has only been the subject of 1 research reports in the past 90 days. Previous Next 5.0 Short Interest Percentage of Shares Shorted0.85% of the outstanding shares of First Merchants have been sold short.Short Interest Ratio / Days to CoverFirst 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 monthShort interest in First Merchants has recently decreased by 7.16%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly. Previous Next 5.0 Dividend Strength Dividend LeadershipFirst Merchants is a leading dividend payer. It pays a dividend yield of 4.18%, putting its dividend yield in the top 25% of dividend-paying stocks.Dividend GrowthFirst Merchants has been increasing its dividend for 12 years.Dividend CoverageThe dividend payout ratio of First Merchants is 36.36%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.Dividend SustainabilityBased 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. Previous Next 2.7 Sustainability and ESG Overall ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ScoreFirst 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 SustainabilityThe Environmental Impact score for First Merchants is -0.62. Previous Next 1.8 News and Social Media Coverage News SentimentFirst Merchants has a news sentiment score of 0.21. 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 0.57 average news sentiment score of Finance companies.News Coverage This WeekMarketBeat has tracked 7 news articles for First Merchants this week, compared to 2 articles on an average week. Previous Next 3.3 Company Ownership Insider Buying vs. Insider SellingIn 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 InsidersOnly 1.32% of the stock of First Merchants is held by insiders.Percentage Held by Institutions73.92% of the stock of First Merchants is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company. Previous Next 2.5 Earnings and Valuation Earnings GrowthEarnings 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 MarketThe P/E ratio of First Merchants is 8.68, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 133.23.Price to Earnings Ratio vs. SectorThe P/E ratio of First Merchants is 8.68, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Finance sector average P/E ratio of about 56.90.Price to Book Value per Share RatioFirst 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. Previous Next See Top Rated MarketRank™ Stocks Here Ad Crypto 101 Media[Urgent!] Generational Wealth GameplanA brand-new guide from the host of one of the world's largest cryptocurrency podcasts lays out an action plan that could help you retire quickly and comfortably in today's crypto market.Click here to get instant access to the guide 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.Read More FRME Stock Price History View Price History Chart DataSkip Price History Chart 30 days | 90 days | 365 days | Advanced Chart FRME Stock News HeadlinesApril 18, 2024 | americanbankingnews.comFirst Merchants (FRME) Scheduled to Post Quarterly Earnings on ThursdayApril 16, 2024 | americanbankingnews.comFirst Merchants Co. (NASDAQ:FRME) Sees Large Drop in Short InterestApril 18, 2024 | Paradigm Press (Ad)Could Bitcoin Literally FORCE This Crypto To Rocket Up?Recently, Bitcoin smashed through its previous record high to hit $72,720. It’s made many, many people very rich. But one cryptocurrency expert and investing millionaire is declaring…April 15, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comFirst Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) investors are sitting on a loss of 21% if they invested three years agoApril 15, 2024 | globenewswire.comFirst Merchants Corporation Announces Cash Dividend on Its Preferred StockApril 14, 2024 | americanbankingnews.comFirst Merchants (NASDAQ:FRME) Rating Lowered to Sell at StockNews.comApril 4, 2024 | globenewswire.comFirst Merchants Corporation to Report First Quarter 2024 Financial Results, Host Conference Call and WebcastMarch 3, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comFirst Merchants Full Year 2023 Earnings: EPS Misses ExpectationsApril 18, 2024 | Paradigm Press (Ad)Could Bitcoin Literally FORCE This Crypto To Rocket Up?Recently, Bitcoin smashed through its previous record high to hit $72,720. It’s made many, many people very rich. But one cryptocurrency expert and investing millionaire is declaring…February 24, 2024 | msn.comFirst Merchants (FRME) Price Target Increased by 6.33% to 42.84February 24, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comBe Sure To Check Out First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ:FRME) Before It Goes Ex-DividendFebruary 21, 2024 | msn.comMerchants file claims against SF demanding removal of controversial Valencia St. bike laneFebruary 9, 2024 | msn.comFirst Merchants Corp. Unveils 2024 Executive Incentive ProgramFebruary 8, 2024 | msn.comFirst Merchants Corp. Declares Cash Dividend for ShareholdersFebruary 7, 2024 | msn.comFirst Merchants declares $0.34 dividendFebruary 7, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comFirst Merchants Corporation Announces Cash DividendJanuary 28, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comFirst Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ:FRME) Q4 2023 Earnings Call TranscriptJanuary 26, 2024 | markets.businessinsider.comKBW Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on First Merchants (FRME)January 26, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comQ4 2023 First Merchants Corp Earnings CallJanuary 26, 2024 | seekingalpha.comFirst Merchants Corporation 2023 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call PresentationJanuary 25, 2024 | seekingalpha.comFirst Merchants Non-GAAP EPS of $0.87 in-line, revenue of $156.5M misses by $8.98MJanuary 25, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comFirst Merchants Corp (FRME) Reports Mixed Results Amidst Economic HeadwindsJanuary 25, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comFirst Merchants (FRME) Q4 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus EstimatesJanuary 25, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comFirst Merchants Corporation Announces Fourth Quarter 2023 Earnings Per ShareJanuary 23, 2024 | seekingalpha.comFirst Merchants Bank announces plans to expand in DetroitJanuary 23, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comFirst Merchants Bank Announces Plans to Expand in Detroit, Bringing Financial Services to FitzgeraldJanuary 22, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comUnveiling First Merchants (FRME) Q4 Outlook: Wall Street Estimates for Key MetricsSee More Headlines Receive FRME Stock News and Ratings via Email Sign-up to receive the latest news and ratings for First Merchants and its competitors with MarketBeat's FREE daily newsletter. Email Address Company Calendar Last Earnings1/25/2024Ex-Dividend for 3/15 Dividend2/29/2024Dividend Payable3/15/2024Today4/18/2024Next Earnings (Confirmed)4/25/2024Fiscal Year End12/31/2024Get Stock AlertsIndustry, Sector and Symbol Stock ExchangeNASDAQ SectorFinance Industry National commercial banks Sub-IndustryRegional Banks Current SymbolNASDAQ:FRME CUSIP32081710 CIK712534 Webwww.firstmerchants.com Phone(765) 747-1500Fax765-282-6304Employees2,162Year Founded1982Price 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 RatingBuy Rating Score (0-4)3.00 Research Coverage2 Analysts Profitability EPS (Most Recent Fiscal Year)$3.74 Trailing P/E Ratio8.68 Forward P/E Ratio9.70 P/E GrowthN/ANet Income$223.79 million Net Margins22.39% Pretax Margin25.94% Return on Equity10.97% Return on Assets1.29% Debt Debt-to-Equity Ratio0.39 Current Ratio0.86 Quick Ratio0.86 Sales & Book Value Annual Sales$999.49 million Price / Sales1.93 Cash Flow$4.08 per share Price / Cash Flow7.96 Book Value$37.42 per share Price / Book0.87Miscellaneous Outstanding Shares59,280,000Free Float58,454,000Market Cap$1.93 billion OptionableOptionable Beta1.08 Social Links These 7 Stocks Will Be Magnificent in 2024With average gains of 150% since the start of 2023, now is the time to give these stocks a look and pump up your 2024 portfolio.Get This Free Report Key ExecutivesMr. Mark K. Hardwick (Age 53)CEO & Director Comp: $1.17MMr. Michael J. Stewart (Age 58)President Comp: $967.65kMs. Michele M. Kawiecki (Age 51)Executive VP, CFO & Principal Accounting Officer Comp: $698.49kMr. Stephan H. Fluhler (Age 55)Senior VP & Chief Information Officer Comp: $532.39kMr. Michael C. Rechin (Age 65)Advisor & Director Comp: $60.82kMr. John J. Martin (Age 57)Executive VP & Chief Credit Officer Comp: $617.04kMr. Marcos Nogues C.F.A.Chief Investment OfficerMs. Nicole M. WeaverVP & Director of Corporate AdministrationMr. Brian T. Hunt (Age 64)Secretary & Legal Counsel Mr. Steven C. Harris (Age 60)Senior VP & Chief Human Resources Officer More ExecutivesKey CompetitorsFirst Financial Bancorp.NASDAQ:FFBCBancorpNASDAQ:TBBKSimmons First NationalNASDAQ:SFNCCommunity Bank SystemNYSE:CBUWesBancoNASDAQ:WSBCView All CompetitorsInsiders & InstitutionsHennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.Bought 6,571 shares on 4/17/2024Ownership: 0.011%Michael J StewartBought 36 shares on 3/29/2024Total: $1,068.12 ($29.67/share)PNC Financial Services Group Inc.Sold 552 shares on 3/22/2024Ownership: 0.038%Vanguard Group Inc.Bought 32,126 shares on 3/11/2024Ownership: 11.074%Fisher Asset Management LLCSold 9,444 shares on 3/5/2024Ownership: 0.806%View All Insider TransactionsView 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 price objectives for First Merchants' shares. Their FRME share price targets range from $36.00 to $40.00. On average, they anticipate the company's share price to reach $38.00 in the next year. This suggests a possible upside of 17.0% 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 on January 1st, 2024. Since then, FRME shares have decreased by 12.4% and is now trading at $32.48. 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 volume of 269,000 shares, the short-interest 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 earnings results on Thursday, January, 25th. The bank reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting 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 declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, February 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 1st will be given a dividend of $0.34 per share on Friday, March 15th. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 4.18%. 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). Who are First Merchants' major shareholders? First Merchants' stock is owned by a variety of retail and institutional investors. Top institutional investors include Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. (0.01%). Insiders that own company stock include Charles E Schalliol, Gary Lehman, Jason R Sondhi, Mark K Hardwick, Michael C Rechin, Michael J Stewart, Michael R Becher, Patrick A Sherman, Patrick J Fehring and Stephan Fluhler. View institutional ownership trends. 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 4/18/2024 by MarketBeat.com Staff From Our PartnersRed Alert: Your Money's Disappearance Act - Banks' Greed Unleashed!Priority GoldIRS Loophole Gives Americans An Escape From InflationBirch GoldHe Is Giving Away BitcoinCrypto Swap Profits[Urgent!] Generational Wealth GameplanCrypto 101 MediaThe Best AI Stock to Own in the World Today is Trading for Just $25Banyan Hill PublishingThe “Perfect Storm” for GoldGold Safe ExchangeThe "Smart Money" Is Ready for May 1st Are You?Stansberry ResearchRich Dad Poor Dad Author Shocks Millions With 2024 Crash WarningAmerican Hartford Gold Group Adding Choose a watchlist: Watchlist Adding You have already added five stocks to your watchlist. Upgrade to MarketBeat All Access to add more stocks to your watchlist. Adding First Merchants Co. Please log in to your account or sign up in order to add this asset to your watchlist. Get 30 Days of MarketBeat All Access Free Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools: Best-in-Class Portfolio Monitoring View the latest news, buy/sell ratings, SEC filings and insider transactions for your stocks. Compare your portfolio performance to leading indices and get personalized stock ideas based on your portfolio. Stock Ideas and Recommendations Get daily stock ideas from top-performing Wall Street analysts. Get short term trading ideas from the MarketBeat Idea Engine. View which stocks are hot on social media with MarketBeat's trending stocks report. Advanced Stock Screeners and Research Tools Identify stocks that meet your criteria using seven unique stock screeners. See what's happening in the market right now with MarketBeat's real-time news feed. Export data to Excel for your own analysis. Start Your 30-Day Free Trial Sign in to your free account to enjoy these benefits In-depth profiles and analysis for 20,000 public companies. Real-time analyst ratings, insider transactions, earnings data, and more. Our daily ratings and market update email newsletter. Sign in to your free account to enjoy all that MarketBeat has to offer. Sign In Create Account Your Email Address: Your Password: or Sign in with Facebook Sign in with Google Forgot your password? Your Email Address: Choose a Password: Create My Account (Free) or Sign in with Facebook Sign in with Google By creating a free account, you agree to our terms of service. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.