First Merchants Corporation Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results

MUNCIE, Ind., July 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ - FRME) (the "Corporation" or "First Merchants")

Second Quarter 2026 Highlights:

• Net income available to common stockholders was $43.5 million, or $0.70 per diluted common share, compared to $27.7 million, or $0.45 per diluted common share, in the first quarter of 2026. On an adjusted basis1, net income totaled $46.4 million, or $0.74 per diluted common share, compared to $63.1 million, or $1.03 per diluted common share in the prior quarter.

• Adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision income1 of $84.6 million, compared to $78.7 million in the prior quarter and $70.7 million in the second quarter of 2025.

• Net interest margin on a fully taxable equivalent basis1 of 3.38%, up 3 basis points from the prior quarter and up 13 basis points from the second quarter of 2025.

• Loan growth of $221.7 million, or 5.8% annualized, on a linked quarter basis2.

• Sold $271.1 million of mortgage loans with a weighted average rate of 3.43% during the current quarter and deployed proceeds to fund loan growth and pay down high-cost funding. The loans had been moved to held-for-sale and marked to fair value in the first quarter.

• Deposit growth of $267.8 million, or 6.5% annualized, on a linked quarter basis.

• Robust capital position with Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio of 11.16%.

• Repurchased 976,631 shares of common stock totaling $38.3 million year-to-date, including 336,145 shares totaling $13.4 million in the second quarter.

• Nonperforming assets to total assets were 56 basis points compared to 43 basis points on a linked quarter basis. Two commercial lending relationships with outstanding balances totaling $41.8 million were placed in nonaccrual status and associated reserves of $29.7 million were recorded.

• Adjusted efficiency ratio1 totaled 53.22% for the quarter.

• Successfully completed systems conversion of First Savings Financial Group, Inc. ("First Savings") in mid-May.
  

"First Merchants continued to build momentum during the second quarter with expanding net interest margin, solid loan and deposit growth, and another quarter of strong commercial loan production," said Mark Hardwick, Chief Executive Officer. "While we identified two commercial lending relationships that were placed on nonaccrual, we acted promptly to recognize the associated reserves and believe our balance sheet remains well positioned. We successfully completed the integration of First Savings, further strengthening our statewide Indiana franchise and enhancing our ability to serve clients across Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. Our capital, liquidity and credit quality remain very strong and position us well to execute our long-term growth strategy and continue creating shareholder value."

Second Quarter Financial Results:

The Corporation reported second quarter 2026 net income available to common stockholders of $43.5 million compared to $56.4 million during the same period in 2025. Diluted earnings per common share for the period totaled $0.70 compared to $0.98 in the second quarter of 2025. Current quarter results included acquisition-related costs of $3.8 million that consist primarily of employee salaries, equipment, and professional fees. Excluding these non-core charges, adjusted earnings per common share1 for the second quarter of 2026 totaled $0.74 compared to $0.98 in the prior year period. Subsequent to quarter-end, based on additional information obtained regarding conditions that existed at June 30, 2026, two commercial lending relationships were placed on nonaccrual status and reserve levels were increased, resulting in elevated provision expense for the second quarter. The first was a $28.1 million participation in a shared national credit to a commercial authorized wireless retailer. The second was a credit to a commercial and residential roofing contractor with an outstanding balance of $13.7 million. Associated reserves for these credits totaled $29.7 million.

Total assets of the Corporation equaled $21.3 billion as of quarter-end and loans totaled $15.5 billion. Loans increased $2.2 billion during the last twelve months and $268.8 million on a linked quarter basis. During the second quarter, the Corporation completed the previously announced sale of $271.1 million of mortgage loans that had been transferred to held-for-sale during the first quarter. Additionally, mortgage loans totaling $47.1 million were returned to held-for-investment during the second quarter. Excluding loans acquired through First Savings and the impact of mortgage loan sale activity, the Corporation generated organic loan growth of $697.9 million, or 5.2% during the past twelve months. On a linked quarter basis, organic loan growth totaled $221.7 million, or 5.8% annualized.

Investment securities, totaling $3.3 billion, decreased $88.9 million, or 2.6% during the last twelve months and decreased $17.8 million, or 2.2% annualized on a linked quarter basis. Investment securities declined during the quarter due to principal paydowns and maturities, offset by an increase in the securities portfolio valuation.

Total deposits equaled $16.8 billion as of quarter-end and increased by $2.0 billion over the past twelve months. The acquisition of First Savings contributed $1.7 billion in deposits. Total deposits increased $267.8 million, or 6.5% annualized, on a linked quarter basis. The loan to deposit ratio of 92.7% at period end remained stable on a linked quarter basis.

The Corporation's Allowance for Credit Losses – Loans (ACL) totaled $241.6 million as of quarter-end, or 1.56% of loans, an increase of $29.1 million from the prior quarter. Net charge-offs totaled $3.9 million and provision for credit losses of $33.0 million was recorded during the quarter. Reserves for unfunded commitments totaling $18.5 million remained unchanged from the previous quarter. Nonperforming assets to total assets were 0.56% for the second quarter of 2026, an increase of 13 basis points compared to 0.43% in the prior quarter. The increase in nonperforming assets and provision for credit losses reflects the impact of the two commercial lending relationships placed in nonaccrual status.

Net interest income, totaling $158.9 million for the quarter, increased $7.6 million, or 5.0%, compared to prior quarter and increased $25.9 million, or 19.5%, compared to the second quarter of 2025. Fully taxable equivalent net interest margin was 3.38%, an increase of three basis points compared to the prior quarter and an increase of 13 basis points compared to the second quarter of 2025.

Noninterest income totaled $37.2 million for the quarter, an increase of $31.3 million, compared to the prior quarter and an increase of $5.9 million compared to the second quarter of 2025. The linked quarter increase primarily reflects the negative valuation adjustment of $29.8 million recorded in the first quarter on mortgage loans sold in the second quarter. Also contributing to the increase were higher gains on sales of loans and derivative hedge fees.

Noninterest expense totaled $115.3 million for the quarter, a decrease of $9.8 million from the prior quarter and an increase of $21.7 million from the second quarter of 2025. Acquisition-related costs totaling $3.8 million were incurred during the quarter, including $1.4 million in professional and other outside services and $1.0 million in equipment costs. Acquisition-related costs recorded in the prior quarter totaled $17.0 million.

The Corporation's total risk-based capital ratio equaled 12.98%, the common equity tier 1 capital ratio equaled 11.16%, and the tangible common equity ratio totaled 8.99%. These ratios continue to reflect the Corporation's strong capital position.

1 See "Non-GAAP Financial Information" for reconciliation
2 Excludes $47.1 million of loans returned to held-for-investment from held-for-sale

CONFERENCE CALL

First Merchants Corporation will conduct an earnings conference call and webcast at 9:00 a.m. (ET) on Thursday, July 23, 2026.

To access via phone, participants will need to register using the following link where they will be provided a phone number and access code: (https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIc1f6f98686534d529e7f3d66c4d50b16)

To view the webcast and presentation slides, please go to (https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/hqyvbr3q) during the time of the call. A replay of the webcast will be available until July 23, 2027.

Detailed financial results are reported on the attached pages.

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. 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.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements can often, but not always, be identified by the use of words like "believe", "continue", "pattern", "estimate", "project", "intend", "anticipate", "expect" and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "will", "would", "should", "could", "might", "can", "may", or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the expected benefits of the merger between First Merchants and First Savings, including future financial and operating results, cost savings, enhanced revenues, and accretion/dilution to reported earnings that may be realized from the merger, as well as other statements of expectations regarding the merger, and other statements of First Merchants' goals, intentions and expectations; statements regarding the First Merchants' business plan and growth strategies; statements regarding the asset quality of First Merchants' loan and investment portfolios; and estimates of First Merchants' risks and future costs and benefits, whether with respect to the merger or otherwise. These forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks, assumptions and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in forward-looking statements, including, among other things: the risk that the businesses of First Merchants and First Savings will not be integrated successfully or such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; expected revenue synergies and cost savings from the merger may not be fully realized or realized within the expected time frame; revenues following the merger may be lower than expected; customer and employee relationships and business operations may be disrupted by the merger; possible changes in monetary and fiscal policies, and laws and regulations; the effects of easing restrictions on participants in the financial services industry; the cost and other effects of legal and administrative cases; possible changes in the credit-worthiness of customers and the possible impairment of collectability of loans; fluctuations in market rates of interest; competitive factors in the banking industry; changes in the banking legislation or regulatory requirements of federal and state agencies applicable to bank holding companies and banks like First Merchants' affiliate bank; continued availability of earnings and excess capital sufficient for the lawful and prudent declaration of dividends; changes in market, economic, operational, liquidity (including the ability to grow and maintain core deposits and retain large uninsured deposits), credit and interest rate risks associated with First Merchants' business; the impacts of epidemics, pandemics or other infectious disease outbreaks; and other risks and factors identified in each of First Merchants' filings with the SEC. First Merchants undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, relating to the matters discussed in this news release. In addition, First Merchants' past results of operations do not necessarily indicate their anticipated future results.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This news release contains non-GAAP financial measures. For purposes of Regulation G, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of the registrant's historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that excludes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of excluding amounts, that are included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP in the statement of income, balance sheet or statement of cash flows (or equivalent statements) of the issuer; or includes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of including amounts, that are excluded from the most directly comparable measure so calculated and presented. In this regard, GAAP refers to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. Pursuant to the requirements of Regulation G, First Merchants Corporation has provided reconciliations within this news release, as necessary, of the non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.