Director Howard Halderman receives 605 First Merchants (NASDAQ: FRME) shares

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Halderman Howard reported acquisition or exercise transactions in this Form 4 filing.

First Merchants Corp director Howard Halderman received a grant of 605 shares of common stock on March 31, 2026 at a reference price of $38.73 per share. Following this award, he directly holds 29,046.585 shares of First Merchants common stock, including 7,937 shares classified as Restricted Stock Awards.

Insider Trade Summary

1 transaction reported

Mixed 1 txn

Insider Halderman Howard

Role Director

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Common Stock	605	$38.73	$23K

Holdings After Transaction: Common Stock — 29,046.585 shares (Direct)

Footnotes (1)

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Key Figures

Shares granted: 605 shares Grant reference price: $38.73 per share Total shares after transaction: 29,046.585 shares +1 more

4 metrics

Shares granted 605 shares Equity grant on March 31, 2026

Grant reference price $38.73 per share Value used for the 605-share award

Total shares after transaction 29,046.585 shares Direct holdings following the grant

Restricted Stock Awards 7,937 shares Portion of holdings subject to restrictions

Key Terms

Restricted Stock Awards, transaction code A, grant, award, or other acquisition

3 terms

Restricted Stock Awards financial

"Includes Restricted Stock Awards totaling 7,937 shares"

Restricted stock awards are company shares given to employees or executives that cannot be sold or transferred until certain conditions — like staying with the company for a set time or meeting performance targets — are met, like a gift that is locked in a safe until rules are satisfied. Investors care because these awards tie management’s pay to company performance, can increase the number of shares outstanding when they become tradable (dilution), and may signal expected future selling pressure or commitment to long-term growth.

transaction code A regulatory

"transaction_code": "A", "transaction_code_description": "Grant, award, or other acquisition""

grant, award, or other acquisition regulatory

"transaction_code_description": "Grant, award, or other acquisition""

Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Halderman Howard

(Last) (First) (Middle)

200 E JACKSON ST

(Street)

MUNCIE INDIANA 47305

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
FIRST MERCHANTS CORP [ FRME ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/31/2026

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	03/31/2026		A		605	A	$38.73	29,046.585(1)	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. Includes Restricted Stock Awards totaling 7,937 shares

Remarks:

	Paul Cento (Confirming Statement on File)	04/02/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)

FAQ

What insider transaction did First Merchants Corp (FRME) report for Howard Halderman?

First Merchants Corp reported that director Howard Halderman received a grant of 605 common shares. The award is classified as a grant or other acquisition under Form 4 transaction code A, reflecting equity-based compensation rather than an open-market share purchase.

At what price was Howard Halderman’s First Merchants (FRME) stock grant valued?

Howard Halderman’s 605-share grant was valued at a reference price of $38.73 per share. This figure reflects the transaction price reported for the equity award and helps indicate the dollar value of the compensation granted on March 31, 2026.

How many First Merchants (FRME) shares does Howard Halderman hold after this transaction?

After the March 31, 2026 grant, Howard Halderman directly holds 29,046.585 First Merchants common shares. This total includes previously held stock plus the 605 new shares granted as compensation in this reported Form 4 transaction.

How many restricted First Merchants (FRME) shares does Howard Halderman own?

A footnote states that Howard Halderman’s holdings include Restricted Stock Awards totaling 7,937 shares. These restricted shares are subject to specific vesting or forfeiture conditions, distinguishing them from fully vested, unrestricted common stock he also holds.

Was Howard Halderman’s First Merchants (FRME) transaction a market purchase or a grant?

The transaction was a grant or award, not a market purchase. It is coded A on Form 4, indicating a grant, award, or other acquisition, consistent with equity compensation rather than buying shares on the open market at prevailing prices.