First Merchants Insider Ups Ownership by 7,388 Shares in August Trades

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

First Merchants Corp. (FRME) – Form 4 insider activity: Chief Commercial Officer Joseph C. Peterson reported two trades. On 08/03/2025 he disposed of 612 shares at $37.11 under Code F (tax-withholding), reducing his direct stake to 31,333.862 shares. The next day, 08/04/2025, he purchased 8,000 shares at $37.49 (Code A), raising his direct ownership to 39,333.862 shares. The filing clarifies that 25,389.389 of the total are restricted-stock awards. Net of the tax-related disposition, Peterson added 7,388 shares, a roughly 23.6 % increase in his directly held position. No derivative securities were reported, and no other insiders joined the filing.

Positive

• Net purchase of 7,388 shares by a senior officer increases direct ownership by ~24 %, signalling confidence.
• No derivative positions disclosed, reducing complexity and potential overhang.

Negative

• 612 shares disposed for tax withholding, though routine and immaterial.

Insights

Financial Analyst

TL;DR: CCO buys 8k FRME shares, lifts stake 24%; modestly positive insider signal, limited immediate valuation impact.

Peterson’s net addition of 7,388 shares suggests personal confidence in First Merchants’ outlook following recent earnings season. Although the dollar value (~$300k) is small versus FRME’s ~$2.6 bn market cap, the buy meaningfully lifts his personal exposure. Code F tax withholding is routine and not a bearish indicator. Because no derivatives were exercised and the position is fully direct, alignment with shareholders strengthens. Still, single-insider purchases historically have limited price impact unless followed by cluster buying. Overall, a modestly positive governance and sentiment data point rather than a fundamental catalyst.

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
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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^*

Peterson Joseph C

(Last) (First) (Middle)

200 E JACKSON ST

(Street)

MUNCIE IN 47305

(City) (State) (Zip)

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

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

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

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
08/03/2025

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

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

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

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	08/03/2025		F		612	D	$37.11	31,333.862	D
Common Stock	08/04/2025		A		8,000	A	$37.49	39,333.862(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 25,389.389 shares

Remarks:

	Jacob Burkett (Confirming Statement on File)	08/05/2025
	** 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.

FAQ

How many FRME shares did the CCO buy?

Joseph C. Peterson acquired 8,000 common shares on 08/04/2025 at $37.49 each.

Did the insider sell any shares?

Yes. On 08/03/2025, Peterson disposed of 612 shares at $37.11 to cover taxes (Code F).

What is the insider's total FRME ownership after the transactions?

Peterson now directly owns 39,333.862 shares, including 25,389.389 restricted-stock awards.

Are derivative securities involved in this Form 4?

No derivative securities were reported in Table II.

Why is Code F used in the filing?

Code F indicates shares withheld to satisfy tax obligations related to equity compensation, not an open-market sale.