First Merchants (FRME) director awarded 605 common shares

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Sondhi Jason R reported acquisition or exercise transactions in this Form 4 filing.

First Merchants Corp director Jason R. Sondhi reported receiving a grant of 605 shares of common stock at $38.73 per share. Following this award, his direct holdings total 9,549.797 common shares. These holdings include Restricted Stock Awards totaling 7,909 shares.

Insider Trade Summary

1 transaction reported

Mixed 1 txn

Insider Sondhi Jason R

Role Director

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

Holdings After Transaction: Common — 9,549.797 shares (Direct)

Footnotes (1)

1. [object Object]

Key Figures

Shares granted: 605 shares Grant price: $38.73 per share Total direct holdings: 9,549.797 shares +1 more

4 metrics

Shares granted 605 shares Common stock grant to director on 2026-03-31

Grant price $38.73 per share Accounting value for the 605-share award

Total direct holdings 9,549.797 shares Common shares held after the transaction

Restricted Stock Awards 7,909 shares Restricted Stock Awards included in reported holdings

Key Terms

Restricted Stock Awards, Form 4, grant/award acquisition, non-derivative

4 terms

Restricted Stock Awards financial

"Includes Restricted Stock Awards totaling 7,909 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.

Form 4 regulatory

"INSIDER FILING DATA (Form 4):"

Form 4 is a official document that company insiders, such as executives or major shareholders, file with regulators whenever they buy or sell company shares. It provides transparency about how those with inside knowledge are trading, helping investors see if insiders are confident in the company's prospects or may be selling for personal reasons. This information can influence investor decisions by revealing insiders' perspectives on the company's value.

grant/award acquisition financial

"transaction_action": "grant/award acquisition""

non-derivative financial

"transaction_type": "non-derivative""

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^*

Sondhi Jason R

(Last) (First) (Middle)

200 E JACKSON STREET

(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	03/31/2026		A		605	A	$38.73	9,549.797(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 7,909 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 on this Form 4?

First Merchants Corp director Jason R. Sondhi reported acquiring 605 shares of common stock as a grant or award. The transaction used code “A,” indicating a grant, award, or other acquisition rather than an open-market purchase or sale.

At what price was the First Merchants Corp (FRME) stock grant recorded?

The 605-share grant to director Jason R. Sondhi was recorded at $38.73 per share. This price is an accounting value for the award, not evidence of an open-market trade, and it helps quantify the size of the compensation-related transaction.

How many First Merchants Corp (FRME) shares does Jason R. Sondhi hold after this grant?

After the 605-share award, Jason R. Sondhi directly holds 9,549.797 shares of First Merchants Corp common stock. This total reflects his entire direct position reported in the filing, combining both restricted and unrestricted shares as of the transaction date.

Does the Form 4 for First Merchants Corp (FRME) involve restricted stock awards?

Yes. A footnote states that Sondhi’s reported holdings include Restricted Stock Awards totaling 7,909 shares. These restricted shares are part of his overall reported ownership and typically vest over time, aligning compensation with longer-term company performance.

Is this First Merchants Corp (FRME) Form 4 an open-market buy or a compensation grant?

The transaction is a compensation grant. It is coded “A” for grant, award, or other acquisition, and described as a grant/award acquisition. This distinguishes it from open-market purchases or sales that might signal discretionary trading activity by the insider.