FIRST MERCHANTS CORP (FRMEP) SEC Filings, Sep-Oct 2026

Michael J. Fisher, a director of First Merchants Corp. (FRME), acquired 549 shares of common stock through a grant/award on September 30, 2026, at a reported price of $39.78 per share. His reported direct holdings after the transaction were 19,658 shares, including Restricted Stock Awards totaling 6,895 shares.

First Merchants Corp. (FRME) director Susan W. Brooks acquired 569 shares of common stock through a grant/award on September 30, 2026. The reported transaction price was $39.78 per share. Her reported direct holdings after the transaction were 13,188 shares, including restricted stock awards totaling 7,142 shares.

First Merchants Corp director Michael R. Becher acquired 608 shares of common stock in a grant or award on September 30, 2026. The transaction lists $39.78 per share, and his reported direct holdings after it were 30,307 shares, including Restricted Stock Awards totaling 7,636 shares.

First Merchants Corporation (FRME) announced that Chief Executive Officer Mark K. Hardwick will retire effective January 1, 2027, and Michael J. Stewart will become President and CEO on that date.

Stewart, currently President of First Merchants Bank, will serve until the Board’s next annual meeting or until a successor is duly appointed and qualified. The company said the appointment involves no additional arrangements or material plan, contract or arrangement, and no additional award or modification of an existing award; existing compensatory arrangements are excepted. Hardwick’s retirement follows 29 years with the bank, including 18 acquisitions during his tenure.

First Merchants Corporation entered into indentures for its previously announced offering of $100 million aggregate principal amount of 6.750% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due October 1, 2036. The notes initially bear interest at 6.750% per year, payable semi-annually in arrears on April 1 and October 1, beginning April 1, 2027. From and including October 1, 2031, to but excluding October 1, 2036, the rate is a quarterly-reset benchmark expected to be Three-Month Term SOFR plus 202 basis points; a benchmark below zero is deemed to be zero. Floating-rate interest is payable quarterly in arrears beginning January 1, 2032.

The notes mature October 1, 2036, unless redeemed earlier. First Merchants may redeem them beginning October 1, 2031, on an interest payment date, in whole or in part, at 100% of principal plus accrued and unpaid interest. Earlier redemption in whole but not in part is also permitted upon specified tax, regulatory-capital, or investment-company events, subject to prior Federal Reserve approval to the extent then required.

First Merchants Corporation (FRME) is offering $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.750% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due October 1, 2036. Estimated net proceeds are approximately $97,950,000 after the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses, for general corporate purposes, including repurchasing common shares.

The notes pay 6.750% per year before October 1, 2031; beginning on that date, interest is expected to float at Three-Month Term SOFR plus 202 basis points, with a zero floor on the benchmark. Payments shift from semiannual to quarterly. The notes are unsecured, junior to senior debt, structurally subordinated to subsidiary liabilities and effectively subordinated to secured debt. FRME may redeem them beginning October 1, 2031, subject to Federal Reserve approval where required. They have no existing public market and will not be exchange-listed. The capitalization table shows total risk-based capital to risk-weighted assets of 12.98% actual and 13.54% as adjusted for the offering and expected use of proceeds, as of June 30, 2026.

First Merchants Corporation (FRME) is offering fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes in a preliminary offering. The notes are unsecured obligations of the Corporation, in minimum denominations of $1,000. They rank junior to senior debt, equally with unsecured subordinated debt, and ahead of junior subordinated debt; they are structurally subordinated to subsidiary liabilities and effectively subordinated to secured debt to the extent of its collateral.

Interest is structured at an initial fixed rate, followed by a floating rate expected to reference Three-Month Term SOFR plus a spread. Payments are semiannual during the fixed-rate period and quarterly during the floating-rate period. The Corporation intends to use net proceeds for general corporate purposes, including common-stock repurchases. As of June 30, 2026, it reported approximately $21.3 billion in assets, $15.6 billion in loans, $16.8 billion in deposits, and $2.7 billion in stockholders’ equity. Approximately $18.6 billion of its liabilities ranked structurally senior to the notes.

FIRST MERCHANTS CORP (symbol: FRME) is the issuer of record for a Form 4 filing submitted to the SEC. HARDWICK MARK K reported acquisition or exercise transactions in this Form 4 filing.

FIRST MERCHANTS CORP (FRME) reported that Chief Executive Officer and director Mark K. Hardwick received a grant of 30.386 shares of phantom stock on September 18, 2026. Following this award, he holds 3,385.081 phantom stock units, each economically equivalent to one share of FRME common stock.

The phantom stock will be settled in cash or FRME common shares, at Hardwick’s election, upon his separation from First Merchants.

FIRST MERCHANTS CORP (symbol: FRME) is the issuer of record for a Form 4 filing submitted to the SEC. FLUHLER STEPHAN reported acquisition or exercise transactions in this Form 4 filing.

FIRST MERCHANTS CORP (FRME) reported that Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President Stephan Fluhler received a grant of phantom stock on September 18, 2026. The award covers 80.403 shares of phantom stock, each economically equivalent to one share of FRME common stock, bringing his direct phantom stock holdings to 1,733.307 shares. These phantom shares will be settled in cash or FRME common stock, at his election, upon separation from First Merchants. No Rule 10b5-1 trading plan is reported for this transaction.