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MUNCIE, Indiana - First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ:FRME) reported first quarter earnings that beat analyst estimates, but revenue fell short of expectations, sending shares down 1.6% in trading on Thursday.
The Indiana-based bank posted adjusted earnings per share of $0.94 for the first quarter of 2025, surpassing the analyst consensus of $0.92. However, revenue came in at $160.32 million, missing the $171.03 million analysts had projected.
First Merchants saw total loans grow by $154.9 million, or 4.8% annualized, compared to the previous quarter. Year-over-year, loans increased by $547.2 million, or 4.4%. Total (EPA:TTEF) deposits declined slightly by $59.6 million, or 1.6% annualized, from the fourth quarter.
Net interest income for Q1 was $130.3 million, down 3.1% from the previous quarter but up 2.5% YoY. The bank’s net interest margin contracted to 3.22%, a decrease of six basis points from Q4 2024.
"The first quarter was a strong start to the year with healthy loan growth and increasing profitability," said Mark Hardwick, Chief Executive Officer of First Merchants Bank. "Our 2025 priorities continue to focus on organic loan growth funded by low-cost core deposits, margin stabilization, fee income growth, expense management and credit quality."
The bank maintained a robust capital position, with a Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio of 11.50%. First Merchants repurchased 246,751 shares totaling $10 million year-to-date and redeemed $30 million of subordinated debt.
Nonperforming assets to total assets increased slightly to 0.47% in Q1, up from 0.43% in the previous quarter. The bank’s efficiency ratio stood at 54.54% for the quarter.
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