First Merchants (FRME) Reports Q4 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say

Core Insights - First Merchants (FRME) reported a revenue of $177.11 million for Q4 2024, marking a year-over-year increase of 13.2% and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 9.80% [1] - The earnings per share (EPS) for the same quarter was $1.00, up from $0.87 a year ago, representing an EPS surprise of 11.11% over the consensus estimate of $0.90 [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Efficiency Ratio stood at 48.5%, significantly better than the three-analyst average estimate of 56% [4] - Net Interest Margin (FTE) was reported at 3.3%, slightly above the three-analyst average estimate of 3.2% [4] - Net Charge-offs as a percentage of Average Loans (Annualized) were 0%, outperforming the average estimate of 0.2% [4] - Average Balance of Total Earning Assets was $17.09 billion, exceeding the two-analyst average estimate of $16.96 billion [4] - Total Non-Interest Income reached $42.74 million, significantly higher than the three-analyst average estimate of $31.14 million [4] - Net Interest Income was reported at $134.37 million, above the two-analyst average estimate of $130.61 million [4] - Fiduciary and wealth management fees were $8.67 million, slightly above the average estimate of $8.66 million [4] Stock Performance - Shares of First Merchants have returned +3.4% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.2% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating potential for outperformance in the near term [3]