First Merchants (FRME) reported $157.13 million in revenue for the quarter ended March 2026, representing a year-over-year decline of 2%. EPS of $1.03 for the same period compares to $0.94 a year ago.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of -12.75% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $180.1 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.96, the EPS surprise was +7.29%.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
Here is how First Merchants performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Efficiency Ratio: 74.5% compared to the 56.1% average estimate based on three analysts. Net Interest Margin (FTE): 3.4% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 3.2%. Net Charge-offs (Recoveries) as % of Average Loans (Annualized): 0.3% compared to the 0.2% average estimate based on two analysts. Average Balance - Total Earning Assets: $18.84 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $19.07 billion. Net gains and fees on sales of loans: $6.51 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $5.95 million. Total Non-Interest Income: $35.58 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $35.51 million. Service charges on deposit accounts: $9.04 million versus $8.85 million estimated by two analysts on average. Fiduciary and wealth management fees: $9.77 million compared to the $9.38 million average estimate based on two analysts. Card payment fees: $5.28 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $5.09 million. Net Interest Income: $151.3 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $147.32 million. Net Interest Income (FTE): $157.7 million compared to the $151.61 million average estimate based on two analysts. Other customer fees: $0.59 million compared to the $0.47 million average estimate based on two analysts.View all Key Company Metrics for First Merchants here>>>
Shares of First Merchants have returned +6.3% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +8.6% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is Here
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).