First Merchants Corporation Announces Second Quarter 2024 Earnings Per Share

First Merchants Corporation
First Merchants Corporation

In This Article:

MUNCIE, Ind., July 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ - FRME)

Second Quarter 2024 Highlights:

  • Net income available to common stockholders was $39.5 million and diluted earnings per common share totaled $.68 in the second quarter of 2024, compared to $60.4 million and $1.02 in the second quarter of 2023, and $47.5 million and $.80 in the first quarter of 2024.

  • Strong capital position with Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio of 11.02 percent.

  • Net interest margin totaled 3.16 percent compared to 3.10 percent on a linked quarter basis.

  • Total loans grew $191.2 million, or 6.1 percent annualized on a linked quarter basis, and $374.4 million, or 3.0 percent during the last twelve months.

  • Total deposits declined $315.5 million, or 8.5 percent annualized on a linked quarter basis.

  • Nonperforming assets to total assets were 36 basis points compared to 37 basis points on a linked quarter basis.

  • The efficiency ratio totaled 53.84 percent for the quarter.

Mark Hardwick, Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are pleased that net interest margin improved by 6 basis points over the first quarter of 2024 and that net interest income increased by $1.5 million over the same period. Non-interest income and non-interest expense also compared favorably helping the company produce an efficiency ratio better than our stated key performance indicator of less than 55 percent." Hardwick added, "The elevated provision expense driven by higher than normal net charge-off’s was the singular item that weakened our performance in the quarter."

Second Quarter Financial Results:

First Merchants Corporation (the “Corporation”) has reported second quarter 2024 net income available to common stockholders of $39.5 million compared to $60.4 million during the same period in 2023. Diluted earnings per common share for the period totaled $.68 per share compared to the second quarter of 2023 result of $1.02 per share.

Total assets equaled $18.3 billion as of quarter-end and loans totaled $12.7 billion. During the past twelve months, total loans grew by $374.4 million, or 3.0 percent. On a linked quarter basis, loans grew $191.2 million, or 6.1 percent with growth primarily in Commercial & Industrial loans.

Investments, totaling $3.8 billion, decreased $138.4 million, or 3.6 percent, during the last twelve months and decreased $30.5 million, or 3.2 percent annualized on a linked quarter basis.

Total deposits equaled $14.6 billion as of quarter-end and decreased by $12.1 million over the past twelve months. Total deposits declined $315.5 million, or 8.5 percent annualized on a linked quarter basis with noninterest-bearing deposits remaining stable. The loan to deposit ratio for the current quarter ended at 87.0 percent.