Insider Fluhler Reports Change in First Merchants Corp. Ownership

TL;DR

**Insider Fluhler just reported a change in his First Merchants Corp. holdings.**

AI Summary

Stephan Fluhler, an insider at First Merchants Corp., filed a Form 4 on March 24, 2026, indicating a change in his beneficial ownership of the company's securities as of March 23, 2026. While the filing itself doesn't detail the specific transaction (buy or sell), it signals that an executive's stake in the company has shifted. This matters to investors because insider transactions can sometimes provide clues about management's confidence in the company's future prospects, potentially influencing stock perception.

Why It Matters

Insider transaction filings like this can signal management's confidence (or lack thereof) in the company's future, which can influence investor sentiment and stock price.

Risk Assessment

Risk Level: low — This filing is purely informational, reporting a change in beneficial ownership, and does not inherently pose a direct risk.

Analyst Insight

A smart investor would look for the specific transaction details within the full Form 4 document to determine if Stephan Fluhler bought or sold shares, and then consider the size of the transaction relative to his total holdings to gauge its significance.

Key Players & Entities

• FLUHLER STEPHAN (person) — Reporting Person
• FIRST MERCHANTS CORP (company) — Issuer of securities
• 0001608347 (person) — CIK of FLUHLER STEPHAN
• 0000712534 (company) — CIK of FIRST MERCHANTS CORP
• 2026-03-23 (date) — Period of Report
• 2026-03-24 (date) — Filing Date

FAQ

Filing Documents

• wk-form4_1774361982.html (4)
• wk-form4_1774361982.xml (4) — 4KB
• 0001608347-26-000009.txt ( ) — 5KB

From the Filing

SEC FORM 4 SEC Form 4 FORM 4 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5    Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).    Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10. 1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * FLUHLER STEPHAN (Last) (First) (Middle) 200 E JACKSON STREET (Street) MUNCIE INDIANA 47305 (City) (State) (Zip) UNITED STATES (Country) 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol FIRST MERCHANTS CORP [ FRME ] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) Director 10% Owner X Officer (give title below) X Other (specify below) Chief Information Officer Senior Vice President 2a. Foreign Trading Symbol 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 03/23/2026 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person Form filed by More than One Reporting Person 4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned 1. Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) 1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year) 7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares Phantom Stock (1) 03/23/2026 A 217.383 (1) (1) Common Stock 217.383 $ 36.54 1,557.379 D Explanation of Responses: 1. Each share of phantom stock is the economic equivalent of one share of FRME common stock. The shares of phantom stock will be settled in cash or shares of FRME common stock, at the reporting person's election, upon separation from First Merchants. Remarks: Paul Cento (Confirming Statement on File) 03/24/2026 ** Signature of Reporting Person Date Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. * If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v). ** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a). Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure. Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number. * Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)

View Full Filing

View this 4 filing on SEC EDGAR