UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

DATE OF REPORT (Date of earliest event reported): ~~October~~November 2214, 2025

FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Indiana
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
001-41342			35-1544218
(Commission File Number)			(IRS Employer Identification No.)

200 East Jackson Street

P.O. Box 792

Muncie, IN 47305-2814

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(765) 747-1500

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)


Title of Each Class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.125 stated value per share	FRME	The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/100th interest in a share of Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A	FRMEP	The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☒☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

ITEM 25.02 ~~RESULTS~~DEPARTURE OR APPOINTMENT OF ~~OPERATIONS~~DIRECTORS ~~AND~~OR ~~FINANCIAL~~CERTAIN ~~CONDITION.~~OFFICERS

On ~~October~~November 2214, 2025, First Merchants Corporation ~~issued~~(the a“Corporation”) ~~press~~announced ~~release~~the toretirement ~~report~~of ~~its~~Patrick ~~financial~~Fehring ~~results~~from ~~for~~ the ~~third~~Board ~~quarter~~of ~~ended~~Directors ~~September~~effective ~~30,~~immediately. ~~2025~~Mr. A ~~copy~~Fehring has served on the Board since 2022 and was a member of the ~~press~~Risk ~~release~~and isCredit ~~furnished~~Policy asCommittee. The ~~Exhibit~~retirement 99of Mr.1 toFehring ~~this~~is ~~Current~~not ~~Report~~the result of any disagreement with the Corporation on ~~Form~~any ~~8-K~~matter relating to the Corporation’s operations, policies, or practices.

OnAlso, ~~October~~on 23November 14, 2025, ~~First~~the ~~Merchants~~ Corporation ~~will~~decreased ~~conduct~~the asize ~~third~~of ~~quarter~~its ~~2025~~Board ~~earnings~~from ~~conference~~thirteen ~~call~~(13) ~~and~~members ~~webcast~~to attwelve ~~9:00 a.m.~~ (ET12) members. A ~~copy~~The ofCorporation ~~the~~had ~~slide~~thirteen ~~presentation~~(13) ~~utilized~~members onimmediately ~~the~~prior ~~conference call is furnished as Exhibit 99.2~~ to ~~this~~the ~~Current Report on Form 8-K~~decrease.

~~The information in this Current Report on Form 8-K, including~~ Exhibit ~~99.1~~104 Cover ~~and~~Page ~~Exhibit~~Interactive ~~99.2~~Data ~~hereto,~~File ~~shall~~(embedded ~~not~~within ~~be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of~~ the ~~Securities~~Inline ~~Exchange~~XBRL ~~Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to liability of that section. The information in this Current Report shall not be incorporated by reference into any filing or other~~ document ~~pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing or document.~~)

ITEM 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

(a) Not applicable.

(b) Not applicable.

(d) Exhibits.

Exhibit 99.1			Press Release, dated October 22, 2025, issued by First Merchants Corporation
Exhibit 99.2			Slide Presentation, utilized on October 23, 2025 during conference call and webcast by First Merchants Corporation
Exhibit 104			Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

									First Merchants Corporation
									(Registrant)
									By: /s/ Michele M. Kawiecki Michele M. KawieckiExecutive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
Dated: October 22, 2025
Dated: November 14, 2025

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.			Description
99.1			Press Release, dated October 22, 2025 issued by First Merchants Corporation
99.2			Slide Presentation, utilized on October 23, 2025 during conference call and webcast by First Merchants Corporation
104			Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

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