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): ~~January~~February 262, 2026

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 28.0201. OTHER ~~RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION~~EVENTS.

On ~~January~~February 262, 2026, First Merchants Corporation (“First Merchants”) issued a press release toannouncing ~~report~~the closing of its ~~financial~~acquisition ~~results~~of ~~for~~First Savings Financial Group, Inc., an Indiana corporation (“First Savings”), pursuant to the ~~fourth~~Agreement ~~quarter~~and ~~ended~~Plan ~~December~~of 31Merger, dated as of September 24, 2025, by and between First Merchants and First Savings (the “Merger Agreement”). A copy of the press release is ~~furnished~~attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

OnAs ~~January~~provided ~~27,~~in ~~2026,~~the ~~First~~Articles ~~Merchants~~of ~~Corporation~~Merger ~~will~~filed ~~conduct~~with athe ~~fourth~~Secretary ~~quarter~~of ~~2025~~State ~~earnings~~of ~~conference~~Indiana, ~~call~~the merger of First Savings with and ~~webcast~~into atFirst 9Merchants (the “Merger”) became effective as of 12:0001 a.m. (ETEastern Time) on February 1, 2026 (the "Effective Time"). A ~~copy~~As of ~~the~~such ~~slide~~Effective ~~presentation~~Time, ~~utilized~~each onshare ~~the~~of ~~conference~~outstanding ~~call~~First isSavings ~~furnished~~common asstock ~~Exhibit~~was ~~99.2~~converted into the right to ~~this~~receive ~~Current~~0.85 ~~Report~~of ona ~~Form~~share 8(the "Exchange Ratio") of First Merchants common stock, in a tax-Kfree exchange, plus cash-in-lieu of any fractional share created by the Exchange Ratio.

~~The~~Immediately ~~information~~prior into ~~this~~the ~~Current~~Effective ~~Report on Form 8-K~~Time, ~~including~~each ~~Exhibit~~outstanding ~~99.1~~First ~~and~~Savings ~~Exhibit~~restricted ~~99.2~~stock ~~hereto,~~award ~~shall~~held ~~not~~by becertain ~~deemed~~directors, ~~"filed"~~executive ~~for~~officers ~~purposes~~and ofemployees ~~Section 18~~ of ~~the~~First ~~Securities Exchange Act of 1934~~Savings, aswhether ~~amended,~~unvested or ~~otherwise~~vested, ~~subject~~was toexchanged ~~liability~~for shares of ~~that~~First ~~section. The~~Merchants ~~information~~common instock ~~this~~based ~~Current~~on ~~Report~~the ~~shall~~Exchange ~~not~~Ratio beaccording ~~incorporated by reference into any filing or other document pursuant~~ to ~~the~~their ~~Securities~~respective ~~Act~~award ofagreement ~~1933, as amended, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing or document~~terms.

In addition, on the day immediately preceding the Effective Time, each outstanding option to acquire a share of First Savings common stock was cancelled in exchange for the right to receive a cash payment, which was paid by First Savings, equal to (i) $32.59 per share, which is equal to the Exchange Ratio multiplied by the volume-weighted average price of First Merchants common stock over the ten (10) consecutive trading days ending on January 27, 2026, less (ii) the option exercise price per share, and less (iii) any applicable withholding taxes.

First Merchants expects to issue approximately 6.1 million shares of its common stock, in exchange for all of the issued and outstanding shares of First Savings common stock.

Immediately following the Merger, First Savings Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Savings, merged with and into First Merchants Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Merchants, with First Merchants Bank surviving the merger and continuing its corporate existence.

The foregoing description of the mergers does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Merger Agreement, which is incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit 2.1.

ITEM 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

(a) Not applicable.

(b) Not applicable.

(d) Exhibits.

Exhibit 99.1			Press Release, dated January 26, 2026, issued by First Merchants Corporation
Exhibit 2.1			Agreement and Plan of Merger between First Merchants Corporation and First Savings Financial Group, Inc., dated as of September 24, 2025 (Incorporated by reference to registrant's Form 8-K filed on September 25, 2025)
Exhibit 99.2			Slide Presentation, utilized on January 27, 2026 during conference call and webcast by First Merchants Corporation
Exhibit 99.1			Press Release, dated February 2, 2026
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: January 26, 2026
Dated: February 2, 2026

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.			Description
99.1			Press Release, dated January 26, 2026 issued by First Merchants Corporation
99.2			Slide Presentation, utilized on January 27, 2026 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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