FRME NASDAQ Week ended 24 Jul 2026

Weekly Investor Report

First Merchants Corporation · Financial Services · Banks - Regional

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Latest close 43.18 USD
-3.2% latest week
Weekly setup

Mixed setup

The weekly trend is active. Price is 8.2% above the Trend Line and sits at 81.5% of its 52-week range. The latest completed week returned -3.2%, after a -1.1% four-week move. The latest factor snapshot indicates quality is middle-of-the-pack; growth ranks weakly; valuation is neither clearly cheap nor expensive. Options positioning is mixed with 28/100 conviction, while the latest news-sentiment score is 53/100. Near-term considerations: earnings are due in 84d.

Setup score 68 out of 100
Latest Close 43.18 USD 24 Jul 2026
1W Return -3.2% latest completed week
4W Return -1.1% short-term follow-through
12W Return 7.8% quarterly tape
Trend Breadth 50.0% 26 of 52 weeks active
Volume Ratio 1.7x vs 13-week average
What is working
  • The trend backdrop is active with a 17-week active streak.
  • Price is above the Trend Line, keeping the weekly tape constructive.
  • Price is above Fair Value, showing premium demand versus the model.
  • Activity pressure is positive on the latest completed week.
What could go wrong
  • 4 reversal markers appear in the recent smart-money tape.
What to watch next
  • Price is close to its 52-week high; watch for continuation or exhaustion.
  • Trend Line remains the key weekly regime level.
  • Activity pressure is the gauge to monitor for confirmation or fade.
  • A volume ratio above 1.5x would show stronger participation in the next move.
Price follow-through -3.2% Latest completed week; four-week move -1.1%. Indicator stack 72/78 Trend and activity pressure are weighted against the latest 12-week confirmation window. Trend backdrop Active The trend backdrop defines the current weekly regime. Patient Capital Quiet Activity-pressure buy-signal status for institutional accumulation timing. Options pressure Mixed 28/100 conviction; expected move 4.5%. News sentiment 53/100 58 relevant articles in the latest sentiment read. Event risk 84d Next report is scheduled for 21 Oct 2026; event risk rises as the date approaches.
01 · Price action

Where price is—and whether the trend supports it

The weekly trend is active. Price is 8.2% above the Trend Line and sits at 81.5% of its 52-week range. The latest completed week returned -3.2%, after a -1.1% four-week move.

Study the full chart

52-week price path

Price vs Trend Line and Fair Value
Price Trend Line Fair Value
02 · Volume and demand

Is real participation confirming the move?

Latest weekly volume is 1.7x the 13-week average. Participation is unusually strong and confirms that the move is attracting attention.

26-week volume confirmation

Bar height shows volume; colour shows the weekly price direction
30 Jan 6 Feb 13 Feb 20 Feb 27 Feb 6 Mar 13 Mar 20 Mar 27 Mar 3 Apr 10 Apr 17 Apr 24 Apr 1 May 8 May 15 May 22 May 29 May 5 Jun 12 Jun 19 Jun 26 Jun 3 Jul 10 Jul 17 Jul 24 Jul
Up week Down week
Demand beneath price

Activity pressure and institutional-style signals

These indicators assess whether participation is improving beneath the headline price move. They are supporting evidence, not proof of institutional buying.

Activity pressure path

Latest 0.9112-week average 0.74

12-week confirmation

Trend active12/12Active trend-backdrop weeks in the latest 12-week window.
Positive pressure7/12Weeks with constructive activity pressure in the latest 12-week window.
Positive leadership2/12Weeks with positive relative leadership in the latest 12-week window.
Activity pressure0.91Current proprietary activity-pressure read.
Buy signals0Accumulation signal count in the latest 12 weeks.
Reversal markers44 reversal markers

No recent accumulation markers. 4 reversal markers.

03 · Momentum and leadership

Is performance persistent—and is the stock leading?

Performance is -1.1% over four weeks, 7.8% over 12 weeks, and 12.6% over one year. The current trend has remained active for 17 consecutive weeks.

Performance by holding period

1W-3.2%
4W-1.1%
12W7.8%
26W15.5%
52W12.6%
Active trend streak17 weeks
Active weeks in one year26
Trend breadth50.0%

Activity pressure vs relative leadership

Activity pressureRelative leadership
Pressure1.46Latest activity-pressure read.
Pressure change23.4%Four-week change in activity pressure.
Leadership2.35Latest relative-leadership reading.
RS change417.0%Four-week change in relative leadership.
04 · Fundamentals and valuation

What investors are paying for—and the quality behind it

The latest factor snapshot indicates quality is middle-of-the-pack; growth ranks weakly; valuation is neither clearly cheap nor expensive.

Open full factor analysis
Factor week 26 Jul 2026 Financial statements through 31 Dec 2025 Field coverage 100% Model confidence 100%

Relative factor standing

Higher display scores are better. Each score is converted from the underlying universe rank, where rank 1 is best.

Overall factor strength76/100Blend of value, momentum, and quality. Underlying universe rank 25; rank 1 is best.
Value72/100Relative valuation strength. Underlying universe rank 29; rank 1 is best.
Quality71/100Profitability and accounting quality. Underlying universe rank 30; rank 1 is best.
Momentum35/100Medium-term price momentum. Underlying universe rank 66; rank 1 is best.
Growth5/100Revenue and earnings growth. Underlying universe rank 96; rank 1 is best.
How to read this

Quality and valuation are separate questions

A strong company can still carry a demanding valuation. This report shows profitability, growth, balance-sheet strength, and the price paid for those characteristics separately.

Value-quality framework36/100Value and quality alignment from the Sharemaestro SVQF framework.

Valuation

How much investors are paying for earnings, sales, and cash flow.

P/E
14.6x
Price divided by trailing earnings.
Price / sales
3.2x
Market value relative to trailing revenue.
EV / EBITDA
16.4x
Enterprise value relative to operating cash earnings.
Free-cash-flow yield
7.6%
Free cash flow as a share of enterprise value.

Business quality

Margins and the return generated on invested capital.

Gross margin
62.7%
Gross profit retained from each unit of revenue.
Operating margin
24.5%
Operating profit retained from revenue.
Free-cash-flow margin
33.7%
Free cash flow generated from revenue.
Return on invested capital
5.0%
Operating return generated on invested capital.

Growth and financial strength

Recent business growth and accounting strength.

Revenue growth
-18.9%
Latest one-year revenue growth.
EPS growth
-17.6%
Latest one-year earnings-per-share growth.
Free-cash-flow growth
-
Latest one-year free-cash-flow growth.
Piotroski F-score
8/9
Nine-point accounting-strength checklist.

Shareholder return and balance sheet

Cash returned to owners and financial leverage.

Dividend yield
3.4%
Cash dividends relative to market value.
Buyback yield
1.6%
Net share repurchases relative to market value.
Shareholder yield
5.0%
Dividend yield plus net buyback yield.
Net debt / EBITDA
4.3x
Balance-sheet debt relative to operating cash earnings.
05 · Ownership, options, and sentiment

What other market participants are doing

Options, insider transactions, market sentiment, and activity-pressure signals can confirm or challenge the price story. None should be used alone.

Options positioningMixed

FRME shows mixed options pressure with a 28/100 conviction score, put-call volume ratio of n/a, expected move of 4.5%, and Sharemaestro trend signal active.

Conviction28/100
Expected move4.5%
Put/call volume
Pressure7
Speculation0
Volatility30
Trend agreement84
Open options detail
Insider activity17 / 3

17 acquisitions and 3 disposals in the latest 180-day insider tape.

Acquisitions / disposals over the latest 180 days. Insider activity is context, not a stand-alone signal.
News sentiment53/100

Weighted news tone is neutral across 58 relevant articles.

14 positive · 39 neutral · 5 negative
Patient CapitalQuiet

Activity-pressure buy-signal evidence highlights potential institutional accumulation windows.

No recent buy signal
06 · Catalysts and risk

What can move the shares—and how volatile the path has been

Event timing, options-implied movement, drawdown, and weekly return distribution frame the risk around the current setup.

Next earnings84dNext report is scheduled for 21 Oct 2026; event risk rises as the date approaches.
Options expected move4.5%Nearest-chain priced movement where available.
52-week drawdown-4.7%Distance below the 52-week high.
13-week volatility3.2%Standard deviation of weekly returns.

Weekly gains and losses

Latest 26 completed weeks

Each bar is one week. Gains rise above the zero line; losses fall below it. Taller bars mean a larger weekly move.

Weeks higher14 of 2611 weeks finished lower.
Best week+7.3%Week of 26 Jun.
Worst week-7.8%Week of 27 Feb.
Latest week-3.2%Week of 24 Jul.

Shape of recent returns

Strong gains6
Modest gains8
Flat weeks1
Modest losses10
Sharp losses1
Recent vol3.2%13-week weekly-return volatility.
Base vol3.4%52-week weekly-return volatility.
Up/down split26/25Count of positive and negative weeks in the 52-week window.
Average skew2.9% / -2.4%Average positive week versus average negative week.
07 · Sector and peer context

Is this stock leading—or simply moving with its group?

Sector and industry breadth distinguish company-specific strength from a broad group move.

08 · Evidence and weekly data

The underlying research record

Every top-level statement above should be traceable to a stored market, fundamental, event, or positioning observation.

Weekly tape70/100

Trend, activity pressure, participation, and risk combine to a 70/100 tape read.

 Indicator analysis58/100

Latest 12-week confirmation: trend 12/12, activity pressure 7/12, relative leadership 2/12.

Activity pressure 0.91; 4 reversal markers Factors64/100

O'Shaughnessy factor stack blends value, quality, momentum, and confidence.

Buyback Yield rank 25; Small Cap Core rank 32 SVQF36/100

Value and quality alignment from the Sharemaestro SVQF framework.

Composite rank 467.0 of 725 Patient CapitalQuiet

Activity-pressure buy-signal evidence highlights potential institutional accumulation windows.

No recent buy signal Options53/100

FRME shows mixed options pressure with a 28/100 conviction score, put-call volume ratio of n/a, expected move of 4.5%, and Sharemaestro trend signal active.

Mixed · Options-market disagreement · Expected move 4.5% Sentiment53/100

Weighted news tone is neutral across 58 relevant articles.

First Financial Bancorp And Two Other Top Dividend Stocks For Your Portfolio Insiders17 / 3

17 acquisitions and 3 disposals in the latest 180-day insider tape.

 Earnings84d

Next report is scheduled for 21 Oct 2026; event risk rises as the date approaches.
WeekCloseReturnTrend LineFair ValuePressureLeadershipVolumeTrend
24 Jul 202643.18 USD-3.2%39.89 USD35.26 USD1.462.353.2MOn
17 Jul 202644.59 USD3.5%39.70 USD35.16 USD1.583.852.4MOn
10 Jul 202643.10 USD-0.8%39.47 USD35.06 USD1.46-3.972.0MOn
3 Jul 202643.44 USD-0.5%39.31 USD34.95 USD1.43-1.831.7MOn
26 Jun 202643.68 USD7.3%39.08 USD34.84 USD1.19-0.743.6MOn
19 Jun 202640.72 USD-3.3%38.82 USD34.72 USD0.65-11.801.7MOn
12 Jun 202642.09 USD5.4%38.65 USD34.61 USD0.31-6.721.5MOn
5 Jun 202639.93 USD0.0%38.43 USD34.51 USD-0.13-9.671.7MOn
29 May 202639.93 USD0.4%38.26 USD34.42 USD-0.30-14.031.3MOn
22 May 202639.77 USD2.7%38.08 USD34.32 USD-0.25-12.301.4MOn
15 May 202638.74 USD-3.2%37.96 USD34.22 USD-0.19-13.931.7MOn
8 May 202640.04 USD-0.0%37.83 USD34.12 USD-0.04-11.791.4MOn
1 May 202640.05 USD2.1%37.67 USD34.01 USD0.08-7.421.7MOn
24 Apr 202639.23 USD-3.8%37.56 USD33.90 USD0.03-8.282.0MOn
How to use this report

This is a completed-week research summary. It explains the available evidence and its conflicts; it does not predict a guaranteed outcome or replace your own risk assessment. Fundamental figures may refer to an earlier financial reporting period, which is shown above.