FIRST MERCHANTS CORP 8-K

What Happened

• First Merchants Corporation (FRME) announced in an 8-K that it received the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's non-objection on January 15, 2026, completing regulatory approvals for its planned merger with First Savings Financial Group, Inc. The companies entered into the Agreement and Plan of Merger on September 24, 2025.
• With prior approvals from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions, and board/shareholder approvals (First Savings’ board on Sept. 24, 2025; First Savings’ shareholders on Dec. 19, 2025; First Merchants’ board on Sept. 22, 2025), the parties expect the merger to become effective as of February 1, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

Key Details

• Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago non-objection received: January 15, 2026.
• Merger Agreement signed: September 24, 2025.
• First Savings shareholders approved the merger: December 19, 2025.
• Expected effective date of the merger: February 1, 2026 (subject to customary closing conditions).

Why It Matters

• The filing confirms that all required regulatory approvals for the merger are in hand, clearing a major regulatory hurdle and moving the transaction to imminent close.
• For investors, this means the planned combination of First Merchants and First Savings is likely to proceed as scheduled, though the effective date remains subject to customary closing conditions. The 8-K also reiterates standard forward-looking statement cautions and that the company is not obligated to update those statements.