8-K

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): November 6, 2020

 Commission File Number 0-17071

FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Indiana	35-1544218
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(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)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 (b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.125 stated value per share	FRME	Nasdaq Global Select Market

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 8.01 OTHER EVENTS

On November 6, 2020, First Merchants Corporation issued a press release announcing the declaration of a cash dividend of $0.26 per share. The cash dividend is payable on December 18, 2020 to stockholders of record as of December 4, 2020. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

The information in this Form 8-K and the attached exhibit shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

ITEM 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

(a) Not applicable.

(b) Not applicable.

(c) Not applicable.

(d) Exhibits.

Exhibit 99.1	Press Release dated November 6, 2020 issued 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.

    DATE: November 6, 2020

                        FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION

                        By: /s/ Mark K. Hardwick

                        Mark K. Hardwick

                        Executive Vice President,

Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

EX-99.1

N / E / W / S R / E / L / E / A / S / E

November 6, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:

Nicole M. Weaver, Vice President and Director of Corporate Administration

765-521-7619

http://www.firstmerchants.com

SOURCE: First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ: FRME), Muncie, Indiana

FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION ANNOUNCES CASH DIVIDEND

First Merchants Corporation declared a cash dividend on November 6, 2020 of $0.26 per share. The dividend is payable on December 18, 2020, to shareholders of record as of December 4, 2020. For purposes of broker trading, the ex-date of the cash dividend is December 3, 2020.

About First Merchants Corporation:

First Merchants Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Muncie, Indiana. The Corporation has one full-service bank charter, First Merchants Bank. The Bank also operates as First Merchants Private Wealth Advisors (as a division of First Merchants Bank).

First Merchants Corporation’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market System under the symbol FRME. Quotations are carried in daily newspapers and can be found on the company’s Internet web page (http://www.firstmerchants.com).

FIRST MERCHANTS and the Shield Logo are federally registered trademarks of First Merchants Corporation.

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XML

Document and Entity Information Document	Nov. 06, 2020
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	8-K
Document Period End Date	Nov. 06, 2020
Entity File Number	0-17071
Entity Registrant Name	FIRST MERCHANTS CORP
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	IN
Entity Tax Identification Number	35-1544218
Entity Address, Address Line One	200 East Jackson Street
Entity Address, Address Line Two	P.O. Box 792
Entity Address, City or Town	Muncie
Entity Address, State or Province	IN
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	47305-2814
City Area Code	765
Local Phone Number	747-1500
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, $0.125 stated value per share
Trading Symbol	FRME
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Central Index Key	0000712534
Amendment Flag	false