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FORM 10 - Q SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON , D.C. 20549 × QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the quarterly period ended September 30 , 2021 OR TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the Transition Period from to Commission File Number 0-17071 FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) Title of Each Class Common Stock , $ 0.125 stated value per share Indiana ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) 200 East Jackson Street , Muncie , IN ( Address of principal executive offices ) 35-1544218 ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) 47305-2814 ( Zip code ) ( Registrant's telephone number , including area code ) : ( 765 ) 747-1500 Not Applicable ( Former name , former address and former fiscal year , if changed since last report ) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Trading Symbol ( s ) FRME Name of each exchange on which registered Nasdaq Global Select Market Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . Yes > No ☐ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every interactive data file required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( §232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes ☑ No ◎ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , a smaller reporting company , or an emerging growth company . See the definitions of “ large accelerated filer , " " accelerated filer , ” “ smaller reporting company , " and " emerging growth company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act . Large Accelerated Filer Smaller Reporting Company ☑ Accelerated Filer ☐ Emerging Growth Company ☐ ☐ Non - Accelerated Filer ☐ 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 . Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act ) . Yes ☐ No ☑ As of October 29 , 2021 , there were 53,917,147 outstanding common shares of the registrant . 1