Company: FRME
Filing Date: 2025-04-01
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000712534-25-000077
Chunk: 5

Company: FIRST MERCHANTS CORP
Filing Date: 2025-04-01
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 5
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 be voted in accordance with your specific instructions given when submitting your proxy. In the absence of specific instructions to the contrary, proxies will be voted FOR election to the Board of all nominees listed in Item 1 of the proxy; FOR approval of the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers; and FOR ratification of the appointment of the firm of Forvis Mazars, LLP ("Forvis") as the Company’s independent auditor for 2025.

If any director-nominee named in this proxy statement becomes unable or declines to serve (an event that we do not anticipate), the persons named as proxies will have discretionary authority to vote for a substitute nominee named by the Board, if the Board determines to fill such nominee’s position.

<div align='center'>II. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT</div>

#### SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
To the best of our knowledge, the following table shows the only beneficial owners of more than 5% of the outstanding FMC common stock as of the Record Date.

| Name and Address                 
 of Beneficial Owners             |     | Amount and Nature       
 of Beneficial Ownership |     | Percent     
 of Class(1) |
| The Vanguard Group               
 100 Vanguard Boulevard           
 Malvern, PA   19355              |     | 6,571,539(2)            |     | 11.22%      |
| BlackRock, Inc.                  
 50 Hudson Yards                  
 New York, NY 10001               |     | 5,176,638(3)            |     | 8.84%       |
| Dimensional Fund Advisors, LP    
 6300 Bee Cave Road, Building One 
 Austin, TX   78746               |     | 3,074,411(4)            |     | 5.25%       |

(1) The percentages are calculated on the basis of 58,534,988 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 20, 2025.

(2) Based solely on The Vanguard Group’s statement on Schedule 13G of beneficial ownership filed on February 13, 2024 with the SEC. The Schedule 13G reports sole dispositive power with respect to 6,451,325 shares, shared dispositive power with respect to 120,214 shares, and shared voting power with respect to 52,617 shares.

(3) Based solely on BlackRock, Inc.’s statement on Schedule