FRME Stock and Options Trade Setup — First Merchants Corporation
Nasdaq · Regional Banking (Midwest) · Low options liquidity · Small-mid cap · ~$2.1B
First Merchants is a conservatively managed Midwest community bank with a commercial real estate and agricultural lending focus that has historically produced above-average credit quality through cycles. The Midwest manufacturing renaissance — driven by reshoring, EV supply chain investment, and semiconductor fab construction in Indiana and Ohio — is providing organic commercial loan demand growth that outpaces national peers. Management has executed a series of accretive in-market acquisitions over the past decade that built the current franchise without cultural integration risk. Net interest margin recovery as floating-rate commercial loans reprice higher, combined with a conservative credit culture that avoided the office CRE concentrations that hurt coastal banks, positions FRME well for a return to normalised earnings.
Score History & Signal Changelog
Preview dataThis page is a living document — updated every 72 hours from the last scan. Each data point below represents one complete algorithmic snapshot.
Signal Breakdown
Today's Trade Card
Options Profile
Risks & Fundamentals
Every setup carries risk. Here's what could move FRME against you, plus the key stats that frame any position.
- 1.Agricultural loan credit quality deterioration if Midwest crop prices decline and farm income weakens
- 2.Commercial real estate portfolio stress in secondary Midwest markets if local economic conditions soften
- 3.Deposit competition in the Midwest intensifying if large national banks expand aggressively into the region
FRME Options Setup — Frequently Asked Questions
Is FRME a good options trade today?+
First Merchants Corporation (FRME) currently has an Amora Edge Score of 60/100, ranking it top 35% of today's scan. This composite score is built from four sub-signals — EMA cross, RSI zone, relative strength vs SPY, and volume surge — each scored 0–25. The current read is a bullish setup, so the algorithm is positioned bullish (calls / call debit spreads). A score above 65 typically warrants a trade card with stop and target; below that, the setup is on the watchlist but not actionable.
What is FRME's win rate on Stoptions.ai setups?+
FRME's historical win rate on closed Stoptions setups is 58%. Win rate is calculated as the percentage of past FRME trade cards that hit their target price before stopping out. Win rate is most meaningful once a ticker has 10+ closed trades — individual ticker rates can be noisy at smaller samples. Our portfolio-wide win rate across all closed trades is the more stable benchmark.
What strike and expiry does Stoptions.ai suggest for FRME?+
The strike and expiry are shown on the trade card at the top of this page when the setup is active. Stoptions.ai algorithmically selects strikes targeting delta 0.35–0.45 and expirations 30–45 days out, adjusted for current implied volatility rank (IVR). When IVR is high, the system favors call debit spreads to limit vega risk; when IVR is low, single-leg long calls are preferred. The card includes the contract symbol, mid-price entry, stop, and target.
How often is the FRME setup updated?+
Every 72 hours we refresh FRME's Amora Edge Score and trade card. The underlying scan runs daily at 9:00 AM ET (pre-market) and 9:30 AM ET (post-open), so any new signal change is reflected within one trading session. If FRME drops below the entry threshold or the regime shifts (e.g., SPY enters a confirmed bear), the trade card is replaced with a "no setup" notice automatically.
What does the Amora Edge Score measure for FRME?+
The Amora Edge Score is a 0–100 composite of four technical sub-signals applied to FRME: (1) EMA cross — is the 20-day above the 50-day with both trending up? (2) RSI zone — is momentum in the 50–70 sweet spot, or extended/weak? (3) Relative strength vs SPY — is FRME outperforming the market over 20 sessions? (4) Volume surge — is participation above the 20-day average? Each sub-signal contributes 0–25 points. FRME currently scores 60.
How does FRME compare to other Regional Banking (Midwest) setups?+
FRME's sector rank and percentile against other Regional Banking (Midwest) tickers we track is shown on the /tickers index — sortable by Amora Edge Score, win rate, or sector. For direct comparison, see the "Related Regional Banking (Midwest) Options Setups" panel above. When multiple tickers in the same sector are scoring 80+, the algorithm flags the cluster as a sector rotation signal and may upweight position sizing.
Educational content only — not personalized investment advice. Options carry substantial risk.
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