News Release Details

First Merchants Corporation Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend

08/12/2005

MUNCIE, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 12, 2005--At its regularly scheduled meeting held on August 9, 2005, the Board of Directors of First Merchants Corporation (Nasdaq:FRME) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.23 per share on its common stock.

The cash dividend is payable September 20, 2005, to stockholders of record September 6, 2005. For purposes of broker trading, the ex-date of the cash dividend is September 1, 2005.

About First Merchants Corporation

First Merchants Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Muncie, Indiana. Subsidiaries of the Corporation include First Merchants Bank, Madison Community Bank, First United Bank, United Communities National Bank, First National Bank, Decatur Bank & Trust Company, Frances Slocum Bank, Lafayette Bank & Trust Company, Commerce National Bank and Merchants Trust Company. The Corporation also operates First Merchants Insurance Services, a full-service property casualty, personal lines, and healthcare insurance agency and is a majority member of Indiana Title Insurance Company, LLC, a title insurance agency.

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

    CONTACT: First Merchants Corporation, Muncie
             Mark K. Hardwick, 765-751-1857
             http://firstmerchants.com

    SOURCE: First Merchants Corporation
  • First Merchants Corporation

    200 East Jackson Street
    P.O. Box 792
    Muncie, IN 47305-2814

    (765) 747-1500

  • Investor Relations Contact

    Nicole M. Weaver
    765.521.7619 or
    800.262.4261, Ext. 47619

    nweaver@firstmerchants.com

  • Shareholder Relations Contact

    Cindy Holaday
    765.741.7278 or
    800.262.4261, Ext. 27278

    shareholderrelations
    @firstmerchants.com

  • Transfer Agent

    Broadridge
    PO Box 1342
    Brentwood, NY 11717-0718
    (888) 401-4448