Which has the lower trailing P/E, CLBK or FRME?

FRME has the lower trailing P/E: CLBK trades at 43.52 and FRME at 12.71. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CLBK or FRME?

Over the past five years, FRME grew revenue faster — CLBK at a 9.43% CAGR versus FRME at 14.59%.

Does CLBK or FRME pay a bigger dividend?

CLBK yields 0.44% and FRME yields 3.67% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CLBK or FRME more profitable?

FRME runs the higher net margin — CLBK at 11.53% versus FRME at 17.08%.

How have CLBK and FRME total returns compared?

Over the past 5 years, CLBK delivered 5.66% and FRME delivered 2.27% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Columbia Financial, Inc. (CLBK) vs First Merchants Corporation (FRME)

A side-by-side comparison of Columbia Financial, Inc. and First Merchants Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 6, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CLBK

Columbia Financial, Inc.

$2.53B

$11.33Financial ServicesDelayed quote: Oct 5, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

FRME

First Merchants Corporation

$2.50B

$39.77Financial ServicesDelayed quote: Oct 5, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — CLBK vs FRME

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 8y

CLBK +62.1% (+6.2%/yr)FRME +23.4% (+2.7%/yr)CLBK compounded faster over this window

CLBK FRME

CLBK vs FRME: by the numbers

•CLBK is the larger company ($2.53B vs $2.50B market cap).
•FRME trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (12.71 vs 43.52 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•FRME converts more revenue to profit (17.08% vs 11.53% net margin).
•FRME grew revenue faster over the past five years (14.59% vs 9.43% CAGR).
•FRME pays the higher dividend yield (3.67% vs 0.44%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CLBK	FRME
P/E ratio	43.52	12.71
Forward P/E	40.64	12.24
PEG ratio	N/A	1.76
P/S ratio	5.02	2.29
P/B ratio	2.12	0.93

Profitability

Metric	CLBK	FRME
Operating margin	11.80%	18.95%
Net margin	11.53%	17.08%
ROE	4.86%	6.89%

Columbia Financial, Inc.: Gross margin is not shown for a lender or insurer: its revenue is interest, premiums and fees rather than the sale of goods, so there is no cost of goods sold to measure it against.

First Merchants Corporation: Gross margin is not shown for a lender or insurer: its revenue is interest, premiums and fees rather than the sale of goods, so there is no cost of goods sold to measure it against.

Dividends

Metric	CLBK	FRME
Dividend yield	0.44%	3.67%
Payout ratio	19.20%	46.65%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CLBK	FRME
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	9.43%	14.59%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-0.39%	7.24%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	5.66%	2.27%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CLBK or FRME?: FRME has the lower trailing P/E: CLBK trades at 43.52 and FRME at 12.71. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CLBK or FRME?: Over the past five years, FRME grew revenue faster — CLBK at a 9.43% CAGR versus FRME at 14.59%.
Does CLBK or FRME pay a bigger dividend?: CLBK yields 0.44% and FRME yields 3.67% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CLBK or FRME more profitable?: FRME runs the higher net margin — CLBK at 11.53% versus FRME at 17.08%.
How have CLBK and FRME total returns compared?: Over the past 5 years, CLBK delivered 5.66% and FRME delivered 2.27% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CLBK analysis Full FRME analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Columbia Financial P/E ratio First Merchants P/E ratio Columbia Financial dividend yield First Merchants dividend yield Columbia Financial ROE First Merchants ROE Columbia Financial operating margin First Merchants operating margin Columbia Financial revenue growth First Merchants revenue growth

Columbia Financial & First Merchants appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Lowest P/E Ratio Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified October 6, 2026.