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

FRMEP has the lower trailing P/E: CLBK trades at 43.52 and FRMEP at 8.07. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CLBK or FRMEP?

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

Does CLBK or FRMEP pay a bigger dividend?

CLBK yields 0.44% and FRMEP yields 7.42% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CLBK or FRMEP more profitable?

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

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

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

FRMEP

First Merchants Corporation

$2.79B

$25.27Financial ServicesDelayed quote: Oct 5, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — CLBK vs FRMEP

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 6y

CLBK +118.0% (+13.9%/yr)FRMEP +56.3% (+7.7%/yr)CLBK compounded faster over this window

CLBK FRMEP

CLBK vs FRMEP: by the numbers

•FRMEP is the larger company ($2.79B vs $2.53B market cap).
•FRMEP trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (8.07 vs 43.52 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•FRMEP converts more revenue to profit (17.08% vs 11.53% net margin).
•FRMEP grew revenue faster over the past five years (14.59% vs 9.43% CAGR).
•FRMEP pays the higher dividend yield (7.42% vs 0.44%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CLBK	FRMEP
P/E ratio	43.52	8.07
Forward P/E	40.64	7.78
PEG ratio	N/A	1.12
P/S ratio	5.02	2.57
P/B ratio	2.12	1.05

Profitability

Metric	CLBK	FRMEP
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	FRMEP
Dividend yield	0.44%	7.42%
Payout ratio	19.20%	59.91%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CLBK	FRMEP
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	9.43%	14.59%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-0.39%	7.24%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	5.66%	5.75%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CLBK or FRMEP?: FRMEP has the lower trailing P/E: CLBK trades at 43.52 and FRMEP at 8.07. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CLBK or FRMEP?: Over the past five years, FRMEP grew revenue faster — CLBK at a 9.43% CAGR versus FRMEP at 14.59%.
Does CLBK or FRMEP pay a bigger dividend?: CLBK yields 0.44% and FRMEP yields 7.42% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CLBK or FRMEP more profitable?: FRMEP runs the higher net margin — CLBK at 11.53% versus FRMEP at 17.08%.

Go deeper

Full CLBK analysis Full FRMEP 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

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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.