Which Is a Better Investment, Credicorp Ltd. (USA) or First Merchants Corp Stock?

By Jenna Brashear
September 03, 2026
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Sifting through countless of stocks in the Banks industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in First Merchants Corporation or Credicorp Ltd. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how First Merchants Corporation and Credicorp Ltd. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About First Merchants Corporation and Credicorp Ltd.

First Merchants Corporation operates as the financial holding company for First Merchants Bank that provides commercial and consumer banking services. The company offers a range of financial services, including checking, savings, and deposit products; debit and credit cards; mortgages, refinance, construction or renovation of residential properties, agricultural lending, treasury management services and depository products. It also provides personal and commercial wealth management services, brokerage, investment management, private banking, fiduciary estate, and financial planning services. The company operates banking locations in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan counties. It offers its services through electronic and mobile delivery channels. First Merchants Corporation was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Muncie, Indiana.

Credicorp Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking services and products in Peru, Bermuda, Colombia, Bolivia, Panama, Chile, the United States, the Cayman Islands, and Mexico. It operates through Universal Banking; Insurance, Medical Services, and Pensions; Microfinance; and Investment Management and Advisory segments. The company grants various credits and financial instruments to individuals and legal entities; and various deposits and current accounts. It also issues insurance policies to cover losses in commercial property, transport, marine vessels, automobiles, life, health, and pensions; provides medical and health services, as well as management services of private pension funds to the affiliates. In addition, the company is involved in the management of loans, credits, and deposits and checking accounts of the small and microenterprises; provision of brokerage service and investment management services to corporations, institutional investors, governments, and foundations; structuring and placement of issues in the primary market; execution and negotiation of transactions in the secondary market; structures securitization processes for corporate customers; and manages mutual funds. Further, it engages in the provision of custody, trustee, capital markets, asset management, and payment processing services; operates digital platform for e commerce; management and development of digital businesses; and acts as a private pension fund administrator. Credicorp Ltd. was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Lima, Peru.

Latest Banks and First Merchants Corporation, Credicorp Ltd. Stock News

As of September 2, 2026, First Merchants Corporation had a $2.6 billion market capitalization, compared to the Banks median of $750.0 million. First Merchants Corporation’s stock is up 12.3% in 2026, up 1% in the previous five trading days and up 1.04% in the past year.

Currently, First Merchants Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 13.5. First Merchants Corporation’s trailing 12-month revenue is $642.2 million with a 29.0% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 2.8%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $3.863 per share for the current fiscal year. First Merchants Corporation currently has a 3.6% dividend yield.

As of September 2, 2026, Credicorp Ltd. had a $30.1 billion market cap, putting it in the 90th percentile of all stocks. Credicorp Ltd.’s stock is up 33.9% in 2026, up 2.9% in the previous five trading days and up 45.92% in the past year.

Currently, Credicorp Ltd.’s price-earnings ratio is 14.0. Credicorp Ltd.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $6.5 billion with a 33.1% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 16.1%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $29.696 per share for the current fiscal year. Credicorp Ltd. currently has a 13.2% dividend yield.

How We Compare First Merchants Corporation and Credicorp Ltd. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at First Merchants Corporation and Credicorp Ltd.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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First Merchants Corporation and Credicorp Ltd.’s Quality Grades

Company Ticker Quality
First Merchants Corporation FRME F
Credicorp Ltd. BAP F

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

First Merchants Corporation has a Quality Score of 7, which is Very Weak. Credicorp Ltd. has a Quality Score of 5, which is Very Weak.

The Quality Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither First Merchants Corporation or Credicorp Ltd. has a high enough Quality Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if First Merchants Corporation or Credicorp Ltd. is the better investment when it comes to quality.

First Merchants Corporation and Credicorp Ltd.’s Momentum Grades

Company Ticker Momentum
First Merchants Corporation FRME C
Credicorp Ltd. BAP B

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

First Merchants Corporation has a Momentum Score of 43, which is Average. Credicorp Ltd. has a Momentum Score of 77, which is Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: Credicorp Ltd.

As you can clearly see from the Momentum Grade breakdown above, Credicorp Ltd. is considered to have stronger momentum compared to First Merchants Corporation. For those specifically looking for companies that have stronger momentum compared to other companies in the same industry, Credicorp Ltd. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

First Merchants Corporation and Credicorp Ltd.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company Ticker Earnings Estimate
First Merchants Corporation FRME D
Credicorp Ltd. BAP D

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

First Merchants Corporation has a Earnings Estimate Score of 34, which is Negative. Credicorp Ltd. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 40, which is Negative.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither First Merchants Corporation or Credicorp Ltd. has an Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade that could be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if First Merchants Corporation or Credicorp Ltd. is the better investment when it comes to estimate revisions.

Don’t Forget Your Free Special Report on How A+ Grades Can Help You Make Investment Decisions

Other First Merchants Corporation and Credicorp Ltd. Grades

In addition to Estimate Revisions, Momentum and Quality, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Growth.

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Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether First Merchants Corporation and Credicorp Ltd. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, First Merchants Corporation or Credicorp Ltd. Stock?

Overall, First Merchants Corporation stock has a Momentum Score of 43, Estimate Revisions Score of 34 and Quality Score of 7.

Credicorp Ltd. stock has a Momentum Score of 77, Estimate Revisions Score of 40 and Quality Score of 5.

Comparing First Merchants Corporation and Credicorp Ltd.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

Learn More About A+ Investor

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.



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