FIRST MERCHANTS CORP
10-K/A, 1999-11-05
NATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANKS
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<PAGE>

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D. C. 20549

                                    FORM 10-K/A

                Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1998      Commission file number 0-17071

                          FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION
              (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

          Indiana                                               35-1544218
(State or other jurisdiction of                              (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                              Identification No.)

          200 East Jackson
           Muncie, Indiana                                      47305-2814
(Address of principal executive offices)                        (Zip Code)

        Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (765) 747-1500

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:  None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

         Common Stock, $.125 stated value per share
                    (Title of Class)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required
to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the  preceding 12 months (or for such  shorter  period that the  registrant  was
required  to file  such  reports),  and  (2) has  been  subject  to such  filing
requirements for the past 90 days. Yes [X] No [ ]

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405
of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the
best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this
Form 10-K.  [X]

The aggregate market value (not  necessarily a reliable  indication of the price
at which more than a limited  number of shares  would trade) of the voting stock
held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $231,676,424 as of March 5, 1999.

As of March 5, 1999 there were outstanding 10,072,888 common shares, without par
value, of the registrant.

                       DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

                                                    Part of Form 10-K
      Documents                                  Into Which Incorporated
      ---------                                  -----------------------
1998 Annual Report to Stockholders            Part II (Items 5, 6, 7, 7A, and 8)
Definitive Proxy Statement for
  Annual Meeting of Shareholders
  to be held April 14, 1999                   Part III (Items 10 through 13)


Exhibit Index: Page 26
<PAGE>

                         FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION
                                200 EAST JACKSON
                           MUNCIE, INDIANA 47305-2814




The undersigned registrant hereby amends the following items, financial
statements, exhibits or other portions of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 1998:

                           Exhibits:

23   Consent of independent certified public accountants

99   Annual report on Form 11-K for First Merchants Corporation Employee Stock
     Purchase Plan (1994) and report of Plan's independent public accountants
     with respect to the financial statements

The above amendments are being filed to include the information required by
Form 11-K.

                                                 FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION
                                                       (Registrant)


                                               By      /s/ James L. Thrash
                                                    ---------------------------
                                                           James L. Thrash
                                                     Senior Vice President and
                                                      Chief Financial Officer


Date:  October 27, 1999


                                                                      EXHIBIT 23


               CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS


We consent to the incorporation by reference in a Registration Statement on
Form S-8 (File Number 33-28900) of our report dated September 10, 1999, on the
audit of the financial statements of First Merchants Corporation Employee Stock
Purchase Plan (1994) for the year ended June 30, 1999 included in exhibit 99.


/s/ Olive LLP

Indianapolis, Indiana
October 27, 1999

<PAGE>




                                   EXHIBIT 99


                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 11-K


                   ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                     For the fiscal year ended June 30, 1999


                           FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION
                       EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN (1994)
                            (Full title of the plan)


                           FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION
          (Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the plan)


                             200 East Jackson Street
                              Muncie, Indiana 47305
                     (Address of principal executive office)


<PAGE>

                          INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT

Compensation Committee of the
 Board of Directors
First Merchants Corporation
Muncie, Indiana


We have audited the accompanying statement of financial condition of First
Merchants Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan (1994) as of June 30, 1999
and 1998, and the related statement of income and changes in Plan equity for
each of the three years in the period ended June 30, 1999.  These financial
statements are the responsibility of the Plan's management. Our responsibility
is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in
all material respects, the financial position of First Merchants Corporation
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (1994) as of June 30, 1999 and 1998, and the
results of its operations for each of the three years in the period ended
June 30, 1999, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.


/s/ Olive LLP

Indianapolis, Indiana
September 10, 1999

<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                           FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION
                       EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN (1994)
                        Statement of Financial Condition


June 30                                         1999               1998
- --------------------------------------- ------------------- ------------------
<S>                                           <C>                <C>
Assets
 Investments--interest-bearing deposits       $431,575           $389,613
                                        =================== ==================
Plan Equity                                   $431,575           $389,613
                                        =================== ==================

See notes to financial statements.

</TABLE>

<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                           FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION
                       EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN (1994)
                 Statement of Income and Changes in Plan Equity


Year Ended June 30                                                  1999                1998                 1997
- ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------- -------------------
<S>                                                              <C>                 <C>                   <C>
Investment income--interest                                      $   9,074           $   6,864             $   5,368
Contributions from participants                                    449,852             405,045               303,943
                                                                -------------       -------------         -------------
                                                                   458,926             411,909               309,311
                                                                -------------       -------------         -------------

Withdrawals and terminations paid in cash                           32,578              24,626                17,777
Purchase and distribution of stock                                 384,386             290,913               297,746
                                                                -------------       -------------         -------------
                                                                   416,964             315,539               315,523
                                                                -------------       -------------         -------------

Income (loss) and changes in Plan equity for the year               41,962              96,370                (6,212)

Plan equity at beginning of year                                   389,613             293,243               299,455
                                                                -------------       -------------         -------------

Plan equity at end of year                                        $431,575            $389,613             $ 293,243
                                                                =============       =============         =============


See notes to financial statements.
</TABLE>

<PAGE>


                           FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION
                       EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN (1994)
                          Notes to Financial Statements


NOTE 1 -- SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Organization--The Plan was originally adopted by the Board of Directors of First
Merchants Corporation (the "Corporation") in February 1989, and commenced
operations in July 1989. Effective July 1, 1994, the Plan was amended by the
adoption of the 1994 Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("1994 Plan"). The 1994 Plan
was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation in December 1993 and
approved by Corporation stockholders in March 1994. A total of 253,125 shares of
the Corporation's common stock are to be reserved for issuance pursuant to the
1994 Plan. The purpose of the Plan is to provide eligible employees of the
Corporation and participating subsidiaries the opportunity to purchase
Corporation common stock through annual offerings financed by payroll
deductions.

Investments, consisting of interest-bearing deposit accounts at a subsidiary of
the Corporation, are carried at current value.

NOTE 2 -- GENERAL INFORMATION

The Plan provides for the purchase of up to 253,125 shares of the Corporation's
common stock by eligible employees through a maximum of five offerings of twelve
month durations. Prior to each offering period, eligible employees elect to have
up to 20 percent of their compensation deducted from their pay and accumulated
with interest until the end of that offering period, but not to exceed $25,000
per offering period.

At the end of each offering period, the balance of each participant's payroll
deduction account is applied to the purchase of the largest number of full
shares of the Corporation's common stock possible. The price at which the shares
are deemed to have been purchased is determined by the Compensation Committee of
the Corporation and is equal to 85 percent of the lesser of the fair market
value of the Corporation's common stock at the beginning or at the end of that
offering period. Shares to be purchased under the Plan may be obtained by the
Corporation from its authorized but previously unissued shares, from open market
transactions or from private sources.

In July 1999 and 1998,  the  Corporation  issued  20,870 and 21,706  shares of
its common stock for the offering  period ended June 30, 1999 and 1998, at
$20.24 and $30.44 per share.

At June 30, 1999, the Plan had 250 participants.


NOTE 3 -- INCOME TAX STATUS

The Plan is not and will not be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). The Plan is intended to qualify
as an employee stock purchase plan under Section 423 of the Code. Consequently,
the difference between the purchase price and the fair market value of the stock
purchased under the Plan is not includable in the participant's gross income for
federal income tax purposes, unless a disqualifying distribution occurs.


NOTE 4 -- PLAN AMENDMENT

Effective July 1, 1999, the Plan was amended by the adoption of the 1999
Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("1999 Plan"). The 1999 Plan was adopted by the
Board of Directors of the Corporation in February 1999 and approved by
Corporation stockholders in April 1999. A total of 250,000 shares of the
Corporation's common stock are to be reserved for issuance pursuant to the 1999
Plan. The terms of this plan are similar to the 1994 Employee Stock Purchase
Plan.



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