Michigan (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

0-14591 (Commission File Number)

38-1986608 (IRS Employer Identification no.)

111 Lyon Street, N.W. Grand Rapids, Michigan (Address of principal executive offices)

49503 (Zip Code)

                    Old Kent Financial Corporation ("Old Kent") acquired Merchants Bancorp, Inc. ("Merchants"), a holding company with headquarters in Aurora, Illinois, in a transaction that was effective as of February 11, 2000. All outstanding shares of Merchants were converted into Old Kent common stock, except for insignificant cash payments for fractional shares. Old Kent accounted for the acquisition as a pooling-of-interests.

                    ASR 135, as interpreted by SAB 65, indicates that no affiliate of either combining company may reduce its risk relating to its common shareholder position during a period ending when financial results including at least 30 days of post-merger combined operations have been published. This Form 8-K is filed for the purpose of publishing combined operating results to satisfy this provision. The following is condensed, consolidated unaudited statement of the results of operations of Old Kent Financial Corporation and its subsidiaries for the month ended March 31, 2000.

                    Pre-tax income for February 2000 includes $26.1 million of one-time merger related charges. These charges result in a $17.5 million negative impact to net income. Operating results for the one month period ended March 31, 2000, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the three-month period ending March 31, 2000 or the year ending December 31, 2000.

                    The following statement does not include all of the information and the footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. For further information, reference should be made to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in Old Kent Financial Corporation's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999.

	Interest Income			$    120,825
	Interest Expense			61,727
	Net Interest Income			59,098
	Provision for Loan Losses			2,300
	Net Interest Income After Provision			56,798
	Other Income:
		Mortgage Banking Revenues		15,808
		Investment Management & Trust Revenues		7,026
		Deposit Account Revenues		6,434
		Other Income		11,239
	Total Other Income			40,507
	Other Expenses:
		Salary and Benefits Expense		28,724
		Occupancy & Equipment		8,508
		Other Expenses		18,327
	Total Other Expenses			55,559
		Income before Taxes		41,746
		Income Taxes		12,806
		Net income		$      28,940

                    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Dated: April 27, 2000

OLD KENT FINANCIAL CORPORATION        (Registrant) By: /s/ Janet S. Nisbett       Janet S. Nisbett       Senior Vice President and Controller