UNITED STATES
 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
 
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
 
FORM 8-K
 
 
CURRENT REPORT
 
 
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Act of 1934
 
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
May 11, 2007  

 
                          MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC.                             
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)

 
                      Ohio                       
                    0-14902                       
        31-0888197          
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
         Incorporation)
(Commission File Number)
 (IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 
3471 River Hills Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio  
   45244     
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)

 
Registrant's telephone number, including area code
(513) 271-3700  


                                                                                                             
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
 
 
        Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions ( see General Instruction A.2. below):
 
 
[ ]
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)


 
[ ]
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)


 
[ ]
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))


 
[ ]
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



Item 5.03.    Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year .
 
On May 14, 2007, the Registrant filed an amendment (the “Amendment”) to its Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State for the State of Ohio. The Amendment proportionately increased the Registrant’s authorized number of shares of Common Stock, without par value, from 50,000,000 to 71,000,000 .
 
The foregoing description of the Amendment does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amendment, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
 
Item 8.01.    Other Events .
 
On April 19, 2007, Meridian Bioscience, Inc. (the “Company”) announced that its Board of Directors had approved a 3-for-2 stock split of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock (the “Common Stock”) effective May 11, 2007, for shareholders of record on May 4, 2007 (the “Stock Split”).
 
The Company is undertaking to meet the requirements of Rule 416(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, regarding the Registration Statements of the Company on Forms S-8 (File Nos. 333-122554 (2004 Equity Compensation Plan), 333-122002 (Savings and Investment Plan), 333-75312 (1999 Directors’ Stock Option Plan), 333-74825 (1999 Directors’ Stock Option Plan and 1996 Stock Option Plan), 333-18979 (1996 Stock Option Plan) and 033-65443 (1995 Savings and Investment Plan)) and Form S-3 (File No. 333-109139) (collectively, the “Registration Statements”). Under Rule 416(b), if additional securities are issued as a result of a stock split prior to the completion of the distribution of the securities covered by a registration statement, then the additional securities are covered by the registration statement, provided that the registration statement is amended. As discussed, the Company has effected the Stock Split. Pursuant to Rule 416(b), by virtue of this filing, the Registration Statements are deemed to cover the additional shares of common stock that may be sold as a result of the Stock Split.
 
In addition, the following tables present, adjusted to reflect the stock split, the Selected Financial Data from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2006 and earnings per share information for the interim periods in fiscal 2007:
 
Selected Financial Data - Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2006
 
Amounts in thousands, except for per share data
 
Income Statement Information
 
 
    FY 2006      
FY 2005
   
FY 2004
   
FY 2003
   
FY 2002
 
Net sales
 
$
108,413
 
$
92,965
 
$
79,606
 
$
65,864
 
$
59,104
 
Gross profit
   
64,671
   
54,781
   
45,657
   
38,288
   
34,598
 
Operating income
   
26,881
   
20,216
   
14,658
   
12,789
   
9,994
 
Net earnings
   
18,325
   
12,565
   
9,185
   
7,018
   
5,031
 
Basic earnings per share
 
$
0.47
 
$
0.36
 
$
0.27
 
$
0.21
 
$
0.15
 
Diluted earnings per share
 
$
0.46
 
$
0.35
 
$
0.27
 
$
0.21
 
$
0.15
 
Cash dividends declared per share
 
$
0.28
 
$
0.20
 
$
0.17
 
$
0.15
 
$
0.12
 
Book value per share
 
$
2.42
 
$
2.15
 
$
0.98
 
$
0.83
 
$
0.74
 
 

 
Balance Sheet Information
 
   
30-Sep-06
 
30-Sep-05
 
30-Sep-04
 
30-Sep-03
 
30-Sep-02
 
Current assets
 
$
81,169
 
$
70,160
 
$
36,111
 
$
32,561
 
$
30,375
 
Current liabilities
   
20,617
   
19,791
   
16,650
   
15,330
   
15,249
 
Total assets
   
120,955
   
110,569
   
69,322
   
66,420
   
65,095
 
Long-term debt obligations
   
1,803
   
2,684
   
17,093
   
21,505
   
23,626
 
Shareholders' equity
   
94,777
   
83,768
   
32,932
   
27,484
   
24,381
 
 
Earnings Per Share and Cash Dividends Per Share Information - Interim Periods FY 2007
 
   
Three Months Ended
 
   
December 31, 2006
 
December 31, 2005
 
Basic EPS
 
$
0.14
 
$
0.10
 
Diluted EPS
 
$
0.14
 
$
0.10
 
Cash dividends
 
$
0.08
 
$
0.05
 
               
 
 
   
Three Months Ended
 
Six Months Ended
 
   
March 31, 2007
 
March 31, 2006
 
March 31, 2007
 
March 31, 2006
 
Basic EPS
 
$
0.15
 
$
0.12
 
$
0.29
 
$
0.22
 
Diluted EPS
 
$
0.15
 
$
0.12
 
$
0.28
 
$
0.22
 
Cash dividends
 
$
0.11
 
$
0.08
 
$
0.18
 
$
0.13
 
                           

Item 9.01.    Financial Statements and Exhibits.
 
(d)    Exhibits
 
 
3
Certificate of Amendment by the Board of Directors to the Amended Articles of Incorporation of Meridian Bioscience, Inc. dated as of May 4, 2007
 



 
SIGNATURES
 
 
        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 hereunto duly authorized.
 
     
  MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC.
 
  		 
  		 
 
Date:   May 11, 2007 By:   /s/ Melissa Lueke
 
Melissa Lueke
 
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer)
 
 
 


 
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
by the Board of Directors
to the Amended Articles of Incorporation of
MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC.
 
John A. Kraeutler, President, and Melissa A. Lueke, Secretary, of MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC., an Ohio corporation for profit with its principal place of business located at 3741 River Hills Drive, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, do hereby certify that the Board of Directors of said corporation, at a meeting of the Board on April 18, 2007 at which a quorum of the Board was present, proposed and by affirmative vote approved the following amendment to the Amended Articles of Incorporation, as amended, of said corporation, pursuant to Section 1701.80(B)(8) of the Ohio Revised Code:
 
RESOLVED, that the Amended Articles of Incorporation, as amended, in Article Fourth be amended such that subparagraphs A and B shall read as follows:
 
A. 71,000,000 shares of Common Stock, without par value, and
 
B. 1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, without par value.
 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the above named officers, acting for and on behalf of MERIDIAN BIOSCIENCE, INC., have hereto subscribed their names as the 4 th day of May, 2007.
 

 
  		 
  		 
 
     /s/John A. Kraeutler 
 
John A. Kraeutler
  President
 

     /s/Melissa A. Lueke
 
Melissa A. Lueke
  Secretary