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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Index to Consolidated Financial Statements of Merchants Bancorp

Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 16, 2017.

Registration No. 333-220623


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549



Amendment No. 1
to
Form S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933



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

Indiana   6022   20-5747400
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
  (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

11555 North Meridian Street, Suite 400
Carmel, Indiana 46032
(317) 569-7420
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)



John F. Macke
Principal Financial Officer
Merchants Bancorp
11555 North Meridian Street, Suite 400
Carmel, Indiana 46032
(317) 569-7420
(Name, address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)



Copies to:

Michael J. Messaglia   Frank M. Conner III
Robert J. Wild   Michael P. Reed
Krieg DeVault LLP   Covington & Burling LLP
One Indiana Square, Suite 2800   One CityCenter
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204   850 Tenth Street, NW
(317) 636-4341   Washington, D.C. 20001
    (202) 662-6000

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box:  o

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" "smaller reporting company" and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer  o   Accelerated filer  o   Non-accelerated filer  ý
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
  Smaller reporting company  o

Emerging growth company  ý

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  o



The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

   


Table of Contents

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the Registration Statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED OCTOBER 16, 2017

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

5,555,555 Shares

LOGO

Common Stock

        This prospectus relates to the initial public offering of Merchants Bancorp. We are a diversified bank holding company headquartered in Carmel, Indiana.

        Prior to this offering, there has been no established public market for our common stock. We anticipate that the public offering price of our common stock will be between $17.00 and $19.00 per share. We have applied to list our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the trading symbol "MBIN."

         Investing in our common stock involves risk. See "Risk Factors" beginning on page 17.

        We are an "emerging growth company" under the federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. See "Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company."

 
  Per Share   Total  

Initial public offering price

  $     $    

Underwriting discounts

             

Proceeds to us, before expenses

             

        We have granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 833,333 shares from us at the initial public offering price, less the underwriting discounts, within 30 days from the date of this prospectus.

         Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other state securities commission nor any other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

         Shares of our common stock are not savings accounts or deposits and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

        The underwriters expect to deliver the shares of our common stock against payment in New York, New York, on or about                , 2017.

Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P.   Stephens Inc.   Raymond James

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey

   

The date of this prospectus is                , 2017.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

About This Prospectus

    ii  

Market And Industry Data

    ii  

Implications Of Being An Emerging Growth Company

    ii  

Prospectus Summary

    1  

Risk Factors

    17  

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    38  

Use Of Proceeds

    40  

Dividend Policy

    41  

Capitalization

    42  

Dilution

    43  

Price Range Of Our Common Stock

    44  

Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data

    45  

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    47  

Management's Discussion And Analysis Of Financial Condition And Results of Operations

    48  

Business

    83  

Supervision And Regulation

    97  

Management

    108  

Executive Compensation

    116  

Certain Relationships And Related Party Transactions

    125  

Security Ownership Of Certain Beneficial Owners And Management

    127  

Description Of Capital Stock

    129  

Shares Eligible For Future Sale

    135  

Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations For Non-U.S. Holders

    137  

Underwriting

    142  

Legal Matters

    147  

Experts

    147  

Where You Can Find More Information

    147  

Index To Consolidated Financial Statements

    F-1  



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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

        You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus that we authorize to be delivered to you. We and the underwriters have not authorized anyone to provide you with different or additional information. We and the underwriters are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

        Unless we state otherwise or the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to "we," "our," "us" or "the Company" refer to Merchants Bancorp, an Indiana corporation, and our consolidated subsidiaries, references to "Merchants Bank" or the "Bank" refer to our banking subsidiary, Merchants Bank of Indiana, an Indiana state chartered bank, references to "P/RMIC" refer to the Bank's subsidiary, P/R Mortgage and Investment Corp., an Indiana corporation, references to "RICHMAC" refer collectively to P/RMIC's subsidiaries, RICHMAC Holdings, LLC, an Indiana limited liability company and RICHMAC Funding, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, references to "NMF" refer to the Bank's subsidiary, Natty Mac Funding, Inc., an Indiana corporation, references to "Midtown West" refer to the Bank's subsidiary, MBI Midtown West, LLC, an Indiana limited liability company, and references to "Ash Realty" refer to the Bank's subsidiary, Ash Realty Holdings, LLC.


MARKET AND INDUSTRY DATA

        Within this prospectus, we reference certain market, industry and demographic data and other statistical information. We have obtained this data and information from various independent, third party industry sources and publications. Nothing in the data or information used or derived from third party sources should be construed as advice. Some data and other information are also based on our good faith estimates, which are derived from our review of internal surveys and independent sources. We believe that these external sources and estimates are reliable, but have not independently verified them. Statements as to our market position are based on market data currently available to us. Although we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the economic, employment, industry and other market data presented herein, these estimates involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on assumptions that are subject to change.


IMPLICATIONS OF BEING AN EMERGING GROWTH COMPANY

        As a company with less than $1.07 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an "emerging growth company" under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the "JOBS Act"). An emerging growth company may take advantage of reduced reporting requirements and is relieved of certain other significant requirements that are otherwise generally applicable to public companies. As an emerging growth company:

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        In this prospectus we have elected to take advantage of the reduced disclosure requirements relating to executive compensation and the number of years of financial information presented, and in the future we may take advantage of any or all of these exemptions for so long as we remain an emerging growth company. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the end of the fiscal year during which we have total annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more, (ii) the end of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.07 billion in non-convertible debt and (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a "large accelerated filer" under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").

        In addition to the relief described above, the JOBS Act permits us an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards affecting public companies. We intend to take advantage of this extended transition period.

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

         This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus and may not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in our common stock. Before making an investment decision you should carefully read the entire prospectus, including the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes that are included herein.

Our Company Overview

        We are a diversified bank holding company headquartered in Carmel, Indiana and registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. We currently operate multiple lines of business with a focus on Federal Housing Administration ("FHA") multi-family housing and healthcare facility financing and servicing, mortgage warehouse financing, retail and correspondent residential mortgage banking, agricultural lending and traditional community banking. As of June 30, 2017, we had $3.1 billion in assets, $2.8 billion of deposits and $226.5 million of shareholders' equity.

        We were founded in 1990 as a mortgage banking company, providing financing for multi-family housing and senior living properties. The shared vision of our founders, Michael Petrie and Randall Rogers, was to create a diversified financial services company, which efficiently operates both nationally through mortgage banking and related services and locally through a community bank. We have grown both organically and through acquisitions focused on expanding our services. We have strategically built our business in a way that we believe offers insulation from cyclical economic and credit swings and may provide us with synergies across our lines of business.

Experienced Board and Management Team

        Our founders, Michael Petrie and Randall Rogers, each have over 38 years of industry experience. Prior to founding Merchants, Mr. Petrie and Mr. Rogers worked together as Merchants Mortgage Corporation, a company founded by Mr. Rogers, with Mr. Rogers as Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Petrie as Executive Vice President.

        In addition to our founders, the other members of our executive management team collectively have, on average, over 27 years of industry experience, each with a diverse and complementary background that is an integral part of our success. Michael Dunlap, the President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Merchants Bank, has primarily been responsible for establishing our warehouse lending platform and Merchants Mortgage, and previously served in senior management and financial roles for several mortgage companies, including as Chief Financial Officer of National City Mortgage. John Macke, our Chief Financial Officer, previously served as Executive Vice President of Capital Markets and as Chief Financial Officer of Stonegate Mortgage Corporation. Scott Evans, President of Merchants Bank's Lynn Market and Co-Chief Operating Officer, has extensive experience in community banking, including as Vice President of The Farmers State Bank for over 10 years, and is primarily responsible for our Banking segment, including our agriculture lending activities. Michael Dury, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of P/RMIC, oversees P/RMIC's strategy and business development for multi-family and healthcare financing activities and since 2010 has originated over $3 billion of multi-family loan volume. For more information on our executive management team, see the "Management" section below in this prospectus. The below table provides a

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summary of our executive management team and reflects each member's respective current ownership of our common stock as of October 12, 2017.

Name
  Title   Age   Years in
Financial Services
  Years with
the Company
  Ownership  

Michael F. Petrie

  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Merchants and Merchants Bank     63     38     27     46.53 % (1)

Randall D. Rogers

 

President and Chief Operating Officer of Merchants, Vice Chairman of Merchants Bank

   
71
   
48
   
27
   
44.84

% (2)

Michael J. Dunlap

 

President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Merchants Bank

   
51
   
25
   
8
   
*
 

John F. Macke

 

Chief Financial Officer of Merchants and Merchants Bank

   
52
   
25
   
0
   
 

Michael R. Dury

 

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of P/RMIC

   
32
   
10
   
10
   
*
 

Scott A. Evans

 

Lynn Market President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Merchants Bank

   
52
   
28
   
13
   
*
 

Susan D. Kucer

 

Indianapolis Market President of Merchants Bank

   
62
   
35
   
2
   
 

Jerry F. Koors

 

President of Merchants Mortgage

   
53
   
26
   
4
   
*
 

Richard L. Belser

 

Senior Vice President and Senior Credit Officer of Merchants Bank

   
66
   
43
   
10
   
 

Bill D. Buchanan

 

Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of Merchants and Merchants Bank

   
59
   
29
   
3
   
*
 

Kevin T. Langford

 

Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Merchants Bank

   
49
   
27
   
1
   
 

TOTAL

               
91.57

% (3)

AVERAGE

   
30.36
   
9.55
       

*
denotes less than 1%

(1)
Includes 38.58% beneficially owned by Mr. Petrie's wife, Jody J. Petrie. See "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management" for additional information.

(2)
Includes 43.59% beneficially owned by Mr. Rogers' wife, Mary H. Rogers. See "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management" for additional information.

(3)
Includes 82.17% beneficially owned by Mr. Petrie's or Mr. Rogers' wives as described in (1) and (2) above.

        Upon the closing of this offering, Messrs. Petrie and Rogers, together with their families, will hold approximately 73.97% of our outstanding common stock. Therefore, Messrs. Petrie and Rogers, together with their families, will have the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted to our shareholders for approval, including the election or removal of directors and the amendment of our articles of incorporation, along with approval of significant transactions. This control position may conflict with the interests of some or all of our other shareholders. In addition, Messrs. Petrie and Rogers, together with their families, own approximately 24.02% of our outstanding 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock.

        Our five non-executive directors are all successful business owners, professionals or senior executives with long-standing ties to their communities. The collective professional background of our

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directors provides us with valuable insights into the business and banking needs of our customer base. After the completion of this offering, our five non-executive directors and their affiliated entities, collectively, are expected to own approximately 0.15% of our outstanding common stock.

Our Growth

        Since our acquisition of Merchants Bank (formerly known as Greensfork Township State Bank), with assets of $6.7 million in March 2002, we have achieved significant growth in many of our key financial performance categories. During this period, we have maintained an acute focus on building profitable and complementary business lines that provide for insulation from cyclical swings and create synergies within our lines of business that give us competitive advantages. Since December 31, 2012, we have seen significant growth in our total assets, total gross loans and total deposits. Between December 31, 2012 and June 30, 2017, our total assets have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 30.4%, from $936 million to $3.1 billion, and we increased total gross loans (including loans held for investment and loans held for sale) at a compound annual growth rate of 32.3%, from $583 million to $2.1 billion. We have funded our growth during this period, in large part, through a substantial increase in deposits, which we have increased from $815 million to $2.8 billion, a compound annual growth rate of 31.3%.

        Our growth thus far is due primarily to the consistent production and efficiency of P/RMIC and the scalable growth of our warehouse lending line of business. P/RMIC has grown the unpaid principal balance of its servicing portfolio from $2.8 billion as of December 31, 2012 to $6.2 billion as of June 30, 2017, while our warehouse lending funded volumes have grown from $8.3 billion in 2012 to $24.8 billion in 2016. Over the same period of time we have experienced low levels of non-performing assets and charge-offs, driven principally by the nature of our lending business and our focus on originating assets with favorable risk profiles.

Total Assets
($ in Millions)
  Total Gross Loans
($ in Millions)
  Total Deposits
($ in Millions)

GRAPHIC

 

GRAPHIC

 

GRAPHIC
Nonperforming Assets / Total Assets   Net Charge-offs / Average Loans

GRAPHIC

 

GRAPHIC

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        During every period since January 1, 2012, as shown in the chart below, we have maintained a return on average assets above 1.23%, a return on average tangible common equity over 19%, and an efficiency ratio under 33%. We were able to achieve these metrics despite historically earning a lower net interest rate margin than most banks, which is caused by originating low risk, shorter-term assets.

Return on Average
Assets (1)
  Return on Average
Tangible Common Equity (1)

GRAPHIC

 

GRAPHIC
Efficiency Ratio   Net Interest Margin

GRAPHIC

 

GRAPHIC

(1)
In 2014, for federal income tax purposes, we converted from a Subchapter S corporation to a C corporation. The 2012 and 2013 performance metrics reflect adjustments to net income to enhance comparability with subsequent years. Specifically, for 2012 and 2013, we adjusted net income for pro-forma federal and state corporate income tax expenses to which we were subject following our conversion to a C corporation, using an assumed income tax rate of 40%. Net income also was adjusted for 2014 to reverse the charge we recorded for the conversion of deferred tax liabilities in connection with our conversion from a Subchapter S to C corporation. These pro-forma net income metrics are non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for additional discussion regarding pro-forma net income and a reconciliation of this metric to net income.

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Our Corporate Structure

        We have multiple lines of business and provide various banking and financial services through our subsidiaries as follows:

    P/R Mortgage & Investment Corp. (a subsidiary of Merchants Bank)

    Multi-Family Rental Housing

    Healthcare Financing

    Servicing and Subservicing

    RICHMAC Funding, LLC (a subsidiary of P/RMIC)

    Multi-Family Rental Housing

    Merchants Bank of Indiana

    Warehouse Financing and Loan Participations

    Commercial Lending

    Retail Banking

    SBA Small Business Loan Programs

    Agricultural Lending

    Merchants Mortgage

    Single-Family Mortgage Lending

    Correspondent Mortgage Banking

    Natty Mac Funding, Inc. (a subsidiary of Merchants Bank)

    Warehouse Financing and Loan Participations

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GRAPHIC

P/RMIC: Multi-Family Rental Housing, Healthcare Financing and Servicing

        P/RMIC is primarily engaged in mortgage banking, specializing in originating and servicing loans for multi-family rental housing and healthcare facility financing, particularly for senior living properties.

        P/RMIC originated $1.2 billion in loans during 2016 and $906 million during the six months ended June 30, 2017. P/RMIC primarily originates FHA loans that are sold as Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae") mortgage backed securities within approximately 30 days. The loans are sold and the mortgage servicing rights are retained. Other originations include bridge and permanent financing that are referred to the Banking segment. These loans eventually become permanent FHA financings by P/RMIC. In addition to the $1.2 billion originated directly by P/RMIC, we also funded loans brought to us by non-affiliated entities. As of June 30, 2017, P/RMIC's servicing portfolio totaled $6.2 billion, which includes both owned and subserviced loans.

        We generated approximately $22.6 and $23.0 million, or 41.9% and 27.9%, of net revenue (net interest income plus non-interest income) from our Multi-family Mortgage Banking segment for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and year ended December 31, 2016, respectively.

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RICHMAC Funding, LLC

        In August 2017, P/RMIC acquired RICHMAC Funding, LLC, a national multi-family housing mortgage lender, to complement and expand the products and services offered by P/RMIC.

MERCHANTS BANK

Warehouse Financing and Loan Participations

        Merchants Bank started our warehouse lending business in 2009 as a result of dislocation in the market. Merchants Bank currently has warehouse lines of credit and loan participations with some of the largest non-depository financial institutions in the country. As of June 30, 2017, Merchants Bank and NMF had $1.2 billion in loans outstanding from warehouse lines for credit to single and multi-family lenders and loan participations. We generated approximately $17.7 and $35.3 million, or 32.9% and 42.8%, of net revenue (net interest income plus non-interest income) from our Mortgage Warehousing segment for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and year ended December 31, 2016, respectively.

Commercial Lending and Retail Banking

        Merchants Bank operates under an Indiana charter and provides full banking services. Merchants Bank has five depository branches located in Carmel, Indianapolis and Lynn, Indiana. Merchants Bank holds loans in its portfolio comprised of multi-family construction and bridge loans referred by P/RMIC, owner occupied commercial real estate loans, commercial & industrial loans, agricultural loans, residential mortgage loans and consumer loans. Merchants Bank receives deposits from customers located primarily in Hamilton, Marion, Randolph and surrounding counties in Indiana and from the escrows generated by the servicing activities of P/RMIC.

SBA Lending

        Merchants Bank participates in the Small Business Administration's ("SBA") 7(a) program in order to meet the needs of our small business community, and help diversify our retail revenue stream. We originate and service, as well as sell the guaranteed portion of these loans. As of June 30, 2017, Merchants Bank had originated $4.5 million in SBA 7(a) loans in Marion and Hamilton counties in Central Indiana since our participation in this program.

        The SBA's 7(a) program provides up to a 75% guaranty for loans greater than $150,000. For loans $150,000 or less, the program provides up to an 85% guaranty. The maximum 7(a) loan amount is $5 million. The guaranty is conditional and covers a portion of the risk of payment default by the borrower, but not the risk of improper closing and servicing by the lender. As such, prudent underwriting and closing processes are essential to effective utilization of the 7(a) program. We typically sell in the secondary market the SBA-guaranteed portion (generally 75% of the principal balance) of the loans we originate.

Agricultural Lending

        Merchants Bank has a division ("MBI-Lynn") located in Lynn, Randolph County, Indiana with its primary business function to provide agricultural loans within its designated Community Reinvestment Act ("CRA") area of Randolph and Wayne counties in Eastern Indiana and nearby Darke County, Ohio. Merchants Bank offers operating lines of credit for crop and livestock production, intermediate term financing to purchase equipment and breeding livestock and long-term financing to purchase agricultural real estate. As of June 30, 2017, of the $66.4 million of agricultural loans in our portfolio, including undisbursed funds of $4.3 million, 48.2% have a Farm Service Agency ("FSA") 90% guarantee. Merchants Bank is approved to sell agricultural loans in the secondary market through the

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Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation ("Farmer Mac") and uses this relationship to manage interest rate risk within the agricultural loan portfolio. As of June 30, 2017, Merchants Bank sold agricultural loans with an aggregate principal balance of $13.5 million to Farmer Mac without recourse. Merchants Bank has written off less than $25 thousand in loan loss in its agricultural loan portfolio since December 31, 2004.

MERCHANTS MORTGAGE: Single Family Mortgage Lending, Correspondent Lending and Servicing

        Merchants Mortgage is the branded arm and division of Merchants Bank that is a full service single-family mortgage origination and servicing platform started in February 2013. Merchants Mortgage is both a retail and correspondent mortgage lender. Merchants Mortgage offers agency eligible, jumbo fixed and hybrid adjustable rate mortgages for purchase or refinancing. Other products include construction, bridge and lot financing and home equity lines of credit ("HELOC"), including the All-in-One product, which links a customer's checking account balance to a first lien HELOC. Merchants Mortgage generates revenues from fees charged to borrowers, interest income during the warehouse period, and gain on sale of loan to investors. There are multiple investor outlets, including direct sale capability to Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"), Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (the "FHLBI"), and other third-party investors to allow Merchants Mortgage a best execution at sale. Merchants Mortgage also originates loans held for investment and earns interest income over the life of the loan.

NMF: Warehouse Financing and Loan Participations

        Through NMF we engage in loan participations and warehouse financing with Home Point Financial Corporation ("Home Point") and its subsidiaries and correspondent customers. NMF was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Merchants Bank in 2014. We entered into a Revolving Loan and Subordinated Loan Agreement whereby Home Point invested $30 million in our subordinated debt. In turn, we invested the proceeds into Merchants Bank and then to NMF. NMF provides $300 million of lending capacity to Home Point and its subsidiaries and correspondent customers. We earn net interest income and use Home Point custodial deposits to fund the loans.

MIDTOWN WEST

        MBI Midtown owns land upon which we expect to build our new corporate headquarters building in Carmel, Indiana.

ASH REALTY

        Ash Realty holds assets acquired through, or in lieu of, loan foreclosures. At June 30, 2017, there were no assets held in Ash Realty.

ARCLINE FINANCIAL, LLC

        Merchants owns 30% of Arcline Financial, LLC ("Arcline") and is accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Arcline processes warehouse and correspondent lending transactions, including on behalf of Merchants Bank.

Our Strategic Plan

        Our strategic plan focuses on continuing to grow complementary business lines that will provide a diverse and stable revenue platform and create a balance between interest and non-interest income. Our strategic plan reflects our belief that our mortgage business and community banking structure

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complement one another by creating important operational and revenue synergies. Our strategic plan includes five initiatives:

    maintain and grow complementary and diversified business lines;

    develop deep customer relationships;

    execute prudent acquisitions in strategic areas;

    hire experienced and talented personnel while developing talented personnel from within our organization; and

    maintain a low risk profile through strong enterprise-wide risk management.

        We have achieved our recent growth through focused and sustained execution of these initiatives, and we believe that we have an experienced management team in place that will allow us to continue this success.

Our Competitive Strengths

        We believe our competitive strengths set us apart from many similarly sized community banks and mortgage banking companies, and include the following key attributes:

        Diversified business lines within our mortgage banking business.     Our primary business lines within our mortgage banking business are complementary and provide a diverse and stable source of revenue. Our subsidiaries and divisions are integrated and offer opportunities for operational and revenue synergies. For example, Merchants Bank provides short-term lending support for P/RMIC originations in the form of bridge or construction financing. P/RMIC, in turn, deposits custodial escrow servicing accounts at Merchants Bank, which can be invested in securities and pledged to the FHLBI for additional funding capacity. Although we are exposed to the systemic risk in the mortgage market and the economy as a whole, our performance is not directly correlated with mortgage origination volumes. For example, for the year ended December 31, 2016, our mortgage warehouse lending funding volumes increased by 23%, while the mortgage market as a whole increased by 13%. In addition, for the six months ended June 30, 2017 our mortgage warehouse lending volumes increased 4.3% compared to the six months ended June 30, 2016, while the mortgage market as a whole decreased by 4.2% (based on market volumes from Mortgage Bankers Association of America). We largely attribute our ability to succeed under various market conditions to our low efficiency ratio, which is mainly a result of our variable cost operating model, and our balanced presence in single and multi-family finance. In rising rate environments, single family mortgage origination volumes may fall, however this should be offset through increased net interest margin. Additionally, as market interest rates rise, originations for multi-family housing may decrease, but the value of our servicing asset increases due to a lesser expectation of prepayment. In falling rate environments, we may expect to see increased gain on sale income from purchase and refinance originations in both the single and multi-family mortgage markets to offset a potential decrease in the value of our servicing asset due to higher prepayments. Thus, Merchants Mortgage's position in the single-family and P/RMIC's position in multi-family housing sector offers us an alternative against variability in the mortgage industry.

        Stable source of non-interest income reduces risks associated with changes in interest rates.     Just as we strive to have diversification within our business lines, we also strive to maintain a complementary and diversified revenue model. We believe that this balanced revenue stream approach can help minimize volatility in our earnings through various economic and interest rate cycles. As a result, we do not have an undue reliance on one source of income, such as net interest income, which can be materially affected by changes in interest rates, or non-interest income, which can be materially affected by reductions in mortgage volumes. Historically, P/RMIC earned fees and servicing income (non-interest income) that greatly outweighed the interest income earned by Merchants Bank. We recognize our

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reliance on this revenue stream and have implemented strategies to augment the revenue. Since 2012, we have increased our portfolio of loans held for investment to balance our income and to reduce our reliance on a single source of income.

 
  For the
Six Months
Ended June 30,
  For the Year Ended December 31,  
(Dollars in thousands)
  2017   2016   2016   2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  (unaudited)
   
   
   
   
   
 

Net Interest Income

  $ 29,255   $ 23,819   $ 53,971   $ 42,055   $ 30,630   $ 25,708   $ 20,710  

Non-Interest Income

    24,717     9,951     28,504     27,008     20,263     27,284     36,121  

Revenue

  $ 53,972   $ 33,770   $ 82,475   $ 69,063   $ 50,893   $ 52,992   $ 56,831  

Net Interest Income / Revenue

    54 %   71 %   65 %   61 %   60 %   49 %   36 %

Non-Interest Income / Revenue

    46 %   29 %   35 %   39 %   40 %   51 %   64 %

        Low cost and stable source of funds.     Merchants Bank funds its loans, including its participation agreements and warehouse lines of credit, using funds generated primarily from mortgage related custodial deposits. Merchants Bank's cost of total deposits was 0.70% for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and its total cost of funds was 0.98% for the six months ended June 30, 2017. Custodial funds come from Merchants Bank's non-depository financial institution clients, such as servicing related escrow deposits for insurance and property taxes. These deposits are stable because the sources of the deposits have significant borrowing relationships with Merchants Bank that it expects will continue. Merchants Bank may elect not to participate or fund loans in the event these customers decide to remove the deposits, thus we can better manage our assets with our liabilities. Merchants Bank also uses brokered deposits as a source of funding to make up for any funding gap with warehouse volumes or timing of mortgage custodial remittances. These deposits are short term and typically have maturities of up to three months to match the temporarily higher volumes in warehouse volumes and custodial remittances. Further, in the event Merchants Bank's deposits were insufficient to meet its customers' borrowing needs, Merchants Bank has available liquidity through cash reserves and available borrowing capacity of $386.4 million through the FHLBI as of June 30, 2017.

        Sophisticated risk management platform.     Our largest source of interest income is Merchants Bank's warehouse financing business, which we have structured to minimize risk. Merchants Bank underwrites mortgage companies ("lenders") prior to entering into a warehouse lending agreement. Merchants Bank uses two different arrangements to fund agency eligible, government insured or guaranteed, or jumbo residential mortgage loans secured by mortgages placed on existing one-to-four family dwellings. The majority of our loans are funded under a participation agreement whereby Merchants Bank elects to purchase a participation interest of up to 100% in individual loans and shares proportionately in the interest income until the loan is sold in the secondary market. Merchants Bank also will fund loans under a warehouse line of credit as a secured financing. The warehouse arrangement is secured by a combination of the funded mortgage loans, cash deposits and personal guarantees of the originating lender, and Merchants Bank's initial disbursement of less than 100% of the loan amount. Merchants Bank's risk mitigation procedures include possession of collateral until the loan is sold and Merchants Bank directly receives the proceeds from the secondary market investor. In addition, prior to funding Merchants Bank reviews each loan to confirm its agency eligibility status and uses vendors to further validate loans as well as to hold the collateral securing the loan. Loans typically are sold by lenders to a third-party investor within approximately 20 days of funding, allowing Merchants Bank to minimize its risk that a loan will default prior to sale. The lenders sell most of these loans individually or through government sponsored entities ("GSEs") ( i.e. , Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae) mortgage backed securities programs to large financial institutions or to GSEs, as the end investors. This relatively short turnover time is also part of what keeps our balance sheet assets repricing to the current rate environment and helps us manage interest rate risk, as discussed below.

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        Minimizing interest rate exposure.     We believe that we appropriately minimize the potential for risk in our investment and loan portfolios, including risks associated with an increase in interest rates given the structure and composition of these portfolios. Our securities portfolio consists primarily of callable, government-backed securities with maturities of two years or less, all of which are available for sale. Our loan portfolio is comprised predominantly of variable interest rates or short maturities, which allows the interest rates to change with the market. As of June 30, 2017, 78.7% of Merchants Bank's assets reprice in less than 90 days. In our multi-family financing business, the vast majority of loans are sold into the secondary market with P/RMIC retaining servicing rights. P/RMIC also avoids "locking in" interest rates significantly in advance of loan closings, which further minimizes interest rate risk prior to closing of the loans.

        Innovative mortgage warehouse lending platform.     We believe that Merchants Bank has an innovative warehouse lending platform that may be considered an industry leader. We have the capability to fully fund electronic mortgages through our E-Note program, one of only seven lenders in the country approved by Freddie Mac to offer this solution. We are highly responsive to our customers' needs by offering mortgage servicing rights ("MSRs") and operating lines of credit selectively to warehouse lending customers. The lines of credit secured by MSR's lead to the potential for additional deposits as the customer increases its servicing portfolio. In addition, customer service is especially important in the warehouse lending business because customers need to be able to rely, with confidence, on a readily accessible, stable source of funds given the timing realities of meeting and honoring mortgage loan closings or purchases. We believe that our mortgage banking expertise and experience, size and low overhead costs permit us to be responsive to customers on a level that many larger banks are unable to match. These factors contribute to Merchants Bank providing warehouse facilities to some of the leading non-depository institutions in the country.

Recent Acquisition

        RICHMAC Funding, LLC.     We entered into a Member Interests Purchase Agreement dated June 26, 2017, to acquire 100% of the equity interests of RICHMAC Funding, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. We closed the acquisition on August 15, 2017, and issued 383,271 shares of our common stock in exchange for 100% of the equity interests of RICHMAC. The acquisition is expected to allow P/RMIC through RICHMAC to operate as a Fannie Mae Affordable Lender and a Freddie Mac Targeted Affordable Housing (TAH) Seller/Servicer. In addition, we acquired a Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac servicing portfolio as part of the transaction. The acquisition is expected to provide additional product offerings, such as the Freddie Mac Bridge to Resyndication and the Fannie Mae Tax Exempt Bond Credit Enhancement, to current customers as well as broaden the origination network into attractive markets where we do not currently have a presence. RICHMAC currently operates principally in Minneapolis, Minnesota and New York, New York.

Pending Acquisition

        Joy State Bank.     On October 31, 2016, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger to acquire Joy State Bank, an Illinois chartered bank located in Joy, Illinois. Since the timing and approval of the transaction was uncertain due to our capital position at September 30, 2016, on December 22, 2016 the Agreement and Plan of Merger was amended and the parties agreed that Michael Petrie and Randall Rogers, two of our directors and executive officers, would acquire Joy State Bank. The acquisition of Joy State Bank by Messrs. Petrie and Rogers received appropriate regulatory approvals and closed on April 3, 2017. On May 8, 2017, we entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with Messrs. Petrie and Rogers to acquire Joy State Bank. The acquisition is expected to provide access to the Mortgage Partnership Finance (MPF) Program, an attractive program offered through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago which Merchants Bank, as an Indiana chartered state bank, cannot access. We have agreed to pay a purchase price of approximately $5.4 million plus $16,403 for

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each 30 days after June 30, 2017, prorated to the closing date. The purchase price is equal to the price paid by Messrs. Petrie and Rogers, plus expenses and a cost of funds equal to 3.75%. The acquisition has been approved by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, but remains subject to the approval of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Banking. We expect to close this acquisition in the first quarter of 2018.

2017 Third Quarter Update

        We are currently in the process of preparing our consolidated financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017 and, therefore, our actual results for that period are not yet available and are subject to change. However, based on our expectations, our 2017 third quarter net income will increase over our 2017 first quarter net income of $9.1 million but will be less than our 2017 second quarter net income of $14.8 million. Investors should look at our financial results on an annual basis and not necessarily on a quarterly basis. Our quarterly results tend to exhibit some level of variability, particularly related to non-interest income. Various factors impact our non-interest income resulting in net income being higher or lower from quarter-to-quarter. Our pro-forma return on average assets and pro-forma return on average tangible common equity have ranged from 1.24% to 2.89% and 19.86% to 34.96%, from 2012 through the latest twelve months ended June 30, 2017, respectively, see "Summary Historical Consolidated Data" and "Selected Historical Consolidated Data."

Risks Relating to Our Company

        Our ability to implement our strategic plan and the success of our business are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which are discussed in the section titled "Risk Factors," beginning on page 17, and include, but are not limited to, the following:

    decreased residential and multi-family mortgage origination, volume and pricing decisions of competitors, and changes in interest rates, may adversely affect our profitability;

    our mortgage banking profitability could significantly decline if we are not able to originate and resell a high volume of mortgage loans;

    fluctuations in interest rates may reduce net interest income and otherwise negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations;

    because a significant portion of our loan portfolio is comprised of real estate loans, negative changes in the economy affecting real estate values and liquidity could impair the value of collateral securing our real estate loans and result in loan and other losses; and

    liquidity risks could affect operations and jeopardize our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Corporate Information

        Our principal executive offices are located at 11555 North Meridian Street, Suite 400, Carmel, Indiana 46032, and our telephone number at that address is (317) 569-7420. Our website address is www.merchantsbankofindiana.com. The information contained on our website is not a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus.

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THE OFFERING

Common stock offered by us

  5,555,555 shares

Underwriters' option to purchase additional shares of our common stock

 

833,333 shares

Common stock outstanding after completion of this offering

 

27,053,222 shares (or 27,886,555 shares if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of our common stock).

Use of proceeds

 

Assuming an initial public offering price of $18.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, the net proceeds to us from this offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses, will be approximately $92.2 million (or approximately $106.3 million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full). We intend to contribute $86.4 million of the net proceeds that we receive from this offering to Merchants Bank to support balance sheet growth, and to use the remainder for general corporate purposes, which could include future acquisitions and other growth initiatives. We also intend to use approximately $5.8 million to complete the pending acquisition of Joy State Bank. See "Use of Proceeds" and "Business—Pending Acquisition—Joy State Bank."

Dividends

 

It has been our policy to pay quarterly dividends to holders of our common stock, and we intend to generally maintain our current dividend levels. Our dividend policy and practice may change in the future, however, and our board of directors may change or eliminate the payment of future dividends at its discretion, without notice to our shareholders. Any future determination to pay dividends to holders of our common stock will depend on our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, banking regulations, payment of dividends on our preferred stock, contractual restrictions and any other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. See "Dividend Policy."

Nasdaq listing

 

We have applied to list our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the trading symbol "MBIN."

Risk factors

 

Investing in shares of our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See "Risk Factors" beginning on page 17 for a discussion of certain factors you should consider carefully before deciding to invest.

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Directed Share Program

 

At our request, the underwriters have reserved for sale, at the initial public offering price, up to 277,777 shares of the common stock being offered by this prospectus, to our directors, officers, employees and other individuals that have a business relationship with us, including current shareholders and customers, and their family members who have expressed an interest in purchasing our common stock in this offering. See "Underwriting."

        Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus relating to the number of shares of common stock to be outstanding immediately after the completion of this offering is based on 21,497,667 shares outstanding as of October 12, 2017, as adjusted for the 2.5 for 1 stock split that was effective July 6, 2017, and:

    excludes 17,910 shares of unvested restricted stock (as adjusted for the 2.5 for 1 stock split that was effective July 6, 2017); and

    excludes 1,500,000 shares of common stock available for future awards under our 2017 Equity Incentive Plan.

        Except as otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus:

    assumes an initial public offering of $18.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus;

    assumes no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares of our common stock; and

    assumes that all shares reserved under the Directed Share Program are purchased.

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SUMMARY HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

        The following table sets forth our summary historical consolidated financial data as of the dates and for the periods shown. The summary balance sheet data as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 and the summary income statement data for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. We have derived the summary historical consolidated financial data as of and for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 from our audited financial statements not included in this prospectus. The summary consolidated financial data as of June 30, 2017 and for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 is derived from our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus and includes all normal and recurring adjustments that we consider necessary for a fair presentation. Operating results for the six months ended June 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017.

        You should read the following financial data in conjunction with the other information contained in this prospectus, including "Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and in the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 
  At or for the Six
Months Ended June 30,
  At or for the Year Ended December 31,    
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
  2017   2016   2016   2015   2014   2013   2012    
 
  (unaudited)
   
   
   
   
   
   

Balance Sheet Data

                                             

Total Assets

  $ 3,091,500   $ 2,506,974   $ 2,718,512   $ 2,269,442   $ 1,793,008   $ 1,179,791   $ 936,172    

Loans held for investment

    1,070,866     872,292     941,796     762,212     447,614     266,092     217,073    

Allowance for loan losses

    (6,865 )   (5,902 )   (6,250 )   (5,422 )   (4,458 )   (3,295 )   (2,854 )  

Loans held for sale

    983,420     818,404     764,503     620,583     736,667     542,571     365,444    

Deposits

    2,771,501     2,247,621     2,428,621     2,039,520     1,610,719     1,054,304     815,418    

Total liabilities

    2,864,987     2,329,701     2,512,224     2,121,242     1,682,872     1,060,976     841,864    

Total shareholder's equity

    226,513     177,273     206,288     148,200     110,137     118,814     94,308    

Tangible common equity

    184,409     148,226     164,184     137,677     109,614     118,291     93,785    

Income Statement Data

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

 

Interest Income

  $ 41,471   $ 32,421   $ 72,939   $ 56,345   $ 39,554   $ 31,659   $ 25,764    

Interest Expense

    12,216     8,602     18,968     14,290     8,924     5,951     5,054    

Net interest income

    29,255     23,819     53,971     42,055     30,630     25,708     20,710    

Provision for loan losses

    480     480     960     960     1,215     720     1,270    

Noninterest income

    24,717     9,951     28,504     27,008     20,263     27,284     36,121    

Noninterest expense

    14,902     12,163     26,720     20,922     15,796     13,328     12,504    

Income before taxes

    38,590     21,127     54,795     47,181     33,882     38,944     43,057    

Provision for income taxes

    14,702     8,353     21,668     18,798     30,079            

Net income, as previously reported

    23,888     12,774     33,127     28,383     3,803     38,944     43,057    

Non-GAAP Reconciliation:

                                             

Pro-forma adjustments:

                                             

Add back of tax effect of S Corp to C Corp conversion

                    16,431 (1)          

Less provision for income taxes

                        15,578 (2)   17,223 (2)  

Pro-forma net income

    23,888     12,774     33,127     28,383     20,234     23,366     25,834    

Preferred stock dividends

    1,665     407     2,002                    

Pro-forma net income available to common shareholders

  $ 22,223   $ 12,367   $ 31,125   $ 28,383   $ 20,234   $ 23,366   $ 25,834    

Credit Quality Data

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

 

Nonperforming loans

  $ 3,219   $ 2,195   $ 1,887   $ 887   $ 815   $ 490   $ 1,451    

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  At or for the Six
Months Ended June 30,
  At or for the Year Ended December 31,    
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
  2017   2016   2016   2015   2014   2013   2012    
 
  (unaudited)
   
   
   
   
   
   

Nonperforming loans to total loans

    0.30 %   0.25 %   0.20 %   0.12 %   0.18 %   0.18 %   0.67 %  

Nonperforming assets

  $ 3,219   $ 2,195   $ 1,887   $ 887   $ 815   $ 490   $ 1,451    

Nonperforming assets to total assets

    0.10 %   0.09 %   0.07 %   0.04 %   0.05 %   0.04 %   0.16 %  

Allowance for loan losses to total loans

    0.64 %   0.68 %   0.66 %   0.71 %   1.00 %   1.24 %   1.31 %  

Allowance for loan losses to nonperforming loans

    213.26 %   268.88 %   331.21 %   611.27 %   546.99 %   672.45 %   196.69 %  

Net charge-offs/(recoveries) to average loans

    (0.01 )%               0.02 %   0.12 %   0.14 %  

Per Share Data (Common Stock)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

 

Basic and diluted earnings per share

                                             

As reported

  $ 1.05   $ 0.59   $ 1.47   $ 1.35   $ 0.19   $ 1.95   $ 2.15    

Pro-forma

  $ 1.05   $ 0.59   $ 1.47   $ 1.35   $ 1.01 (3) $ 1.17 (3) $ 1.29 (3)  

Dividends declared

  $ 0.10   $ 0.10   $ 0.20   $ 0.20   $ 0.95   $ 0.72   $ 0.44    

Book value

                                             

As reported

  $ 8.76   $ 7.05   $ 7.80   $ 6.55   $ 5.32   $ 5.94   $ 4.72    

Pro-forma

  $ 8.76   $ 7.05   $ 7.80   $ 6.55   $ 6.11 (4) $ 5.16 (5) $ 3.85 (5)  

Tangible book value

                                             

As reported

  $ 8.73   $ 7.02   $ 7.78   $ 6.52   $ 5.29   $ 5.92   $ 4.69    

Pro-forma

  $ 8.73   $ 7.02   $ 7.78   $ 6.52   $ 6.09 (4) $ 5.14 (5) $ 3.83 (5)  

Weighted average shares outstanding

                                             

Basic

    21,114,400     21,111,200     21,111,208     21,075,475     20,017,400     20,000,000     20,000,000    

Diluted

    21,119,411     21,112,283     21,113,435     21,075,475     20,017,400     20,000,000     20,000,000    

Shares outstanding at period end

    21,114,400     21,111,200     21,111,200     21,111,200     20,703,700     20,000,000     20,000,000    

Performance Metrics

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

 

Return on average assets

                                             

As reported

    1.74 %   1.05 %   1.24 %   1.32 %   0.25 %   3.18 %   4.81 %  

Pro-forma

    1.74 %   1.05 %   1.24 %   1.32 %   1.34% (4)   1.91% (5)   2.89% (5)  

Return on average equity

                                             

As reported

    22.00 %   16.52 %   18.68 %   22.62 %   3.71 %   37.07 %   57.86 %  

Pro-forma

    22.00 %   16.52 %   18.68 %   22.62 %   19.76% (4)   22.24% (5)   34.71% (5)  

Return on average tangible common equity

                                             

As reported

    25.40 %   17.18 %   20.50 %   22.73 %   3.73 %   37.25 %   58.27 %  

Pro-forma

    25.40 %   17.18 %   20.50 %   22.73 %   19.86% (4)   22.35% (5)   34.96% (5)  

Net interest margin

    2.23 %   2.03 %   2.07 %   2.02 %   2.12 %   2.19 %   2.41 %  

Efficiency ratio

    27.61 %   36.02 %   32.40 %   30.29 %   31.04 %   25.15 %   22.00 %  

Loans and loans held for sale to deposits

    74.12 %   75.22 %   70.26 %   67.80 %   73.52 %   76.70 %   71.44 %  

Capital Ratios—Merchants Bancorp

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

 

Tangible common equity to tangible assets

    6.0 %   5.9 %   6.0 %   6.1 %   6.1 %   10.0     10.0    

Common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets

    7.4 %   7.4 %   8.1 %   8.5 %   N/A     N/A     N/A    

Tier 1 leverage ratio

    7.4 %   6.5 %   6.6 %   6.1 %   6.1 %   8.4 %   8.0 %  

Tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets

    9.3 %   8.9 %   10.3 %   9.2 %   7.7 %   11.9 %   18.0 %  

Total capital to risk-weighted assets

    9.6 %   9.2 %   10.6 %   9.6 %   8.1 %   12.2 %   18.0 %  

Regulatory Capital Ratios—Merchants Bank Only

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

 

Tier 1 common capital to risk-weighted assets

    11.7 %   12.0 %   13.2 %   12.9 %   N/A            

Tier 1 leverage ratio

    9.3 %   8.7 %   8.4 %   8.5 %   8.7 %   8.4 %   8.0 %  

Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets

    11.7 %   12.0 %   13.2 %   12.9 %   11.0 %   11.9 %   18.0 %  

Total capital to risk-weighted assets

    12.0 %   12.4 %   13.5 %   13.3 %   11.3 %   12.2 %   18.0 %  

(1)
Represents the recognition of deferred tax liabilities recorded upon conversion from a Subchapter S corporation to a regular C corporation.

(2)
Represents the pro-forma effects of income taxes using a 40% income tax rate, as we were a Subchapter S corporation in years prior to 2014.

(3)
Represents basic and diluted earnings per share calculated on pro-forma net income.

(4)
Represents pro-forma performance metrics calculated on net income as adjusted for the effects of the deferred tax liabilities recorded in connection with the conversion from Subchapter S to C corporation.

(5)
Represents pro-forma performance metrics calculated on net income as adjusted for the effects of income taxes included calculated using a 40% income tax rate for years previously reported as a Subchapter S corporation.

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RISK FACTORS

         Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before you decide to invest, you should carefully consider the risks described below, together with all other information included in this prospectus. Any of the following risks, as well as risks that we do not know or currently deem immaterial, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. As a result, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could experience a partial or complete loss of your investment. Further, to the extent that any of the information in this prospectus constitutes forward-looking statements, the risk factors below also are cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf. See "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" beginning on page 38.

Risks Related to Our Business

Decreased residential and multi-family mortgage origination, volume and pricing decisions of competitors, and changes in interest rates, may adversely affect our profitability.

        We currently operate a residential and multi-family mortgage origination, warehouse financing, and servicing business. Changes in interest rates and pricing decisions by our loan competitors may adversely affect demand for our mortgage loan products, the revenue realized on the sale of loans, revenues received from servicing such loans and the valuation of our mortgage servicing rights.

Our mortgage banking profitability could significantly decline if we are not able to originate and resell a high volume of mortgage loans.

        Mortgage production, especially refinancing activity, declines in rising interest rate environments. Interest rates have been historically low over the last few years and this environment likely will not continue indefinitely. Moreover, when interest rates increase further, there can be no assurance that our mortgage production will continue at current levels. Because we sell a substantial portion of the mortgage loans we originate and purchase, the profitability of our mortgage banking business also depends in large part on our ability to aggregate a high volume of loans and sell them at a gain in the secondary market. Thus, in addition to our dependence on the interest rate environment, we are dependent upon (i) the existence of an active secondary market and (ii) our ability to profitably sell loans or securities into that market. If our level of mortgage production declines, the profitability will depend upon our ability to reduce our costs commensurate with the reduction of revenue from our mortgage operations.

        In addition, our ability to sell mortgage loans readily is dependent upon our ability to remain eligible for the programs offered by GSEs and other institutional and non-institutional investors. Any significant impairment of our eligibility with any of the GSEs could materially and adversely affect our operations. Further, the criteria for loans to be accepted under such programs may be changed from time to time by the sponsoring entity, which could result in a lower volume of corresponding loan originations. The profitability of participating in specific programs may vary depending on a number of factors, including our administrative costs of originating and purchasing qualifying loans and our costs of meeting such criteria.

        The ability for us and our warehouse financing customers to originate and sell residential mortgage loans readily is dependent upon the availability of an active secondary market for single-family mortgage loans, which in turn depends in part upon the continuation of programs currently offered by GSEs and other institutional and non-institutional investors. These entities account for a substantial portion of the secondary market in residential mortgage loans. Because the largest participants in the secondary market are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, GSEs whose activities are governed by federal law, any future changes in laws that significantly affect the activity of these GSEs could, in turn,

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adversely affect our operations. In September 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were placed into conservatorship by the U.S. government. The federal government has for many years considered proposals to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the results of any such reform, and their impact on us, are difficult to predict. To date, no reform proposal has been enacted.

Fluctuations in interest rates may reduce net interest income and otherwise negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.

        Net interest income is the difference between the amounts received by us on our interest-earning assets and the interest paid by us on our interest-bearing liabilities. When interest rates rise, the rate of interest we pay on our liabilities, such as deposits, rises more quickly than the rate of interest that we receive on our interest-bearing assets, such as loans, which may cause our profits to decrease. The impact on earnings is more adverse when short-term interest rates increase more than long-term interest rates or when long-term interest rates decrease more than short-term interest rates, leading to similar yields between short-term and long-term rates. Many factors impact interest rates, including governmental monetary policies, inflation, recession, changes in unemployment, the money supply and international economic weaknesses and disorder and instability in domestic and foreign financial markets.

        Interest rate increases often result in larger payment requirements for our borrowers, which increases the potential for default. At the same time, the marketability of the underlying property may be adversely affected by any reduced demand resulting from higher interest rates. In a declining interest rate environment, there may be an increase in prepayments on loans as borrowers refinance their mortgages and other indebtedness at lower rates.

        Our mortgage servicing rights assets typically have a ten year call protection, but as interest rates decrease, the potential for prepayment increases and the fair market value of our mortgage servicing rights assets may decrease. Our ability to mitigate this decrease in value is largely dependent on our ability to be the refinancier and retain servicing rights. While we have previously been successful in our servicing retention, we may not be able to achieve the same level of retention in the future.

        Changes in interest rates also can affect the value of loans, securities and other assets. An increase in interest rates that adversely affects the ability of borrowers to pay the principal or interest on loans may lead to an increase in nonperforming assets and a reduction of income recognized, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows. Further, when we place a loan on nonaccrual status, we reverse any accrued but unpaid interest receivable, which decreases interest income. Subsequently, we continue to have a cost to fund the loan, which is reflected as interest expense, without any interest income to offset the associated funding expense. Thus, an increase in the amount of nonperforming assets would have an adverse impact on net interest income.

        Rising interest rates will result in a decline in value of the fixed-rate debt securities we hold in our investment securities portfolio. The unrealized losses resulting from holding these securities would be recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) and reduce total shareholders' equity. Unrealized losses do not negatively impact our regulatory capital ratios; however, tangible common equity and the associated ratios would be reduced. If debt securities in an unrealized loss position are sold, such losses become realized and will reduce our regulatory capital ratios.

        If short-term interest rates remain at their historically low levels for a prolonged period, and assuming longer term interest rates fall further, we could experience net interest margin compression as our interest earning assets would continue to reprice downward while our interest-bearing liability rates could fail to decline in tandem. This would have a material adverse effect on our net interest income and our results of operations.

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Because a significant portion of our loan portfolio is comprised of real estate loans, negative changes in the economy affecting real estate values and liquidity could impair the value of collateral securing our real estate loans and result in loan and other losses.

        At June 30, 2017, approximately 81.4% of our loan portfolio was comprised of loans with real estate as a primary or secondary component of collateral. As a result, adverse developments affecting real estate values in our market areas could increase the credit risk associated with our real estate loan portfolio. The market value of real estate can fluctuate significantly in a short period of time as a result of market conditions in the area in which the real estate is located. Adverse changes affecting real estate values and the liquidity of real estate in one or more of our markets could increase the credit risk associated with our loan portfolio, significantly impair the value of property pledged as collateral on loans and affect our ability to sell the collateral upon foreclosure without a loss or additional losses, which could result in losses that would adversely affect profitability. Such declines and losses would have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and growth prospects. In addition, if hazardous or toxic substances are found on properties pledged as collateral, the value of the real estate could be impaired. If we foreclose on and take title to such properties, we may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage. Environmental laws may require us to incur substantial expenses to address unknown liabilities and may materially reduce the affected property's value or limit our ability to use or sell the affected property.

Liquidity risks could affect operations and jeopardize our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

        Liquidity is essential to our business. An inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings, the sale of loans and/or investment securities and from other sources could have a substantial negative effect on our liquidity. A source of our funds consists of our customer deposits, including escrow deposits held in connection with our multi-family mortgage servicing business. These deposits are subject to potentially dramatic fluctuations in availability or price due to certain factors that may be outside of our control, such as a loss of confidence by customers in us or the banking sector generally, customer perceptions of our financial health and general reputation, increasing competitive pressures from other financial services firms for consumer or corporate customer deposits, changes in interest rates and returns on other investment classes. If customers move money out of bank deposits and into other investments, we could lose a relatively low cost source of funds, which would require us to seek wholesale funding alternatives in order to continue to grow, thereby increasing our funding costs and reducing our net interest income and net income.

        As of June 30, 2017, $819.7 million, or 29.6% of our total deposits, were concentrated in three large mortgage non-depository financial institutions. These concentration levels expose us to the risk that one of these depositors will experience financial difficulties, withdraw its deposits, or otherwise lose the ability to generate custodial funds due to business or regulatory realities. However, two of these institutions also have warehouse funding arrangements, providing us the opportunity to mitigate this risk by electing not to participate or fund an institution's loans in the event such institution removes its deposits. Nonetheless, failure to effectively manage this risk and subsequent reduction in the deposits of our significant customers could have a material impact on our ability to fund lending commitments or increase cost of funds, thereby decreasing our revenues.

        Additional liquidity is provided by brokered deposits and our ability to borrow from the FHLBI. As of June 30, 2017 brokered deposits were $687.3 million, or 24.8% of our total deposits. Brokered deposits may be more rate sensitive than other sources of funding. In the future, those depositors may not replace their brokered deposits with us as they mature, or we may have to pay a higher rate of interest to keep those deposits or to replace them with other deposits or other sources of funds. Not being able to maintain or replace those deposits as they mature would adversely affect our liquidity. Additionally, if the Bank does not maintain its well-capitalized position, it may not accept or renew any

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brokered deposits without a waiver granted by the FDIC. We also may borrow from third-party lenders from time to time. Our access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance or capitalize our activities or on terms that are acceptable to us could be impaired by factors that affect us directly or the financial services industry or economy in general, such as disruptions in the financial markets or negative views and expectations about the prospects for the financial services industry.

        Additionally, as a bank holding company we are dependent on dividends from our subsidiaries as our primary source of income. Our subsidiaries are subject to certain legal and regulatory limitations on their ability to pay us dividends. Any reduction or limitation on our subsidiaries abilities to pay us dividends could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and in particular, affect our ability to repay our borrowings.

        Any decline in available funding, including a decrease in brokered deposits, could adversely impact our ability to continue to implement our strategic plan, including our ability to originate loans, fund warehouse financing commitments, meet our expenses, declare and pay dividends to our shareholders or to fulfill obligations such as repaying our borrowings or meeting deposit withdrawal demands, any of which could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we violate HUD lending requirements, our multi-family FHA origination business could be adversely affected.

        We originate, sell and service loans under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") programs, and make certifications regarding compliance with applicable requirements and guidelines. If we were to violate these requirements and guidelines, or other applicable laws, or if the FHA loans we originate show a high frequency of loan defaults, we could be subject to monetary penalties and indemnification claims, and could be declared ineligible for FHA programs. Any inability to engage in our multi-family FHA origination and servicing business would lead to a decrease in our net income.

If the federal government shuts down or otherwise fails to fully fund the federal budget, our multi-family FHA origination business could be adversely affected.

        Disagreement over the federal budget has caused the U.S. federal government to shut down for periods of time in recent years. Federal governmental entities, such as HUD, that rely on funding from the federal budget, could be adversely affected in the event of a government shut-down, which could have a material adverse effect on our multi-family FHA origination business and our results of operations.

A decline in general business and economic conditions and any regulatory responses to such conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and growth prospects.

        Our business and operations are sensitive to general business and economic conditions in the United States, generally, and particularly Indiana. If the national, regional and local economies experience worsening economic conditions, including high levels of unemployment, our growth and profitability could be constrained. Additionally, our ability to assess the credit worthiness of our customers is made more complex by uncertain business and economic conditions. Weak economic conditions are characterized by, among other indicators, deflation, elevated levels of unemployment, fluctuations in debt and equity capital markets, increased delinquencies on mortgage, commercial and consumer loans, residential and commercial real estate price declines, increases in non-performing assets and foreclosures, lower home sales and commercial activity, and fluctuations in the multi-family FHA financing sector. All of these factors are generally detrimental to our business. Our business is significantly affected by monetary and other regulatory policies of the U.S. federal government, its

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agencies and government-sponsored entities. Changes in any of these policies are influenced by macroeconomic conditions and other factors that are beyond our control, are difficult to predict and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and growth prospects.

If we do not effectively manage our credit risk, we may experience increased levels of delinquencies, nonperforming loans and charge-offs, which could require increases in our provision for loan losses.

        There are risks inherent in making any loan, including risks inherent in dealing with individual borrowers, risks of nonpayment, risks resulting from uncertainties as to the future value of collateral and cash flows available to service debt and risks resulting from changes in economic and market conditions. We cannot guarantee that our credit underwriting, credit monitoring, and risk management procedures will adequately reduce these credit risks, and they cannot be expected to completely eliminate our credit risks. If the overall economic climate in the United States, generally, or our market areas, specifically, declines, our borrowers may experience difficulties in repaying their loans, and the level of nonperforming loans, charge-offs and delinquencies could rise and require further increases in the provision for loan losses, which would cause our net income, return on equity and capital to decrease.

Nonperforming assets take significant time to resolve and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition, and could result in further losses in the future.

        Our nonperforming assets adversely affect our net income in various ways. We do not record interest income on nonaccrual loans or other real estate owned, thereby adversely affecting our net income and returns on assets and equity, increasing our loan administration costs and adversely affecting our efficiency ratio. When we take collateral in foreclosure and similar proceedings, we are required to mark the collateral to its then-fair market value, which may result in a loss. These nonperforming loans and other real estate owned also increase our risk profile and the level of capital our regulators believe is appropriate for us to maintain in light of such risks. The resolution of nonperforming assets requires significant time commitments from management and can be detrimental to the performance of their other responsibilities. If we experience increases in nonperforming loans and nonperforming assets, our net interest income may be negatively impacted and our loan administration costs could increase, each of which could have an adverse effect on our net income and related ratios, such as return on assets and equity.

        As of June 30, 2017, our nonperforming loans (which consist of nonaccrual loans and loans past due 90 days or more and still accruing interest) totaled $3.2 million, or 0.3% of our loan portfolio, and our nonperforming assets (which include only nonperforming loans at June 30, 2017) totaled $3.2 million, or 0.1% of total assets. In addition, we had $4.6 million in accruing loans that were 31-89 days delinquent as of June 30, 2017.

Our allowance for loan losses may prove to be insufficient to absorb potential losses in our loan portfolio.

        We establish our allowance for loan losses and maintain it at a level that management considers adequate to absorb probable loan losses based on an analysis of our portfolio, the underlying health of our borrowers and general economic conditions. The allowance for loan losses represents our estimate of probable losses in the portfolio at each balance sheet date and is based upon relevant information available to us. The allowance contains provisions for probable losses that have been identified relating to specific borrowing relationships, as well as probable losses inherent in the loan portfolio and credit undertakings that are not specifically identified. Additions to the allowance for loan losses, which are charged to earnings through the provision for loan losses, are determined based on a variety of factors, including an analysis of the loan portfolio, historical loss experience and an evaluation of current economic conditions in our market areas. The determination of the appropriate level of the allowance

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for loan losses is inherently subjective and requires us to make significant estimates and assumptions regarding current credit risks and future trends, all of which may undergo material changes. The actual amount of loan losses is affected by changes in economic, operating and other conditions within our markets, which may be beyond our control, and such losses may exceed current estimates.

        As of June 30, 2017, our allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total loans was 0.64% and as a percentage of total nonperforming loans was 213.3%. Although management believes that the allowance for loan losses is adequate to absorb losses on any existing loans that may become uncollectible, we may be required to take additional provisions for loan losses in the future to further supplement the allowance for loan losses, either due to management's decision to do so or because our banking regulators require us to do so. Our bank regulatory agencies will periodically review our allowance for loan losses and the value attributed to nonaccrual loans or to real estate acquired through foreclosure and may require us to adjust our determination of the value for these items. These adjustments may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The small to midsized businesses that we lend to may have fewer resources to weather adverse business developments, which may impair a borrower's ability to repay a loan, and such impairment could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

        We target our business development and marketing strategy primarily to serve the banking and financial services needs of small to midsized businesses. These businesses generally have fewer financial resources in terms of capital or borrowing capacity than larger entities, frequently have smaller market shares than their competition, may be more vulnerable to economic downturns, often need substantial additional capital to expand or compete and may experience substantial volatility in operating results, any of which may impair a borrower's ability to repay a loan. In addition, the success of a small or medium-sized business often depends on the management talents and efforts of one or two people or a small group of people, and the death, disability or resignation of one or more of these people could have a material adverse impact on the business and its ability to repay its loan. If general economic conditions negatively impact the markets in which we operate and small to medium-sized businesses are adversely affected or our borrowers are otherwise affected by adverse business developments, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Real estate construction loans are based upon estimates of costs and values associated with the complete project. These estimates may be inaccurate, and we may be exposed to significant losses on loans for these projects.

        Real estate construction loans comprised approximately 7.6% of our total loan portfolio as of June 30, 2017, and such lending involves additional risks because funds are advanced upon the security of the project, which is of uncertain value prior to its completion, and costs may exceed realizable values in declining real estate markets. Because of the uncertainties inherent in estimating construction costs and the realizable market value of the completed project and the effects of governmental regulation of real property, it is relatively difficult to evaluate accurately the total funds required to complete a project and the related loan-to-value ratio. As a result, construction loans often involve the disbursement of substantial funds with repayment dependent, in part, on the success of the ultimate project and the ability of the borrower to sell or lease the property, rather than the ability of the borrower or guarantor to repay principal and interest. If our appraisal of the value of the completed project proves to be overstated or market values or rental rates decline, we may have inadequate security for the repayment of the loan upon completion of construction of the project. If we are forced to foreclose on a project prior to or at completion due to a default, we may not be able to recover all of the unpaid balance of, and accrued interest on, the loan as well as related foreclosure and holding costs. In addition, we may be required to fund additional amounts to complete the project and may have to hold the property for an unspecified period of time while we attempt to dispose of it.

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Our risk management framework may not be effective in mitigating risks and/or losses to us.

        Our risk management framework is comprised of various processes, systems and strategies, and is designed to manage the types of risk to which we are subject, including, among others, credit, market, liquidity, interest rate and compliance. Our framework also includes financial or other modeling methodologies that involve management assumptions and judgment. Our risk management framework may not be effective under all circumstances and may not adequately mitigate any risk or loss to us. If our framework is not effective, we could suffer unexpected losses and our business, financial condition, results of operations or growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected. We may also be subject to potentially adverse regulatory consequences.

We are highly dependent on our management team, and the loss of our senior executive officers or other key employees could harm our ability to implement our strategic plan, impair our relationships with customers and adversely affect our business, results of operations and growth prospects.

        Our success is dependent, to a large degree, upon the continued service and skills of our executive management team, particularly Mr. Petrie, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Dunlap, the President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Merchants Bank.

        Our business and growth strategies are built primarily upon our ability to retain employees with experience and business relationships within their respective market areas. We seek to manage the continuity of our executive management team through regular succession planning. As part of such succession planning, other executives and high performing individuals have been identified and are provided certain training in order to be prepared to assume particular management roles and responsibilities in the event of the departure of a member of our executive management team. However, the loss of Mr. Petrie or Mr. Dunlap, or any of our other key personnel could have an adverse impact on our business and growth because of their skills, years of industry experience, and knowledge of our market areas, our failure to develop and implement a viable succession plan, the difficulty of finding qualified replacement personnel, or any difficulties associated with transitioning of responsibilities to any new members of the executive management team. With the exception of Mr. Dury, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of P/RMIC, who is subject to an "at will" employment agreement that contains a 12 month non-competition period, we do not have employment or non-competition agreements with our executives or other employees who are important to our business. While our mortgage originators and loan officers are generally subject to non-solicitation provisions as part of their employment, our ability to enforce such agreements may not fully mitigate the injury to our business from the breach of such agreements, as such employees could leave us and immediately begin soliciting our customers. The departure of any of our personnel who are not subject to enforceable non-competition agreements could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and growth prospects.

System failure or breaches of our network security could subject us to increased operating costs as well as litigation and other liabilities.

        The computer systems and network infrastructure we use could be vulnerable to hardware and cyber security issues. Our operations are dependent upon our ability to protect our computer equipment against damage from fire, power loss, telecommunications failure or a similar catastrophic event. We could also experience a breach by intentional or negligent conduct on the part of employees or other internal or external sources, including our third-party vendors. Any damage or failure that causes an interruption in our operations could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our operations are dependent upon our ability to protect the computer systems and network infrastructure utilized by us, including our internet banking activities, against damage from physical break-ins, cyber security breaches and other disruptive problems caused by the internet or other users. Such computer break-ins and other disruptions would jeopardize the

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security of information stored in and transmitted through our computer systems and network infrastructure, which may result in significant liability, damage our reputation and inhibit the use of our internet banking services by current and potential customers. We regularly add additional security measures to our computer systems and network infrastructure to mitigate the possibility of cyber security breaches, including firewalls and penetration testing. However, it is difficult or impossible to defend against every risk being posed by changing technologies as well as criminal intent on committing cyber-crime. Increasing sophistication of cyber criminals and terrorists make keeping up with new threats difficult and could result in a breach. Controls employed by our information technology department and cloud vendors could prove inadequate. A breach of our security that results in unauthorized access to our data could expose us to a disruption or challenges relating to our daily operations, as well as to data loss, litigation, damages, fines and penalties, significant increases in compliance costs and reputational damage, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our operations could be interrupted if our third-party service providers experience difficulty, terminate their services or fail to comply with banking regulations.

        We depend to a significant extent on a number of relationships with third-party service providers. Specifically, we receive core systems processing, essential web hosting and other internet systems, deposit processing and other processing services from third-party service providers. If these third-party service providers experience difficulties or terminate their services and we are unable to replace them with other service providers, our operations could be interrupted. If an interruption were to continue for a significant period of time, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected, perhaps materially. Even if we are able to replace them, it may be at a higher cost to us, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have a continuing need for technological change, and we may not have the resources to effectively implement new technology or we may experience operational challenges when implementing new technology.

        The financial services industry is undergoing rapid technological changes with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. In addition to better serving customers, the effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to reduce costs. Our future success will depend in part upon our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands for convenience as well as to create additional efficiencies in our operations as we continue to grow and expand our market area. We may experience operational challenges as we implement these new technology enhancements, or seek to implement them across all of our offices and business units, which could result in us not fully realizing the anticipated benefits from such new technology or require us to incur significant costs to remedy any such challenges in a timely manner.

        Many of our larger competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. As a result, they may be able to offer additional or superior products to those that we will be able to offer, which would put us at a competitive disadvantage. Accordingly, a risk exists that we will not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing such products and services to our customers.

We are subject to certain operational risks, including, but not limited to, customer or employee fraud and data processing system failures and errors.

        Employee errors and employee and/or customer misconduct could subject us to financial losses or regulatory sanctions and seriously harm our reputation or financial performance. Misconduct by our employees could include, but is not limited to, hiding unauthorized activities from us, improper or unauthorized activities on behalf of our customers or improper use of confidential information. It is not

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always possible to prevent employee errors and misconduct, and the precautions we take to prevent and detect this activity may not be effective in all cases. Employee errors could also subject us to financial claims for negligence.

        We maintain a system of internal controls and insurance coverage to mitigate against operational risks, including data processing system failures and errors and customer or employee fraud. If our internal controls fail to prevent or detect an occurrence, or if any resulting loss is not insured or exceeds applicable insurance limits, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to overcome the integration and other risks associated with acquisitions, which could have an adverse effect on our ability to implement our business strategy.

        Although we plan to continue to grow our business organically, we also intend to pursue acquisition opportunities that we believe complement our activities and have the ability to enhance our profitability and provide attractive risk-adjusted returns, including our pending acquisition of Joy State Bank. Our future acquisition activities could be material to our business and involve a number of risks, including the following:

        Depending on the condition of any institution or assets or liabilities that we may acquire, that acquisition may, at least in the near term, adversely affect our capital and earnings and, if not successfully integrated with our organization, may continue to have such effects over a longer period. We may not be successful in overcoming these risks or any other problems encountered in connection with pending or potential acquisitions, and any acquisition we may consider will be subject to prior regulatory approval. Our inability to overcome these risks could have an adverse effect on our ability to implement our business strategy, which, in turn, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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If the goodwill that we have recorded or may record in connection with a business acquisition becomes impaired, it could require charges to earnings.

        Goodwill represents the amount by which the cost of an acquisition exceeded the fair value of net assets we acquired in connection with the purchase of another financial institution. We review goodwill for impairment at least annually, or more frequently if a triggering event occurs which indicates that the carrying value of the asset might be impaired.

        Our goodwill impairment test involves a two-step process. Under the first step, the estimation of fair value of the reporting unit is compared to its carrying value including goodwill. If step one indicates a potential impairment, the second step is performed to measure the amount of impairment, if any. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. Any such adjustments are reflected in our results of operations in the periods in which they become known. As of June 30, 2017, our goodwill totaled $523,000. While we have not recorded any impairment charges since we initially recorded the goodwill, there can be no assurance that our future evaluations of our existing goodwill or goodwill we may acquire in the future will not result in findings of impairment and related write-downs, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may need to raise additional capital in the future, and if we fail to maintain sufficient capital, whether due to losses, an inability to raise additional capital or otherwise, our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations, as well as our ability to maintain regulatory compliance, would be adversely affected.

        We face significant capital and other regulatory requirements as a financial institution. Although management believes that funds raised in this offering will be sufficient to fund operations and growth initiatives for at least the next 18 to 24 months based on our estimated future operations, we may need to raise additional capital in the future to provide us with sufficient capital resources and liquidity to meet our commitments and business needs, which could include the possibility of financing acquisitions. In addition, we, on a consolidated basis, and the Bank, on a stand-alone basis, must meet certain regulatory capital requirements and maintain sufficient liquidity. Importantly, regulatory capital requirements could increase from current levels, which could require us to raise additional capital or contract our operations. Our ability to raise additional capital depends on conditions in the capital markets, economic conditions and a number of other factors, including investor perceptions regarding the banking industry, market conditions and governmental activities, and on our financial condition and performance. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we will be able to raise additional capital if needed or on terms acceptable to us. If we fail to maintain capital to meet regulatory requirements, our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.

Our ability to maintain our reputation is critical to the success of our business, and the failure to do so may materially adversely affect our business and the value of our stock.

        We are a community bank and known nationally for P/RMIC and warehouse financing, and our reputation is one of the most valuable components of our business. As such, we strive to conduct our business in a manner that enhances our reputation. This is done, in part, by recruiting, hiring and retaining employees who share our core values of being an integral part of the communities we serve, delivering superior service to our customers and caring about our customers and associates. If our reputation is negatively affected, by the actions of our employees or otherwise, our business and, therefore, our operating results and the value of our stock may be materially adversely affected.

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We face strong competition from financial services companies and other companies that offer banking, mortgage, leasing, and providers of FHA financing and servicing, which could harm our business.

        The banking business is highly competitive, and we experience competition in our market from many other financial institutions. Our operations consist of offering banking and residential mortgage services, and we also offer multi-family FHA financing to generate noninterest income. Many of our competitors offer the same, or a wider variety of, banking and related financial services within our market areas. These competitors include national banks, regional banks and community banks. We also face competition from many other types of financial institutions, including savings and loan institutions, finance companies, brokerage firms, insurance companies, credit unions, mortgage banks and other financial intermediaries. In addition, a number of out-of-state financial intermediaries have opened production offices or otherwise solicit deposits in our market areas. Additionally, we face growing competition from online businesses with few or no physical locations, including online banks, lenders and consumer and commercial lending platforms. Increased competition in our markets may result in reduced loans, deposits and commissions and brokers' fees, as well as reduced net interest margin and profitability. Ultimately, we may not be able to compete successfully against current and future competitors. If we are unable to attract and retain banking and mortgage customers, we may be unable to continue to grow our business, and our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

        Many of our non-bank competitors are not subject to the same extensive regulations that govern our activities and may have greater flexibility in competing for business. The financial services industry could become even more competitive as a result of legislative, regulatory and technological changes and continued consolidation. In addition, some of our current commercial banking customers may seek alternative banking sources as they develop needs for credit facilities larger than we may be able to accommodate. Our inability to compete successfully in the markets in which we operate could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Changes in accounting standards could materially impact our financial statements.

        From time to time, the Financial Accounting Standards Board or the SEC may change the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our financial statements. Such changes may result in us being subject to new or changing accounting and reporting standards. In addition, the bodies that interpret the accounting standards (such as banking regulators or outside auditors) may change their interpretations or positions on how these standards should be applied. These changes may be beyond our control, can be hard to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retrospectively, or apply an existing standard differently, also retrospectively, in each case resulting in our needing to revise or restate prior period financial statements. Additionally, as an emerging growth company we intend to take advantage of extended transition periods for complying with new or revised accounting standards affecting public companies.

The obligations associated with being a public company will require significant resources and management attention, which may divert from our business operations.

        As a result of this offering, we will become subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the "Sarbanes-Oxley Act"). The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition with the SEC. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we establish and maintain effective internal controls and procedures for financial reporting. As a result, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not previously incur. We anticipate that these costs will materially increase our general and administrative expenses. Furthermore, the need to establish the corporate infrastructure demanded of a public company may divert management's attention from

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implementing our strategic plan, which could prevent us from successfully implementing our growth initiatives and improving our business, results of operations and financial condition.

        As an emerging growth company, we intend to take advantage of certain temporary exemptions from various reporting requirements, including reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and an exemption from the requirement to obtain an attestation from our auditors on management's assessment of our internal control over financial reporting. When these exemptions cease to apply, we expect to incur additional expenses and devote increased management effort toward ensuring compliance with them. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur as a result of becoming a public company or the timing of such costs.

We depend on the accuracy and completeness of information provided by customers and counterparties.

        In deciding whether to extend credit or enter into other transactions with customers and counterparties, we may rely on information furnished to us by or on behalf of customers and counterparties, including financial statements and other financial information. We also may rely on representations of customers and counterparties as to the accuracy and completeness of that information. In deciding whether to extend credit, we may rely upon our customers' representations that their financial statements conform to GAAP and present fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the customer. We also may rely on customer representations and certifications, or other audit or accountants' reports, with respect to the business and financial condition of our clients. Our financial condition, results of operations, financial reporting and reputation could be negatively affected if we rely on materially misleading, false, inaccurate or fraudulent information.

The accuracy of our financial statements and related disclosures could be affected if the judgments, assumptions or estimates used in our critical accounting policies are inaccurate.

        The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with GAAP requires us to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Our critical accounting policies, which are included in the section captioned "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in this prospectus, describe those significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements that we consider "critical" because they require judgments, assumptions and estimates that materially affect our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. As a result, if future events or regulatory views concerning such analysis differ significantly from the judgments, assumptions and estimates in our critical accounting policies, those events or assumptions could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures, in each case resulting in our needing to revise or restate prior period financial statements, cause damage to our reputation and the price of our common stock, and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we breach any of the representations or warranties we make to a purchaser of our mortgage loans, we may be liable to the purchaser for certain costs and damages.

        When we sell or securitize mortgage loans in the ordinary course of business, we are required to make certain representations and warranties to the purchaser about the mortgage loans and the manner in which they were originated. Under these agreements, we may be required to repurchase mortgage loans if we have breached any of these representations or warranties, in which case we may record a loss. In addition, if repurchase and indemnity demands increase on loans that we sell from our portfolios, our liquidity, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

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We are dependent on the use of data and modeling in our management's decision-making, and faulty data or modeling approaches could negatively impact our decision-making ability or possibly subject us to regulatory scrutiny in the future.

        The use of statistical and quantitative models and other quantitative analyses is endemic to bank decision-making, and the employment of such analyses is becoming increasingly widespread in our operations. Liquidity stress testing, interest rate sensitivity analysis, and the identification of possible violations of anti-money laundering regulations are all examples of areas in which we are dependent on models and the data that underlies them. The use of statistical and quantitative models is also becoming more prevalent in regulatory compliance. While we are not currently subject to annual Dodd-Frank Act stress testing (DFAST) and the Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR) submissions, we anticipate that model-derived testing may become more extensively implemented by regulators in the future. We anticipate data-based modeling will penetrate further into bank decision-making, particularly risk management efforts, as the capacities developed to meet rigorous stress testing requirements are able to be employed more widely and in differing applications. While we believe these quantitative techniques and approaches improve our decision-making, they also create the possibility that faulty data or flawed quantitative approaches could negatively impact our decision-making ability or, if we become subject to regulatory stress-testing in the future, adverse regulatory scrutiny. Secondarily, because of the complexity inherent in these approaches, misunderstanding or misuse of their outputs could similarly result in suboptimal decision-making.

Downgrades to the credit rating of the U.S. government or of its securities or any of its agencies by one or more of the credit ratings agencies could have a material adverse effect on general economic conditions, as well as our business.

        On August 5, 2011, Standard & Poor's cut the credit rating of the U.S. federal government's long-term sovereign debt from AAA to AA+, while also keeping its outlook negative. Moody's had lowered its own outlook for the same debt to "Negative" on August 2, 2011, and Fitch also lowered its outlook for the same debt to "Negative," on November 28, 2011. In 2013, both Moody's and Standard & Poor's revised their outlooks from "Negative" to "Stable," and on March 21, 2014, Fitch revised its outlook from "Negative" to "Stable." Further downgrades of the U.S. federal government's sovereign credit rating, and the perceived creditworthiness of U.S. government-backed obligations, could affect our ability to obtain funding that is collateralized by affected instruments and our ability to access capital markets on favorable terms. Such downgrades could also affect the pricing of funding, when funding is available. A downgrade of the credit rating of the U.S. government, or of its agencies, government-sponsored enterprises or related institutions or instrumentalities, may also adversely affect the market value of such instruments and, further, exacerbate the other risks to which we are subject and any related adverse effects on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Severe weather, natural disasters, pandemics, acts of war or terrorism or other external events could significantly impact our business.

        Severe weather, natural disasters, widespread disease or pandemics, acts of war or terrorism or other adverse external events could have a significant impact on our ability to conduct business. In addition, such events could affect the stability of our deposit base, impair the value of collateral securing loans, cause significant property damage, result in loss of revenue or cause us to incur additional expenses. The occurrence of any of these events in the future could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

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Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Industry

Legislative and regulatory actions taken now or in the future may increase our costs and impact our business, governance structure, financial condition or results of operations.

        The Dodd-Frank Act, among other things, imposed new capital requirements on bank holding companies; changed the base for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") insurance assessments to a bank's average consolidated total assets minus average tangible equity, rather than upon its deposit base; permanently raised the current standard deposit insurance limit to $250,000; and expanded the FDIC's authority to raise insurance premiums. The Dodd-Frank Act established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ("CFPB") as an independent entity within the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System ("Federal Reserve"), which has broad rulemaking, supervisory and enforcement authority over consumer financial products and services, including deposit products, residential mortgages, home-equity loans and credit cards and contains provisions on mortgage-related matters, such as steering incentives, determinations as to a borrower's ability to repay and prepayment penalties. Although the applicability of certain elements of the Dodd-Frank Act is limited to institutions with more than $10 billion in assets, there can be no guarantee that such applicability will not be extended in the future or that regulators or other third parties will not seek to impose such requirements on institutions with less than $10 billion in assets, such as the Bank.

        Compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act and its implementing regulations has and will continue to result in additional operating and compliance costs that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

        In addition, new proposals for legislation continue to be introduced in the U.S. Congress that could further substantially increase regulation of the bank and non-bank financial services industries and impose restrictions on the operations and general ability of firms within the industry to conduct business consistent with historical practices. Federal and state regulatory agencies also frequently adopt changes to their regulations or change the manner in which existing regulations are applied. Certain aspects of current or proposed regulatory or legislative changes to laws applicable to the financial industry, if enacted or adopted, may impact the profitability of our business activities, require more oversight or change certain of our business practices, including the ability to offer new products, obtain financing, attract deposits, make loans and achieve satisfactory interest spreads and could expose us to additional costs, including increased compliance costs. These changes also may require us to invest significant management attention and resources to make any necessary changes to operations to comply and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        New regulations, increased regulatory reviews, and/or changes in the structure of the secondary mortgage markets which we would utilize to sell mortgage loans may be introduced and may increase costs and make it more difficult to operate a residential and multi-family mortgage origination and servicing business.

As a result of the Dodd-Frank Act and recent rulemaking, we are subject to more stringent capital requirements.

        In July 2013, the U.S. federal banking authorities approved the implementation of the Basel III regulatory capital reforms, or Basel III, and issued rules effecting certain changes required by the Dodd-Frank Act. Basel III is applicable to all U.S. banks that are subject to minimum capital requirements as well as to bank and saving and loan holding companies, other than "small bank holding companies" (generally bank holding companies with consolidated assets of less than $1.0 billion). Basel III not only increases most of the required minimum regulatory capital ratios, it introduces a new common equity Tier 1 capital ratio and the concept of a capital conservation buffer. Basel III also expands the current definition of capital by establishing additional criteria that capital instruments must meet to be considered additional Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital. In order to be a

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"well-capitalized" depository institution under the new regime, an institution must maintain a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.5% or more; a Tier 1 capital ratio of 8% or more; a total capital ratio of 10% or more; and a leverage ratio of 5% or more. Institutions must also maintain a capital conservation buffer consisting of common equity Tier 1 capital. The Basel III capital rules became effective as applied to us and the Bank on January 1, 2015 with a phase-in period that generally extends through January 1, 2019 for many of the changes.

        The failure to meet applicable regulatory capital requirements could result in one or more of our regulators placing limitations or conditions on our activities, including our growth initiatives, or restricting the commencement of new activities, and could affect customer and investor confidence, our costs of funds and FDIC insurance costs, our ability to pay dividends on our common stock, our ability to make acquisitions, and our business, results of operations and financial conditions, generally.

Monetary policies and regulations of the Federal Reserve could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        In addition to being affected by general economic conditions, our earnings and growth are affected by the policies of the Federal Reserve. An important function of the Federal Reserve is to regulate the money supply and credit conditions. Among the instruments used by the Federal Reserve to implement these objectives are open market purchases and sales of U.S. government securities, adjustments of the discount rate and changes in banks' reserve requirements against bank deposits. These instruments are used in varying combinations to influence overall economic growth and the distribution of credit, bank loans, investments and deposits. Their use also affects interest rates charged on loans or paid on deposits.

        The monetary policies and regulations of the Federal Reserve have had a significant effect on the operating results of commercial banks in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future. The effects of such policies upon our business, financial condition and results of operations cannot be predicted.

Federal and state regulators periodically examine our business, and we may be required to remediate adverse examination findings.

        The Federal Reserve, FDIC, Indiana Department of Financial Institutions ("IDFI"), Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Rural Housing Service ("RHS"), and Ginnie Mae periodically examine our business, including our compliance with laws and regulations. If, as a result of an examination, a banking agency were to determine that our financial condition, capital resources, asset quality, earnings prospects, management, liquidity or other aspects of any of our operations had become unsatisfactory, or that we were in violation of any law or regulation, they may take a number of different remedial actions as they deem appropriate. These actions include the power to enjoin "unsafe or unsound" practices, to require affirmative action to correct any conditions resulting from any violation or practice, to issue an administrative order that can be judicially enforced, to direct an increase in our capital, to restrict our growth, to assess civil money penalties, to fine or remove officers and directors and, if it is concluded that such conditions cannot be corrected or there is an imminent risk of loss to depositors, to terminate our deposit insurance and place us into receivership or conservatorship. Any regulatory action against us could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to numerous laws designed to protect consumers, including the CRA and fair lending laws, and failure to comply with these laws could lead to a wide variety of sanctions.

        The CRA, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act and other fair lending laws and regulations prohibit discriminatory lending practices by financial institutions. The U.S. Department of Justice, federal banking agencies, and other federal agencies are responsible for enforcing these laws

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and regulations. A challenge to an institution's compliance with fair lending laws and regulations could result in a wide variety of sanctions, including damages and civil money penalties, injunctive relief, restrictions on mergers and acquisitions activity, restrictions on expansion, and restrictions on entering new business lines. Private parties may also challenge an institution's performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation. Such actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

        Additionally, the CFPB was created under the Dodd-Frank Act to centralize responsibility for consumer financial protection with broad rulemaking authority to administer and carry out the purposes and objectives of federal consumer financial laws with respect to all financial institutions that offer financial products and services to consumers. The CFPB is also authorized to prescribe rules applicable to any covered person or service provider, identifying and prohibiting acts or practices that are "unfair, deceptive, or abusive" in connection with any transaction with a consumer for a consumer financial product or service, or the offering of a consumer financial product or service. The ongoing broad rulemaking powers of the CFPB have potential to have a significant impact on the operations of financial institutions offering consumer financial products or services. The CFPB has indicated that it may propose new rules on overdrafts and other consumer financial products or services, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations if any such rules limit our ability to provide such financial products or services.

We face a risk of noncompliance and enforcement action with the Bank Secrecy Act and other anti-money laundering statutes and regulations.

        The Bank Secrecy Act, the USA Patriot Act and other laws and regulations require financial institutions, among other duties, to institute and maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and to file reports such as suspicious activity reports and currency transaction reports. We are required to comply with these and other anti-money laundering requirements. The federal banking agencies and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network are authorized to impose significant civil money penalties for violations of those requirements and have recently engaged in coordinated enforcement efforts against banks and other financial services providers with the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service. We are also subject to increased scrutiny of compliance with the rules enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. If our policies, procedures and systems are deemed deficient, we would be subject to liability, including fines and regulatory actions, which may include restrictions on our ability to pay dividends and the necessity to obtain regulatory approvals to proceed with certain aspects of our business plan, including our acquisition plans.

        Failure to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing could also have serious reputational consequences for us. Any of these results could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

The Federal Reserve may require us to commit capital resources to support the Bank.

        As a matter of policy, the Federal Reserve expects a bank holding company to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to a subsidiary bank and to commit resources to support such subsidiary bank. The Dodd-Frank Act codified the Federal Reserve's policy on serving as a source of financial strength. Under the "source of strength" doctrine, the Federal Reserve may require a bank holding company to make capital injections into a troubled subsidiary bank and may charge the bank holding company with engaging in unsafe and unsound practices for failure to commit resources to a subsidiary bank. A capital injection may be required at times when the holding company may not have the resources to provide it and therefore may be required to borrow the funds or raise capital. Any loans by a holding company to its subsidiary banks are subordinate in right of payment to deposits and to certain other indebtedness of such subsidiary bank. In the event of a bank holding company's bankruptcy, the bankruptcy trustee will assume any commitment by the holding company to a federal

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bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank. Moreover, bankruptcy law provides that claims based on any such commitment will be entitled to a priority of payment over the claims of the institution's general unsecured creditors, including the holders of its note obligations. Thus, any borrowing that must be done by us to make a required capital injection becomes more difficult and expensive and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may be adversely affected by the soundness of other financial institutions.

        Our ability to engage in routine funding transactions could be adversely affected by the actions and commercial soundness of other financial institutions. Financial services companies are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty, and other relationships. We have exposure to different industries and counterparties, and through transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry, including brokers and dealers, commercial banks, investment banks, and other institutional clients. As a result, defaults by, or even rumors or questions about, one or more financial services companies, or the financial services industry generally, have led to market-wide liquidity problems and could lead to losses or defaults by us or by other institutions. These losses or defaults could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. Additionally, if our competitors were extending credit on terms we found to pose excessive risks, or at interest rates which we believed did not warrant the credit exposure, we may not be able to maintain our business volume and could experience deteriorating financial performance.

Risks Related to this Offering and an Investment in Our Common Stock

An active, liquid trading market for our common stock may not develop, and you may not be able to sell your common stock at or above the public offering price, or at all.

        Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. An active trading market for shares of our common stock may never develop or be sustained following this offering. If an active trading market does not develop, you may have difficulty selling your shares of common stock at an attractive price, or at all. The public offering price for our common stock will be determined by negotiations between us and the representatives of the underwriters and may not be indicative of prices that will prevail in the open market following this offering. Consequently, you may not be able to sell your common stock at or above the public offering price or at any other price or at the time that you would like to sell. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling our common stock and may impair our ability to expand our business by using our common stock as consideration in an acquisition.

The price of our common stock could be volatile following this offering.

        The market price of our common stock following this offering may be volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in price in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include, among other things:

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        In addition, if the market for stocks in our industry, or the stock market in general, experiences a loss of investor confidence, the trading price of our common stock could decline for reasons unrelated to our business, financial condition or results of operations. If any of the foregoing occurs, it could cause our stock price to fall and may expose us to lawsuits that, even if unsuccessful, could be costly to defend and a distraction to management.

Two of our directors and executive officers, Messrs. Petrie and Rogers, and their families beneficially own over 73% of our outstanding shares of common stock following this offering which allows them to exert control over matters requiring shareholder approval.

        Prior to this offering, two of our directors and executive officers, Messrs. Petrie and Rogers and their families, collectively owned approximately 93% of our outstanding common stock as of October 12, 2017, and, upon the closing of this offering, they will hold approximately 73.97% of our outstanding common stock. Therefore, even after this offering, Messrs. Petrie and Rogers, together with their families, will have the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted to our shareholders for approval, including the election or removal of directors, the amendment of our articles of incorporation, along with significant transactions. This control position may conflict with the interests of some or all of our other shareholders.

        We are not considered a "controlled company" within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of Nasdaq. Messrs. Petrie and Rogers and their families comprise two separate "groups" under SEC beneficial ownership rules with one group representing the Petrie family interests and the other group representing the Rogers family interests. Each of these groups controls less than 50% of our voting power. Therefore, we do not expect to be able to utilize the "controlled company" exemption. However, if Messrs. Petrie and Rogers were to form a single "group" with combined voting power exceeding 50%, we would become a "controlled company" and would be able to avail ourselves of the exemptions to Nasdaq's requirement to have a majority of independent directors and independent compensation and nomination committees. We currently have no intention to utilize the "controlled company" exemptions even if they are available in the future.

An investment in our common stock is not an insured deposit.

        An investment in our common stock is not a bank deposit and, therefore, is not insured against loss by the FDIC, any other deposit insurance fund or by any other public or private entity. Investment in our common stock is inherently risky for the reasons described herein, and is subject to the same market forces that affect the price of common stock in any company. As a result, if you acquire our common stock, you could lose some or all of your investment.

If equity research analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they do publish such reports but issue unfavorable commentary or downgrade our common stock, the price and trading volume of our common stock could decline.

        The trading market for our common stock could be affected by whether equity research analysts publish research or reports about us and our business. We cannot predict at this time whether any research analysts will publish research and reports on us and our common stock. If one or more equity analysts do cover us and our common stock and publish research reports about us, the price of our

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stock could decline if one or more securities analysts downgrade our stock or if those analysts issue other unfavorable commentary or cease publishing reports about us or our business.

        If any of the analysts who elect to cover us downgrades our stock, our stock price could decline rapidly. If any of these analysts ceases coverage of us, we could lose visibility in the market, which in turn could cause our common stock price or trading volume to decline and our common stock to be less liquid.

We may not pay a dividend.

        Holders of our common stock are only entitled to receive such cash dividends as our board of directors, in its discretion, may declare out of funds legally available for such payments. Furthermore, consistent with our strategic plans, growth initiatives, capital availability, projected liquidity needs, payment of dividends on our preferred stock, and other factors, we have made, and will continue to make, capital management decisions and policies could adversely impact the amount of dividends paid to our common shareholders.

        We are a separate and distinct legal entity from our subsidiaries, including Merchants Bank. We receive substantially all of our revenue from dividends from the Bank, which we use as the principal source of funds to pay our expenses. Various federal and/or state laws and regulations limit the amount of dividends that Merchants Bank and our indirect non-bank subsidiaries may pay us. Such limits are also tied to the earnings of our subsidiaries. If Merchants Bank does not receive regulatory approval or if our subsidiaries' earnings are not sufficient to make dividend payments to us while maintaining adequate capital levels, our ability to pay our expenses and our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely impacted.

Shares of certain shareholders may be sold into the public market in the near future. This could cause the market price of our common stock to drop significantly.

        In connection with this offering, our directors, our executive officers and certain of our shareholders have entered into lock-up agreements that restrict the sale of their holdings of our common stock for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus. The underwriters, in their discretion, may release any of the shares of our common stock subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice. In addition, after this offering, approximately 1,403,271 shares of our common stock that are currently issued and outstanding will not be subject to lock-up. The resale of such shares could cause the market price of our stock to drop significantly, and concerns that those sales may occur could cause the trading price of our common stock to decrease or to be lower than it might otherwise be.

        Immediately following this offering, we intend to file a registration statement on Form S-8 registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), the shares of common stock reserved for issuance in respect of incentive awards issued under our 2017 Equity Incentive Plan. If a large number of shares are sold in the public market, the sales could reduce the trading price of our common stock. These sales also could impede our ability to raise future capital.

Our management will have broad discretion as to the use of proceeds from this offering, and we may not use the proceeds effectively.

        We are not required to apply any portion of the net proceeds of this offering for any particular purpose. Accordingly, our management will have broad discretion as to the application of the net proceeds of this offering and could use them for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of this offering. A portion of the proceeds are expected to be used to provide additional capital as a cushion against minimum regulatory capital requirements, which may tend to reduce our return on equity compared to if such proceeds were used for further growth. Our shareholders may not agree

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with the manner in which our management chooses to allocate and invest the net proceeds. We may not be successful in using the net proceeds from this offering to increase our profitability or market value and we cannot predict whether the proceeds will be invested to yield a favorable return.

Failure to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting could have a material adverse effect on our business and stock price.

        As a private company, we are not currently required to comply with the rules of the SEC implementing Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and are therefore not required to make a formal assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for that purpose. Upon becoming a public company after completion of this offering, we will be required to comply with the SEC's rules implementing Sections 302 and 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which will require management to certify financial and other information in our quarterly and annual reports and provide an annual management report on the effectiveness of controls over financial reporting. In particular, we will be required to certify our compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act beginning with our second annual report on Form 10-K, which will require us to furnish annually a report by management on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Furthermore, unless we remain an emerging growth company and elect additional transitional relief available to emerging growth companies, or we qualify as a smaller reporting company under applicable SEC rules, then our independent registered public accounting firm will be required to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, beginning as of that second annual report.

        If we identify any material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner or assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting once we are no longer an emerging growth company, investors, counterparties and customers may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial statements and reports; our liquidity, access to capital markets and perceptions of our creditworthiness could be adversely affected; and the market price of our common stock could decline. In addition, we could become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which our securities are listed, the SEC, Federal Reserve, FDIC, IDFI or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources. These events could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

You will incur immediate dilution as a result of this offering.

        The initial public offering price is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our common stock. Investors purchasing common stock in this offering will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds the book value of our tangible assets after subtracting our liabilities. As a result, investors purchasing common stock in this offering will incur immediate dilution of $7.77 per share, based on the assumed initial public offering price of $18.00 (the mid-point of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus). Further, investors purchasing common stock in this offering will contribute approximately 83.3% of the total amount invested by stockholders since our inception, but will own only approximately 20.5% of the shares of common stock outstanding after giving effect to this offering. As a result of the dilution to investors purchasing shares in this offering, investors may receive significantly less than the purchase price paid in this offering, if anything, in the event of our liquidation. For a further description of the dilution that you will experience immediately after this offering, see "Dilution."

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Future equity issuances could result in dilution, which could cause our common stock price to decline.

        We are generally not restricted from issuing additional shares of our common stock, up to the 50,000,000 shares of common stock and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock authorized in our articles of incorporation, which in each case could be increased by a vote of a majority of our shares. We may issue additional shares of our common stock in the future pursuant to current or future equity compensation plans, upon conversions of preferred stock or debt, upon exercise of warrants or in connection with future acquisitions or financings. If we choose to raise capital by selling shares of our common stock for any reason, the issuance would have a dilutive effect on the holders of our common stock and could have a material negative effect on the market price of our common stock.

We may issue shares of preferred stock in the future, which could make it difficult for another company to acquire us or could otherwise adversely affect holders of our common stock, which could depress the price of our common stock.

        Although there are 41,625 shares of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock issued and outstanding as of October 12, 2017, our articles of organization authorize us to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of one or more series of preferred stock. The board also has the power, without shareholder approval, to set the terms of any series of preferred stock that may be issued, including voting rights, dividend rights, preferences over our common stock with respect to dividends or in the event of a dissolution, liquidation or winding up and other terms. In the event that we issue preferred stock in the future that has preference over our common stock with respect to payment of dividends or upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or if we issue preferred stock with voting rights that dilute the voting power of our common stock, the rights of the holders of our common stock or the market price of our common stock could be adversely affected. In addition, the ability of our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock without any action on the part of our shareholders may impede a takeover of us and prevent a transaction perceived to be favorable to our shareholders.

Provisions in our charter documents and Indiana law may have an anti-takeover effect, and there are substantial regulatory limitations on changes of control of bank holding companies.

        Provisions of our charter documents and the Indiana Business Corporation Law (the "IBCL"), could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so would be perceived to be beneficial by our shareholders. Furthermore, with certain limited exceptions, federal regulations prohibit a person or company or a group of persons deemed to be "acting in concert" from, directly or indirectly, acquiring more than 10% (5% if the acquirer is a bank holding company) of any class of our voting stock or obtaining the ability to control in any manner the election of a majority of our directors or otherwise direct the management or policies of our company without prior notice or application to and the approval of the Federal Reserve. Accordingly, prospective investors need to be aware of and comply with these requirements, if applicable, in connection with any purchase of shares of our common stock. Moreover, the combination of these provisions effectively inhibits certain mergers or other business combinations, which, in turn, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

        This prospectus contains forward-looking statements which reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events and our financial performance. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "may," "might," "should," "could," "predict," "potential," "believe," "expect," "continue," "will," "anticipate," "seek," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "projection," "goal," "target," "outlook," "aim," "would," "annualized" and "outlook," or the negative version of those words or other comparable words or phrases of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control. Accordingly, we caution you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions, estimates and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

        A number of important factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements, including those factors identified in "Risk Factors" or "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" or the following:

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        The foregoing factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read together with the other cautionary statements included in this prospectus. Because of these risks and other uncertainties, our actual future results, performance or achievement, or industry results, may be materially different from the results indicated by the forward looking statements in this prospectus. In addition, our past results of operations are not necessarily indicative of our future results. You should not rely on any forward looking statements, which represent our beliefs, assumptions and estimates only as of the dates on which they were made, as predictions of future events. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

        Assuming an initial public offering price of $18.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, the net proceeds to us from this offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses, will be approximately $92.2 million (or approximately $106.3 million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares from us in full).

        Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by $5.2 million, (or $6.0 million if the underwriters elect to exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares), assuming the number of shares we sell, as set forth on the cover of this prospectus, remains the same, after deducting the underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses.

        We intend to contribute $86.4 million of the net proceeds that we receive from this offering to Merchants Bank to support balance sheet growth, and to use the remainder for general corporate purposes, which could include future acquisitions and other growth initiatives. We also intend to use approximately $5.8 million to complete the pending acquisition of Joy State Bank. See "Business—Pending Acquisition." We do not have any current specific plan for such remaining net proceeds, and do not have any current plans, arrangements or understandings to make any material acquisitions or to establish any de novo bank branches. Our management will retain broad discretion to allocate the net proceeds of this offering. The precise amounts and timing of our use of the proceeds will depend upon market conditions, among other factors.

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DIVIDEND POLICY

        It has been our policy to pay quarterly dividends to holders of our common stock, and we intend to generally maintain our current dividend levels. Our dividend policy and practice may change in the future, however, and our board of directors may change or eliminate the payment of future dividends at its discretion, without notice to our shareholders. Any future determination to pay dividends to holders of our common stock will depend on our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, banking regulations, payment of dividends on our preferred stock, contractual restrictions and any other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.

        The following table shows recent quarterly dividends on our common stock during the periods indicated, as adjusted for stock splits.

Quarterly Period
  Amount
Per Share
  Payment Date

Third Quarter 2017

  $ 0.05   October 2, 2017

Second Quarter 2017

    0.05   June 30, 2017

First Quarter 2017

    0.05   March 31, 2017

Fourth Quarter 2016

    0.05   December 31, 2016

Third Quarter 2016

    0.05   September 30, 2016

Second Quarter 2016

    0.05   June 30, 2016

First Quarter 2016

    0.05   March 31, 2016

Fourth Quarter 2015

    0.05   December 31, 2015

Third Quarter 2015

    0.05   September 30, 2015

Second Quarter 2015

    0.05   June 30, 2015

First Quarter 2015

    0.05   March 31, 2015

Dividend Restrictions

        Under the terms of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock, we are not permitted to declare or pay any dividends on our common stock unless the dividends have been declared and paid on the shares of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock for the period since the last payment of dividends. See "Description of Capital Stock—Preferred Stock—Dividends and Other Distributions."

        As a bank holding company, our ability to pay dividends is affected by the policies and enforcement powers of the Federal Reserve. In addition, because we are a holding company, we are dependent upon the payment of dividends by the Bank to us as our principal source of funds to pay dividends in the future, if any, and to make other payments. Merchants Bank is also subject to various legal, regulatory and other restrictions on its ability to pay dividends and make other distributions and payments to us. See "Supervision and Regulation—Merchants Bank—Dividends."

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CAPITALIZATION

        The following table shows our capitalization and regulatory capital ratios as of June 30, 2017, on an actual basis and on an as adjusted basis after giving effect to the net proceeds from the sale by us of 5,555,555 shares of our common stock at an assumed public offering price of $18.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range on the cover of this prospectus, after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses. You should read the following table in conjunction with the sections titled "Summary Historical Consolidated Financial Data," "Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. This table assumes the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional shares from us.

 
  As of June 30, 2017  
 
  Actual   As adjusted (1)  
(Dollars in thousands)
  (unaudited)
 

Shareholders' equity:

             

Preferred stock, no par value, $1,000.00 per share, 5,000,000 shares authorized, 41,625 shares of 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock outstanding actual and 41,625 shares of 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock outstanding as adjusted

  $ 41,581   $ 41,581  

Common stock, no par value, $0.01 per share, 50,000,000 shares authorized, 21,114,400 shares outstanding actual and 27,053,222 shares outstanding as adjusted (2)

    20,103     112,348  

Retained earnings

    165,386     165,386  

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

    (557 )   (557 )

Total shareholders' equity

    226,513     318,758  

Total capitalization

  $ 226,513   $ 318,758  

Capital ratios (Merchants Bancorp):

             

Tier 1 capital to average assets

    7.4 %   10.6 %

Common equity Tier 1 capital (3)

    7.4 %   11.5 %

Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets

    9.3 %   13.3 %

Total capital to risk-weighted assets

    9.6 %   13.6 %

Tangible common equity to tangible assets (4)

    6.0 %   8.7 %

Capital ratios (Merchants Bank only):

   
 
   
 
 

Tier 1 common equity to risk-weighted assets

    11.7 %   15.5 %

Tier 1 leverage ratio

    9.3 %   12.4 %

Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets

    11.7 %   15.5 %

Total capital to risk-weighted assets

    12.0 %   15.8 %

(1)
Each $1.00 increase or (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $18.00 per share (the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) would increase or (decrease), respectively, the amount of cash and cash equivalents, total stockholders' equity and total capitalization by approximately $5.2 million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Excludes the impact of the RICHMAC acquisition on our balance sheet. Net proceeds of this offering are assumed to have a 0% risk-weighting and are not included in average assets.

(2)
As adjusted to include shares of our common stock issued in August 2017 for the acquisition of RICHMAC.

(3)
Deductions and other adjustments to the capital measure "Common Equity Tier 1" are being phased in over a four-year period, and began as of January 1, 2016 at the 0.625% level with increases at that amount each subsequent January 1 until it reaches 2.5% on January 1, 2019.

(4)
Tangible common equity to tangible assets is a non-GAAP financial measure. For more information on this financial measure, see "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of this measure to its most comparable GAAP measure.

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DILUTION

        If you purchase shares of our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will experience immediate book value dilution to the extent the public offering price per share exceeds our net tangible book value per share immediately after this offering. Net tangible book value per share represents the amount of our total tangible assets less our total liabilities and preferred stock, divided by the number of shares of common stock outstanding. Our net tangible book value per share computation includes shares of our common stock issued in August 2017 for the acquisition of RICHMAC, but excludes the increase to equity for issuance of such shares and the effect of the change in net tangible book value as a result of the acquisition.

        Our net tangible book value at June 30, 2017 was approximately $184.4 million, or $8.58 per share. After giving effect to our sale of 5,555,555 shares in this offering at an assumed public offering price of $18.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range on the cover of this prospectus, and after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses, our as adjusted net tangible book value at June 30, 2017 would have been approximately $276.6 million, or $10.23 per share. Therefore, this offering will result in an immediate increase of $1.65 in the net tangible book value per share to our existing shareholders, and immediate dilution of $7.77 in the net tangible book value per share to investors purchasing shares in this offering. The following table illustrates this per share dilution.

Assumed initial public offering price per share, the mid-point of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus

        $ 18.00  

Net tangible book value per share at June 30, 2017

  $ 8.58               

Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to this offering

    1.65        

As adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering

          10.23  

Dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors

        $ 7.77  

        A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $18.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range on the cover of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) our net tangible book value by $5.2 million, or $0.19 per share, and the dilution to new investors by $0.81 per share, assuming no change to the number of shares offered by us as set forth on the cover of this prospectus, and after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses.

        If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares from us in full, the as adjusted net tangible book value after giving effect to this offering would be $10.42 per share. This represents an increase in net tangible book value of $1.84 per share to existing shareholders and dilution of $7.58 per share to new investors.

        The following table sets forth information regarding the shares issued to, and consideration paid by, our existing shareholders and the shares to be issued to, and consideration to be paid by, investors in this offering at an assumed public offering price of $18.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the

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price range on the cover of this prospectus, before deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses.

 
   
   
  Total consideration    
 
 
  Shares purchased    
 
 
  Amount
(in thousands)
   
  Average price
per share
 
 
  Number   Percent   Percent  

Shareholders as of June 30, 2017

    21,497,667 (1)   79.5 % $ 20,103     16.7 % $ 0.94  

Investors in this offering

    5,555,555     20.5 %   100,000     83.3 %   18.00  

Total

    27,053,222     100.0 % $ 120,103     100.0 % $ 4.44  

(1)
As adjusted to include shares of our common stock issued in August 2017 for the acquisition of RICHMAC, but excludes the increase to equity for issuance of such shares.

        For the purposes of this section of this prospectus, the number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2017 and to be outstanding after this offering is based on 21,497,667 shares of common stock outstanding as of October 12, 2017, as adjusted for the 2.5 for 1 stock split that was effective July 6, 2017:

        We may choose to raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities due to market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent we issue additional shares of common stock or other equity or convertible debt securities in the future, there will be further dilution to investors participating in this offering.


PRICE RANGE OF OUR COMMON STOCK

        Prior to this offering, our common stock has not been traded on an established public trading market, and quotations for our common stock were not reported on any market. As a result, there has been no regular market for our common stock. Although shares of our common stock may have been sporadically traded in private transactions, the prices at which such transactions occurred may not necessarily reflect the price that would be paid for our common stock in an active market. As of June 30, 2017, there were 102 holders of record of our common stock.

        We anticipate that this offering and the listing of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market will result in a more active trading market for our common stock. However, we cannot assure you that a liquid trading market for our common stock will develop or be sustained after this offering. You may not be able to sell your shares quickly or at the market price if trading in our common stock is not active. See the section of this prospectus titled "Underwriting" for more information regarding our arrangements with the underwriters and the factors considered in setting the initial public offering price.

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SELECTED HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

        The following table sets forth our summary historical consolidated financial data as of the dates and for the periods shown. The summary balance sheet data as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 and the summary income statement data for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. We have derived the summary historical consolidated financial data as of and for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 from our audited financial statements not included in this prospectus. The summary consolidated financial data as of June 30, 2017 and for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 is derived from our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus and includes all normal and recurring adjustments that we consider necessary for a fair presentation. Operating results for the six months ended June 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017.

        You should read the following financial data in conjunction with the other information contained in this prospectus, including "Summary Selected Consolidated Financial Data," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and in the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 
  At or for the Six Months
Ended June 30,
  At or for the Year Ended December 31,  
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
  2017   2016   2016   2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  (unaudited)
   
   
   
   
   
 

Balance Sheet Data

                                           

Total Assets

  $ 3,091,500   $ 2,506,974   $ 2,718,512   $ 2,269,442   $ 1,793,008   $ 1,179,791   $ 936,172  

Loans held for investment

    1,070,866     872,292     941,796     762,212     447,614     266,092     217,073  

Allowance for loan losses

    (6,865 )   (5,902 )   (6,250 )   (5,422 )   (4,458 )   (3,295 )   (2,854 )

Loans held for sale

    983,420     818,404     764,503     620,583     736,667     542,571     365,444  

Investment securities

    523,351     426,310     463,549     362,325     305,583     222,798     190,261  

Deposits

    2,771,501     2,247,621     2,428,621     2,039,520     1,610,719     1,054,304     815,418  

FHLB advances and other borrowings

    26,633     27,030     27,006     27,490     17,860     3,223     7,584  

Subordinated debt

    30,000     30,000     30,000     30,000     30,000          

Total liabilities

    2,864,987     2,329,701     2,512,224     2,121,242     1,682,872     1,060,976     841,864  

Preferred stock

    41,581     28,525     41,581     10,000              

Common stock

    20,103     20,062     20,061     20,061     16,121     9,469     9,469  

Total shareholder's equity

    226,513     177,273     206,288     148,200     110,137     118,814     94,308  

Tangible common equity

    184,409     148,226     164,184     137,677     109,614     118,291     93,785  

Income Statement Data

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Interest Income

  $ 41,471   $ 32,421   $ 72,939   $ 56,345   $ 39,554   $ 31,659   $ 25,764  

Interest Expense

    12,216     8,602     18,968     14,290     8,924     5,951     5,054  

Net interest income

    29,255     23,819     53,971     42,055     30,630     25,708     20,710  

Provision for loan losses

    480     480     960     960     1,215     720     1,270  

Noninterest income

    24,717     9,951     28,504     27,008     20,263     27,284     36,121  

Noninterest expense

    14,902     12,163     26,720     20,922     15,796     13,328     12,504  

Income before taxes

    38,590     21,127     54,795     47,181     33,882     38,944     43,057  

Provision for income taxes

    14,702     8,353     21,668     18,798     30,079          

Net income, as previously reported

    23,888     12,774     33,127     28,383     3,803     38,944     43,057  

Non-GAAP Reconciliation:

                                           

Pro-forma adjustments:

                                           

Add back of tax effect of S Corp to C Corp conversion

                    16,431 (1)        

Less provision for income taxes

                        15,578 (2)   17,223 (2)

Pro-forma net income

    23,888     12,774     33,127     28,383     20,234     23,366     25,834  

Preferred stock dividends

    1,665     407     2,002                  

Pro-forma net income available to common shareholders

  $ 22,223   $ 12,367   $ 31,125   $ 28,383   $ 20,234   $ 23,366   $ 25,834  

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  At or for the Six Months
Ended June 30,
  At or for the Year Ended December 31,  
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
  2017   2016   2016   2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  (unaudited)
   
   
   
   
   
 

Credit Quality Data

                                           

Loans 30-89 days past due

  $ 4,617   $ 382   $ 2,288   $ 1,515   $ 1,190   $   $ 148  

Loans 30-89 days past due to total loans

    0.43 %   0.04 %   0.24 %   0.20 %   0.27 %       0.07 %

Nonperforming loans

  $ 3,219   $ 2,195   $ 1,887   $ 887   $ 815   $ 490   $ 1,451  

Nonperforming loans to total loans

    0.30 %   0.25 %   0.20 %   0.12 %   0.18 %   0.18 %   0.67 %

Nonperforming assets

  $ 3,219   $ 2,195   $ 1,887   $ 887   $ 815   $ 490   $ 1,451  

Nonperforming assets to total assets

    0.10 %   0.09 %   0.07 %   0.04 %   0.05 %   0.04 %   0.16 %

Allowance for loan losses to total loans

    0.64 %   0.68 %   0.66 %   0.71 %   1.00 %   1.24 %   1.31 %

Allowance for loan losses to nonperforming loans

    213.26 %   268.88 %   331.21 %   611.27 %   546.99 %   672.45 %   196.69 %

Net charge-offs/(recoveries) to average loans

    (0.01 )%               0.02 %   0.12 %   0.14 %

Per Share Data (Common Stock)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Basic and diluted earnings per share

                                           

As reported

  $ 1.05   $ 0.59   $ 1.47   $ 1.35   $ 0.19   $ 1.95   $ 2.15  

Pro-forma

  $ 1.05   $ 0.59   $ 1.47   $ 1.35   $ 1.01 (3) $ 1.17 (3) $ 1.29 (3)

Dividends declared

  $ 0.10   $ 0.10   $ 0.20   $ 0.20   $ 0.95   $ 0.72   $ 0.44  

Book value

                                           

As reported

  $ 8.76   $ 7.05   $ 7.80   $ 6.55   $ 5.32   $ 5.94   $ 4.72  

Pro-forma

  $ 8.76   $ 7.05   $ 7.80   $ 6.55   $ 6.11 (4) $ 5.16 (5) $ 3.85 (5)

Tangible book value

                                           

As reported

  $ 8.73   $ 7.02   $ 7.78   $ 6.52   $ 5.29   $ 5.92   $ 4.69  

Pro-forma

  $ 8.73   $ 7.02   $ 7.78   $ 6.52   $ 6.09 (4) $ 5.14 (5) $ 3.83 (5)

Weighted average shares outstanding

                                           

Basic

    21,114,400     21,111,200     21,111,208     21,075,475     20,017,400     20,000,000     20,000,000  

Diluted

    21,119,411     21,112,283     21,113,435     21,075,475     20,017,400     20,000,000     20,000,000  

Shares outstanding at period end

    21,114,400     21,111,200     21,111,200     21,111,200     20,703,700     20,000,000     20,000,000  

Performance Metrics

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Return on average assets

                                           

As reported

    1.74 %   1.05 %   1.24 %   1.32 %   0.25 %   3.18 %   4.81 %

Pro-forma

    1.74 %   1.05 %   1.24 %   1.32 %   1.34 % (4)   1.91 % (5)   2.89 % (5)

Return on average equity

                                           

As reported

    22.00 %   16.52 %   18.68 %   22.62 %   3.71 %   37.07 %   57.86 %

Pro-forma

    22.00 %   16.52 %   18.68 %   22.62 %   19.76 % (4)   22.24 % (5)   34.71 % (5)

Return on average tangible common equity

                                           

As reported

    25.40 %   17.18 %   20.50 %   22.73 %   3.73 %   37.25 %   58.27 %

Pro-forma

    25.40 %   17.18 %   20.50 %   22.73 %   19.86 % (4)   22.35 % (5)   34.96 % (5)

Net interest margin

    2.23 %   2.03 %   2.07 %   2.02 %   2.12 %   2.19 %   2.41 %

Efficiency ratio

    27.61 %   36.02 %   32.40 %   30.29 %   31.04 %   25.15 %   22.00 %

Loans and loans held for sale to deposits

    74.12 %   75.22 %   70.26 %   67.80 %   73.52 %   76.70 %   71.44 %

Capital Ratios—Merchants Bancorp

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Tangible common equity to tangible assets

    6.0 %   5.9 %   6.0 %   6.1 %   6.1 %   10.0     10.0  

Common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets

    7.4 %   7.4 %   8.1 %   8.5 %   N/ A   N/ A   N/ A

Tier 1 leverage ratio

    7.4 %   6.5 %   6.6 %   6.1 %   6.1 %   8.4 %   8.0 %

Tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets

    9.3 %   8.9 %   10.3 %   9.2 %   7.7 %   11.9 %   18.0 %

Total capital to risk-weighted assets

    9.6 %   9.2 %   10.6 %   9.6 %   8.1 %   12.2 %   18.0 %

Regulatory Capital Ratios—Merchants Bank Only

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Tier 1 common capital to risk-weighted assets

    11.7 %   12.0 %   13.2 %   12.9 %   N/ A        

Tier 1 leverage ratio

    9.3 %   8.7 %   8.4 %   8.5 %   8.7 %   8.4 %   8.0 %

Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets

    11.7 %   12.0 %   13.2 %   12.9 %   11.0 %   11.9 %   18.0 %

Total capital to risk-weighted assets

    12.0 %   12.4 %   13.5 %   13.3 %   11.3 %   12.2 %   18.0 %

(1)
Represents the recognition of deferred tax liabilities recorded upon conversion from a Subchapter S corporation to a regular C corporation.

(2)
Represents the pro-forma effects of income taxes using a 40% income tax rate, as we were a Subchapter S corporation in years prior to 2014.

(3)
Represents basic and diluted earnings per share calculated on pro-forma net income.

(4)
Represents pro-forma performance metrics calculated on net income as adjusted for the effects of the deferred tax liabilities recorded in connection with the conversion from Subchapter S to C corporation.

(5)
Represents pro-forma performance metrics calculated on net income as adjusted for the effects of income taxes included calculated using a 40% income tax rate for years previously reported as a Subchapter S corporation.

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NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

        Some of the financial measures included in this prospectus are not measures of financial performance recognized by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. Our management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in its analysis of our performance. These non-GAAP financial measures include presentation of tangible shareholders' equity and pro-forma tax effects related to our conversion from a Subchapter S corporation to a C corporation for income tax purposes.

        The reconciliation from shareholders' equity per GAAP to tangible shareholders' equity is comprised solely of goodwill totaling $523,000 in all periods from December 31, 2012 through June 30, 2017.

        We converted from a Subchapter S corporation to a C corporation in 2014. In connection with this conversion, we recorded a charge to net income in 2014 for the recognition of deferred tax liabilities totaling $16.4 million. To facilitate comparison of the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, with subsequent years, we have displayed tax expense for 2013 and 2012 at an estimated assumed tax rate of 40.0%, and a reversal of the charge for deferred tax liabilities in 2014.

        We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to management and investors that is supplementary to our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows computed in accordance with GAAP; however, we acknowledge that the non-GAAP financial measures have a number of limitations. As such, you should not view these disclosures as a substitute for results determined in accordance with GAAP, and these disclosures are not necessarily comparable to non-GAAP financial measures that other companies use.

        A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures is as follows:

 
  At June 30,   At December 31,  
(Dollars in thousands)
  2017   2016   2016   2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  (unaudited)
   
   
   
   
   
 

Tangible shareholders' equity

                                           

Shareholders' equity per GAAP

  $ 226,513   $ 177,273   $ 206,288   $ 148,200   $ 110,137   $ 118,814   $ 94,308  

Less: Goodwill

    (523 )   (523 )   (523 )   (523 )   (523 )   (523 )   (523 )

Tangible shareholders' equity

    225,990     176,750     205,765     147,677     109,614     118,291     93,785  

Less preferred stock

    (41,581 )   (28,525 )   (41,581 )   (10,000 )            

Tangible common shareholders' equity

  $ 184,409   $ 148,225   $ 164,184   $ 137,677   $ 109,614   $ 118,291   $ 93,785  

Tangible common equity to tangible assets (1)

    6.0 %   5.9 %   6.0 %   6.1 %   6.1 %   10.0 %   10.0 %

Efficiency ratio (2)

    27.61 %   36.02 %   32.40 %   30.29 %   31.04 %   25.15 %   22.00 %


 
  For the Six
Months Ended
June 30,
  For the Year Ended
December 31,
 
 
  2017   2016   2016   2015   2014   2013   2012  

Net income as reported

  $ 23,888   $ 12,774   $ 33,127   $ 28,383   $ 3,803   $ 38,944   $ 43,057  

Pro-forma tax effects of C corp status

                    16,431     (15,578 )   (17,223 )

Pro-forma net income

  $ 23,888   $ 12,774   $ 33,127   $ 28,383   $ 20,234   $ 23,366   $ 25,834  

(1)
Tangible assets represents consolidated assets less goodwill of $523 in each period.

(2)
The efficiency ratio represents noninterest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and noninterest income.

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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

         The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with "Summary Historical Consolidated Financial Data" and "Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data" and our audited and unaudited consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from our expectations. Actual results and the timing of events may differ significantly from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those set forth under "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements," "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in this prospectus. We assume no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.

Our Company Overview

        We are a diversified bank holding company headquartered in Carmel, Indiana and registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. We currently operate multiple lines of business with a focus on FHA multi-family housing and healthcare facility financing and servicing, mortgage warehouse financing, retail and correspondent residential mortgage banking, agricultural lending and traditional community banking.

        Our business consists primarily of funding low risk loans that sell within 90 days of origination. The sale of loans and servicing fees generated from the multifamily rental real estate loans servicing portfolio contribute to noninterest income. The funding source is primarily from mortgage custodial, municipal, and retail and commercial deposits. We believe that the combination of net interest income and noninterest income from the sale of low risk profile assets results in lower than industry charge offs and a lower expense base serving to maximize net income and shareholder return.

Our Corporate Structure

        We have multiple lines of business and provide various banking and financial services through our subsidiaries and Merchants Bank divisions as follows:

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P/RMIC: Multi-Family Rental Housing, Healthcare Financing and Servicing

        P/RMIC is primarily engaged in mortgage banking, specializing in originating and servicing loans for multi-family rental housing and healthcare facility financing, particularly for senior living properties.

        P/RMIC originated $1.2 billion in loans during 2016 and $906 million during the six months ended June 30, 2017. P/RMIC primarily originates FHA loans that are sold as Ginnie Mae mortgage backed securities in approximately 30 days. The loans are sold and the mortgage servicing rights are retained. Other originations include bridge and permanent financing that are referred to the Banking segment. These loans eventually become permanent FHA financings by P/RMIC. In addition to the $1.2 billion originated directly by P/RMIC, we also funded loans brought to us by non-affiliated entities. As of June 30, 2017, P/RMIC's servicing portfolio totaled $6.2 billion, which includes owned and subserviced loans.

        We generated approximately $22.6 and $23.0 million, or 41.9% and 27.9%, of net revenue (net interest income plus non-interest income) from our Multi-family Mortgage Banking segment for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and year ended December 31, 2016, respectively.

RICHMAC

        In August 2017, P/RMIC acquired RICHMAC Funding, LLC, a national multi-family housing mortgage lender, to complement and expand the products and services offered by P/RMIC.

MERCHANTS BANK: Warehouse Financing and Loan Participations

        Merchants Bank started our warehouse lending business in 2009 as a result of dislocation in the market. Merchants Bank currently has warehouse lines of credit and loan participations with some of the largest non-depository financial institutions in the country. For the six months ended June 30, 2017, Merchants Bank and NMF had $1.2 billion in loans outstanding from warehouse lines for credit to single and multi-family lenders and loan participations. We generated approximately $17.7 and $35.3 million, or 32.9% and 42.8%, of net revenue (net interest income plus non-interest income) from our Mortgage Warehousing segment for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and year ended December 31, 2016, respectively.

Commercial Lending and Retail Banking

        Merchants Bank operates under an Indiana charter and provides full banking services. Merchants Bank has five depository branches located in Carmel, Indianapolis and Lynn, Indiana. Merchants Bank holds loans in its portfolio comprised of multi-family construction and bridge loans referred by P/RMIC, owner occupied commercial real estate loans, commercial & industrial loans, agricultural loans, residential mortgage loans and consumer loans. Merchants Bank receives deposits from customers located primarily in Hamilton, Marion, Randolph and surrounding counties in Indiana and from the escrows generated by the servicing activities of P/RMIC.

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SBA Lending

        Merchants Bank participates in the SBA 7(a) program in order to meet the needs of our small business community, and help diversify our retail revenue stream. We originate and service, as well as sell the guaranteed portion of these loans. As of June 30, 2017, Merchants Bank had originated $4.5 million in SBA 7(a) loans in Marion and Hamilton counties in Central Indiana since our participation in this program.

        The SBA's 7(a) program provides up to a 75% guaranty for loans greater than $150,000. For loans $150,000 or less, the program provides up to an 85% guaranty. The maximum 7(a) loan amount is $5 million. The guaranty is conditional and covers a portion of the risk of payment default by the borrower, but not the risk of improper closing and servicing by the lender. As such, prudent underwriting and closing processes are essential to effective utilization of the 7(a) program. We typically sell in the secondary market the SBA-guaranteed portion (generally 75% of the principal balance) of the loans we originate.

Agricultural Lending

        Merchants Bank has its MBI-Lynn division located in Lynn, Randolph County, Indiana with its primary business function to provide agricultural loans within its designated CRA area of Randolph and Wayne counties in Eastern Indiana and nearby Darke County, Ohio. Merchants Bank offers operating lines of credit for crop and livestock production, intermediate term financing to purchase equipment and breeding livestock and long-term financing to purchase agricultural real estate. As of June 30, 2017, there were $66.4 million of agricultural loans in the portfolio, including undisbursed funds of $4.3 million, 48.2% of which have a FSA 90% guarantee. Merchants Bank is approved to sell agricultural loans in the secondary market through Farmer Mac and uses this relationship to manage interest rate risk within the agricultural loan portfolio. As of June 30, 2017, $13.5 million in agricultural loans had been sold to Farmer Mac without recourse. Merchants Bank has written off less than $25 thousand in loan loss in its agricultural loan portfolio since December 31, 2004.

Loan Origination Guidelines

        Our various categories of loans held for investment are underwritten in accordance with guidelines appropriate for each loan type. For mortgage warehouse lines of credit, we evaluate warehouse lending customers based on their financial condition, including minimum net worth and compliance with agency requirements, before entering a warehouse line of credit relationship. Warehouse lending customers are monitored quarterly and renewed annually. We review each mortgage loan funded on the lines of credit prior to funding to ensure compliance with agency or investor guidelines. Residential and multi-family rental real estate loans included in loans held for investment are underwritten in accordance with agency credit criteria. However, we make certain exceptions for loan size on certain residential mortgages. Commercial and commercial real estate loans are underwritten in accordance with loan policy parameters of 80% loan-to-value ratio and 1.25 debt service coverage ratio, and we may include other financial covenants and guarantors where we deem appropriate.

MERCHANTS MORTGAGE: Single Family Mortgage Lending, Correspondent Lending and Servicing

        Merchants Mortgage is the branded arm and division of Merchants Bank which is a full service single-family mortgage origination and servicing platform started in February 2013. Merchants Mortgage is both a retail and correspondent mortgage lender. Merchants Mortgage offers agency eligible, jumbo fixed and hybrid adjustable rate mortgages for purchase or refinancing. Other products include construction, bridge and lot financing and HELOCs, including the All-in-One product, which links a customer's checking account balance to a first lien HELOC. Merchants Mortgage generates revenues from fees charged to borrowers, interest income during the warehouse period, and gain on

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the sale of loans to investors. There are multiple investor outlets, including direct sale capability to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHLBI, and other third-party investors to allow Merchants Mortgage a best execution at sale. Merchants Mortgage also originates loans held for investment and earns interest income over the life of the loan.

NMF: Warehouse Financing and Loan Participations

        Through NMF we engage in loan participations and warehouse financing with Home Point and its subsidiaries and correspondent customers. NMF was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Merchants Bank in 2014. We entered into a Revolving Loan and Subordinated Loan Agreement whereby Home Point invested $30 million in our subordinated debt. In turn, we invested the proceeds into Merchants Bank and then to NMF. NMF provides $300 million of lending capacity to Home Point and its subsidiaries and correspondent customers. We earn net interest income and use Home Point custodial deposits to fund the loans.

MIDTOWN WEST

        MBI Midtown owns land upon which we expect to build our new corporate headquarters building in Carmel, Indiana.

ASH REALTY

        Ash Realty holds assets acquired through, or in lieu of, loan foreclosures. At June 30, 2017, there were no assets held in Ash Realty.

ARCLINE FINANCIAL, LLC

        Merchants owns 30% of Arcline and is accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Arcline processes warehouse and correspondent lending transactions, including on behalf of Merchants Bank.

Our Segments

        We operate in three primary segments: Multi-family Mortgage Banking, Mortgage Warehousing, and Banking. We believe that P/RMIC, which operates in our Multi-Family Mortgage Banking segment, is one of the largest FHA lenders and Ginnie Mae servicers in the country based on aggregate loan principal value. P/RMIC has grown to over $1 billion in annual originations since the beginning of 2015 and services $6.2 billion as of June 30, 2017. The servicing portfolio is primarily Ginnie Mae and is a significant source of our noninterest income and deposits. Our Mortgage Warehousing segment funds agency eligible loans for non-depository financial institutions from the date of origination or purchase until the date of sale to an investor, which typically takes less than 30 days and is a significant source of our net interest income, loans, and deposits. Mortgage Warehousing has grown to fund over $20 billion of loan principal annually since 2015. Mortgage Warehousing also provides deposits related to the mortgage escrow accounts of its customers. The Banking segment includes retail banking, commercial lending, agricultural lending, retail and correspondent residential mortgage banking, and SBA lending. Banking operates primarily in the Indianapolis metropolitan and Randolph County Indiana markets except for correspondent mortgage banking which, like Multi-family Mortgage Banking and Mortgage Warehousing, is a national business. The Banking segment has a well-diversified customer and borrower base and has experienced significant growth over the past three years. These segments diversify the net income of the Bank and provide synergies across the segments. The strategic opportunities include that P/RMIC loans are funded by the Banking segment and the Banking segment provides Ginnie Mae custodial services to P/RMIC. The securities available for sale funded by P/RMIC custodial deposits are pledged to FHLBI to provide advance capacity during periods of high residential loan volume for

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mortgage warehousing. Mortgage Warehousing provides leads to correspondent residential lending in the banking segment. Retail and commercial customers provide cross selling opportunities within the banking segment. These and other synergies form a part of our strategic plan.

        For the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, we had total net income of $23.9 million and $12.8 million, respectively, and for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, we had total net income of $33.1 million and $28.4 million, respectively. Net income for our three segments for the respective periods was as follows:

 
  Net Income
For the Six
Months Ended
June 30,
  For the Year Ended
December 31,
 
(Dollars in thousands)
  2017   2016   2016   2015  
 
  (unaudited)
   
   
 

Multi-family Mortgage Banking

  $ 11,300   $ 2,913   $ 9,408   $ 11,277  

Mortgage Warehousing

    8,418     7,005     16,839     13,693  

Banking

    5,454     4,303     9,492     5,270  

Other

    (1,284 )   (1,447 )   (2,612 )   (1,857 )

Total

  $ 23,888   $ 12,774   $ 33,127   $ 28,383  

Primary Factors We Use to Evaluate Our Business

        As a financial institution, we manage and evaluate various aspects of both our results of operations and our financial condition. We evaluate the comparative levels and trends of the line items in our consolidated balance sheet and income statement as well as various financial ratios that are commonly used in our industry. We analyze these ratios and financial trends against our own historical performance, our budgeted performance and the financial condition and performance of comparable financial institutions in our region.

Results of operations .

        In addition to net income, the primary factors we use to evaluate and manage our results of operations include net interest income, noninterest income and noninterest expense.

        Net interest income.     Net interest income represents interest income less interest expense. We generate interest income from interest (net of any servicing fees paid or costs amortized over the expected life of the loans) and fees received on interest-earning assets, including loans and investment securities and dividends on FHLBI stock we own. We incur interest expense from interest paid on interest-bearing liabilities, including interest-bearing deposits and borrowings. Since 2014, net interest income has been the most significant contributor to our revenues and net income. To evaluate net interest income, we measure and monitor: (a) yields on our loans and other interest-earning assets; (b) the costs of our deposits and other funding sources; (c) our net interest margin; and (d) the regulatory risk weighting associated with the assets. Net interest margin is calculated as the annualized net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets. Because noninterest-bearing sources of funds, such as noninterest-bearing deposits and shareholders' equity, also fund interest-earning assets, net interest margin includes the benefit of these noninterest-bearing sources.

        Changes in market interest rates, the slope of the yield curve, and interest we earn on interest-earning assets or pay on interest-bearing liabilities, as well as the volume and types of interest-earning assets, interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing liabilities and shareholders' equity, usually have the largest impact on changes in our net interest spread, net interest margin and net interest income during a reporting period.

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        Noninterest Income.     Noninterest income consists of, among other things: (a) gain on sale of loans; (b) loan servicing fees; (c) mortgage warehouse fees; and (d) other noninterest income.

        Gain on sale of loans includes placement and origination fees, capitalized mortgage servicing rights, trading gains and losses, and other related income. Loan servicing fees are collected as payments are received for loans in the servicing portfolio. Fair value adjustments to the value of mortgage servicing rights are also included in noninterest income. Mortgage warehouse fees are collected as the funded loans are sold in the secondary market.

        Noninterest expense.     Noninterest expense includes, among other things: (a) salaries and employee benefits; (b) loan origination expenses; (c) occupancy and equipment expense; (d) professional fees; (e) FDIC insurance expense; (f) technology expense; and (g) other general and administrative expenses.

        Salaries and employee benefits includes compensation, employee benefits and employment tax expenses for our personnel. Loan expenses include third party processing for mortgage warehouse financing activities and loan-related origination expenses. Occupancy expense includes depreciation expense on our owned properties, lease expense on our leased properties and other occupancy-related expenses. Equipment expense includes furniture, fixtures and equipment related expenses. Professional fees include legal, accounting, consulting and other outsourcing arrangements. FDIC insurance expense represents the assessments that we pay to the FDIC for deposit insurance. Technology expense includes data processing fees paid to our third-party data processing system provider and other data service providers. Other general and administrative expenses include expenses associated with travel, meals, training, supplies and postage. Noninterest expenses generally increase as we grow our business. Noninterest expenses have increased significantly over the past few years as we have grown organically, and as we have built out and modernized our operational infrastructure and implemented our plan to build an efficient, technology-driven mortgage banking operation with significant operational capacity for growth.

Financial Condition

        The primary factors we use to evaluate and manage our financial condition are asset levels, liquidity, capital and asset quality.

        Asset Levels.     We manage our asset levels based upon forecasted closings or fundings within our business segments to ensure we have the necessary liquidity and capital to meet the required regulatory capital ratios. Each segment evaluates its funding needs by forecasting the fundings and sales of loans, communicating with customers on their projected funding needs, and reviewing its opportunities to add new customers.

        Liquidity.     We manage our liquidity based upon factors that include our amount of custodial and brokered deposits as a percentage of total deposits, the level of diversification of our funding sources, the allocation and amount of our deposits among deposit types, the short-term funding sources used to fund assets, the amount of non-deposit funding used to fund assets, the availability of unused funding sources, off-balance sheet obligations, the availability of assets to be readily converted into cash without a material loss on the investment, the amount of cash and cash equivalent securities we hold, the repricing characteristics and maturities of our assets when compared to the repricing characteristics of our liabilities and other factors.

        Capital.     We manage our regulatory capital based upon factors that include: (a) the level and quality of capital and our overall financial condition; (b) the trend and volume of problem assets; (c) the dollar amount of mortgage servicing rights as a percentage of capital; (d) the level and quality of earnings; (e) the risk exposures in our balance sheet; and (f) other factors. In addition, beginning in 2014 we have annually increased our capital through net income less dividends and equity issuances.

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        Asset Quality.     We manage the diversification and quality of our assets based upon factors that include the level, distribution, severity and trend of problem, classified, delinquent, nonaccrual, nonperforming and restructured assets, the adequacy of our allowance for loan losses, or the allowance, the diversification and quality of loan and investment portfolios, the extent of counterparty risks, credit risk concentrations and other factors.

Recent Developments and Material Trends

        Economic and Interest Rate Environment.     The results of our operations are highly dependent on economic conditions, mortgage volumes, and market interest rates. Residential mortgage volumes fluctuate based on economic conditions, market interest rates, and the credit parameters set by the agencies. Since the recession ended in 2009, Economic growth has been modest, the real estate market continues to recover and unemployment rates in the U.S. and our primary markets have significantly improved. In December 2015, the Federal Reserve raised short-term interest rates for the first time in nine years with a 25 basis point increase and then raised rates again in December 2016, March 2017 and June 2017, each with additional 25 basis point increases. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported a decrease in residential volume of 4.2% for the six months ended June 30, 2017 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2016 and has forecasted a 14.0% decline in residential volume from $1.891 trillion in 2016 to $1.627 trillion in 2017. Forecasts for 2018 and 2019 are $1.588 and $1.640 trillion, respectively.

        Regulatory Environment.     We believe the most important trends affecting community banks in the United States over the foreseeable future will be related to heightened regulatory capital requirements, regulatory burdens generally, including the Dodd-Frank Act and the regulations thereunder, and interest margin compression. We expect that troubled community banks will continue to face significant challenges when attempting to raise capital. We also believe that heightened regulatory capital requirements will make it more difficult for even well-capitalized, healthy community banks to grow in their communities by taking advantage of opportunities in their markets that result as the economy improves. We believe these trends will favor community banks that have sufficient capital, a diversified business model and a strong deposit franchise.

        General and Administrative Expenses.     We expect to continue incurring increased noninterest expense attributable to general and administrative expenses related to building out and modernizing our operational infrastructure, marketing and other administrative expenses to execute our strategic initiatives, expenses to hire additional personnel and other costs required to continue our growth.

        Allowance for Loan Losses.     One of our key operating objectives has been, and continues to be, maintenance of an appropriate level of allowance for loan losses for probable incurred losses in our loan portfolio. The provision for loan losses recorded in prior years was primarily due to growth in our loan portfolio, as our historical loss rates remained very low. As we anticipate that our loan portfolio will continue to grow, we expect the provision to increase irrespective of any increases of problem loans in our portfolio.

        2017 Third Quarter Update.     We are currently in the process of preparing our consolidated financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017 and, therefore, our actual results for that period are not yet available and are subject to change. However, based on our expectations, our 2017 third quarter net income will increase over our 2017 first quarter net income of $9.1 million but will be less than our 2017 second quarter net income of $14.8 million. Investors should look at our financial results on an annual basis and not necessarily on a quarterly basis. Our quarterly results tend to exhibit some level of variability, particularly related to non-interest income. Various factors impact our non-interest income resulting in net income being higher or lower from quarter-to-quarter. Our pro-forma return on average assets and pro-forma return on average tangible common equity have ranged from 1.24% to 2.89% and 19.86% to 34.96%, from 2012 through the latest twelve months ended June 30, 2017, respectively, see "Summary Historical Consolidated Data" and "Selected Historical Consolidated Data."

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Comparison of Operating Results for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016

        General.     Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2017 was $23.9 million, an increase of $11.1 million, or 87.0%, over the net income of $12.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The increase was primarily due to a $5.4 million increase in net interest income and a $14.8 million increase in noninterest income, which were partially offset by a $2.7 million increase in non-interest expense and a $6.3 million increase in the provision for income taxes.

        Interest Income.     Interest income increased $9.1 million, or 27.9%, to $41.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 from $32.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016. This increase was primarily attributable to a $6.7 million increase in interest on loans and loans held for sale, a $1.3 million increase in interest on trading securities, a $348,000 increase in interest on available-for-sale securities, and a $638,000 increase in interest on other interest-earning deposits, including FHLBI stock. The average balance of loans, including loans held for sale, during the six months ended June 30, 2017 increased $190.7 million, or 12.5%, to $1.7 billion from $1.5 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2016, while the average yield on loans increased 39 basis points to 4.08% for the six months ended June 30, 2017 compared to 3.69% for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The increase in loans and loans held for sale was due to the addition of Mortgage Warehousing segment customers resulting in warehouse fundings increasing 4.3% to $11.1 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2017 compared to $10.6 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The increase in the average yield on loans was due to the overall increase in interest rates in the economy period to period. The average balance of trading securities increased $85.3 million, or 91.0%, to $179.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 compared to $93.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016, while the average yield decreased four basis points to 3.18% for the six months ended June 30, 2017. The average balance of available-for-sale securities increased $61.6 million, or 21.6%, to $346.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 compared to $284.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016, and the average yield increased one basis point to 1.12% for the six months ended June 30, 2017. The average balance of other interest-earning assets decreased $48.2 million, or 10.6%, to $405.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 from $453.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016, while the average yield increased 39 basis points to 0.96% for the six months ended June 30, 2017.

        Interest Expense.     Total interest expense increased $3.6 million, or 42.0%, to $12.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2016. Interest expense on deposits increased $3.6 million, or 71.6%, to $8.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 from the six months ended June 30, 2016. The increase was primarily due to a 27 basis point increase in the average cost of interest-bearing deposits, to 0.92% for the six months ended June 30, 2017 from 0.65% for the same period in 2016, and an increase in the average balance of interest-bearing deposits of $323.1 million, or 20.9%, to $1.9 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2017. The increase was primarily due to the addition of deposits from existing Mortgage Warehousing segment customers. The increase in the cost of deposits was due to the overall increase in interest rates in the economy period to period. Interest expense on borrowings increased $63,000, or 1.7%, to $3.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 from $3.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The increase was due primarily to a $2.2 million, or 3.7%, increase in the average balance outstanding period to period, which was partially offset by a 21 basis point decrease in the average cost of borrowings to 12.30% for the six months ended June 30, 2017 compared to 12.51% for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The terms of our $30.0 million subordinated debt include a variable interest rate equal to the one-month LIBOR rate plus an applicable margin. Additionally, the debt agreement provides for an additional interest payment of an amount equal to 49.0% of the earnings of our wholly owned subsidiary, NMF. As a result of this payment, the effective cost of borrowings increased from 3.46% and 3.13%, to 12.30% and 12.51% for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

        Net Interest Income.     Net interest income increased $5.4 million, or 22.8%, to $29.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2016. The increase was due

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to a 19 basis point increase in our interest rate spread, to 1.87%, for the six months ended June 30, 2017 from 1.68% for the six months ended June 30, 2016, which was partially offset by a $36.0 million decrease in our net interest earning assets period to period. Our net interest margin increased to 2.23% for the six months ended June 30, 2017 from 2.03% for the six months ended June 30, 2016.

        The following table presents, for the periods indicated, information about (i) average balances, the total dollar amount of interest income from interest-earning assets and the resultant average yields; (ii) average balances, the total dollar amount of interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities and the resultant average rates; (iii) net interest income; (iv) the interest rate spread; and (v) the net interest margin. Yields have been calculated on a pre-tax basis.

 
  Six Months Ended June 30,  
 
  2017   2016  
(Dollars in thousands)
  Average
Balance (1)
  Interest
Inc / Exp
  Average
Yield /
Rate
  Average
Balance (1)
  Interest
Inc / Exp
  Average
Yield /
Rate
 
 
  (unaudited)
 

ASSETS

                                     

Interest bearing deposits and other

  $ 405,188   $ 1,926     0.96 % $ 453,421   $ 1,288     0.57 %

Securities available for sale

    346,316     1,916     1.12 %   284,766     1,568     1.11 %

Trading securities

    179,058     2,824     3.18 %   93,753     1,499     3.22 %

Loans and loans held for sale

    1,720,849     34,805     4.08 %   1,530,163     28,066     3.69 %

Total interest-earning assets

    2,651,411     41,471     3.15 %   2,362,103     32,421     2.76 %

Allowance for loan losses

    (6,580 )               (5,684 )            

Noninterest-earning assets

    106,992                 76,271              

TOTAL ASSETS

  $ 2,751,823               $ 2,432,690              

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

                                     

Deposits

                                     

Interest bearing checking

    520,973     2,605     1.01 % (4)   291,892     862     0.59 %

Savings deposits

    313,294     394     0.25 %   270,293     165     0.12 %

Money market deposits

    846,721     4,728     1.13 %   643,170     3,060     0.96 %

Certificates of deposit

    186,639     784     0.85 %   339,181     873     0.52 %

Total deposits

    1,867,627     8,511     0.92 %   1,544,536     4,960     0.65 %

Borrowings

    60,733     3,705     12.30 %   58,566     3,642     12.51 %

Total interest bearing liabilities

    1,928,360     12,216     1.28 %   1,603,102     8,602     1.08 %

Noninterest bearing deposits

    576,624                 654,050              

Noninterest-bearing liabilities

    29,717                 20,902              

Total liabilities

    2,534,701                 2,278,054              

Total shareholders' equity

    217,122                 154,636              

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

  $ 2,751,823               $ 2,432,690              

Net interest spread (2)

                1.87 %               1.68 %

Net interest-earning assets

 
$

723,051
             
$

759,001
             

Net interest income

        $ 29,255               $ 23,819        

Net interest margin (3)

                2.23 %               2.03 %

Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities

                137.50 %               147.35 %

(1)
Average balances are average daily balances.

(2)
Represents the average rate earned on interest-earning assets minus the average rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities.

(3)
Represents net interest income (annualized) divided by total average earning assets.

(4)
Reflects increases in LIBOR on mortgage custodial deposits.

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        Increases and decreases in interest income and interest expense result from changes in average balances (volume) of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, as well as changes in weighted average interest rates. The following table sets forth the effects of changing rates and volumes on our net interest income during the periods shown. Information is provided with respect to (i) effects on interest income attributable to changes in volume (changes in volume multiplied by prior rate) and (ii) effects on interest income attributable to changes in rate (changes in rate multiplied by prior volume). Changes applicable to both volume and rate have been allocated to volume. Yields have been calculated on a pre-tax basis. The table below summarizes the increases and decreases in interest income and interest expense resulting from changes in average balances (volume) and changes in average interest rates:

 
  Six Months ended
June 30,
2017 compared to Six
Months ended June 30,
2016
 
 
  Increase
(Decrease)
Due to
   
 
(Dollars in thousands)
  Volume   Rate   Total  
 
  (unaudited)
 

Interest income

                   

Interest bearing deposits and other

  $ (390 ) $ 1,028   $ 638  

Securities available for sale

    336     12     348  

Trading securities

    1,374     (49 )   1,325  

Loans and loans held for sale

    3,645     3,094     6,739  

Total interest income

    4,965     4,085     9,050  

Interest expense

                   

Deposits

                   

Interest bearing checking

    923     820     1,743  

Savings deposits

    30     199     229  

Money market deposits

    1,070     598     1,668  

Certificates of deposit

    (962 )   873     (89 )

    1,061     2,490     3,551  

Borrowing

    209     (146 )   63  

Total interest expense

    1,270     2,344     3,614  

Net interest income

  $ 3,695   $ 1,741   $ 5,436  

        Provision for Loan Losses.     We recorded a provision for loan losses of $480,000 for each of the six month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016. The allowance for loan losses was $6.9 million, or 0.64% of total loans, at June 30, 2017, compared to $5.9 million, or 0.68% of total loans, at June 30, 2016. Total nonperforming loans were $3.2 million at June 30, 2017, compared to $2.2 million at June 30, 2016. Classified (substandard, doubtful and loss) loans were $5.3 million at June 30, 2017 and $5.2 million at June 30, 2016, and total loans past due greater than 30 days were $7.8 million and $2.6 million at those respective dates. We had net recoveries of $135,000 during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and no charge offs or recoveries during the six months ended June 30, 2016. As a percentage of nonperforming loans, the allowance for loan losses was 213.3% at June 30, 2017 compared to 268.9% at June 30, 2016.

        Non-Interest Income.     Non-interest income increased $14.8 million, or 148.4%, to $24.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 from $10.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The increase was primarily due to an increase of $14.0 million in gain on sale of loans, a $293,000 increase

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in loan servicing fees, an $80,000 increase in mortgage warehouse fees and a $394,000 increase in other income. The gain on sale of loans amounted to $20.6 million during the six months ended June 30, 2017, compared to $6.6 million in the year earlier period, an increase of 211.8%, due primarily to an increase in the volume of multi-family rental real estate loan sales in the secondary market. The volume of loan originations was lower during the six months ended June 30, 2016, within the Multi-family Mortgage Banking segment, as borrowers delayed closings anticipating favorable HUD regulation changes that became effective in the second quarter of 2016. The increase in loan servicing fees was due primarily to a $1.6 billion, or 34.8%, increase in the volume of loans serviced from June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2017.

        Non-Interest Expense.     Non-interest expense increased $2.7 million, or 22.5%, to $14.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 compared to $12.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The increase was due primarily to a $2.8 million, or 44.6%, increase in salaries and employee benefits. The increase in salaries and employee benefits was due primarily to an increase in staffing levels and loan commission expenses as a result of our increased level of multi-family loan origination and sales volume. We added 24 employees, including 9 in Merchants Mortgage to support growth plans, between June 30, 2016 and June 30, 2017.

        Income Taxes.     Income tax expense increased $6.3 million, or 76.0%, to $14.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 from $8.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The increase was due primarily to the increase in pretax income period to period. The effective tax rate was 38.1% for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 39.5% for the six months ended June 30, 2016.

Comparison of Operating Results for the Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

        General.     Net income totaled $33.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, an increase of $4.7 million, or 16.7%, compared to net income of $28.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase in net income for fiscal 2016 resulted primarily from an increase of $11.9 million in net interest income and an increase of $1.5 million in noninterest income, which were partially offset by an increase of $5.8 million in noninterest expenses and an increase of $2.9 million in the provision for income taxes.

        Interest Income.     Interest income increased $16.6 million, or 29.5%, to $72.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $56.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase resulted primarily from a $13.6 million, or 27.7%, increase in interest on loans and loans held for sale, a $937,000, or 26.2%, increase in interest on trading securities, an $888,000, or 37.6%, increase in interest on available-for-sale securities and a $1.2 million, or 86.6% increase in interest on other interest-earning assets, and dividends on FHLBI stock. The increase in interest on loans and loans held for sale was due primarily to a $378.1 million, or 28.6%, increase in the average balance of loans and loans held for sale outstanding year to year, partially offset by a three basis point decline in the average yield, to 3.68% for 2016 from 3.71% for 2015. The average balance increased primarily due to an increase in Mortgage Warehousing fundings of warehouse lines of credit and loan participations from $20.1 billion in 2015 to $24.8 billion in 2016 and a $213.1 million increase in the average balances in the Banking segment due to higher residential and multi-family originations. The increase in interest on trading securities was due primarily to a $40.6 million, or 37.8%, increase in the average balance outstanding, to $147.8 million for 2016 from $107.2 million for 2015, which was partially offset by a 28 basis point decrease in the average yield to 3.06% for 2016 from 3.34% for 2015. The increase in interest on available-for-sale securities was due primarily to a $64.6 million, or 27.7%, increase in the average balance outstanding, to $297.9 million for 2016 from $233.3 million for 2015, while the average yield increased by eight basis points to 1.09% for both 2016 from 1.01% for 2015. The increase in interest on other interest-earning assets was due primarily to a $34.3 million, or 8.1%, increase in the

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average balance outstanding, to $458.1 million for 2016 from $423.8 million for 2015, and a 24 basis point increase in the average yield, to 0.57% for 2016.

        Interest Expense.     Interest expense increased $4.7 million, or 32.7%, to $19.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $14.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. Interest expense on deposits increased $4.3 million, or 58.8%, to $11.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $7.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase was primarily due to an increase of $446.7 million, or 35.8%, in the average balance of interest-bearing deposits to $1.7 billion for 2016 from $1.2 billion for 2015, and an increase of 10 basis points in the average cost of interest-bearing deposits to 0.69% for the year ended December 31, 2016 from 0.59% for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase in average deposits was primarily due to an increase in mortgage custodial deposits in the Mortgage Warehousing segment. Interest expense on borrowings increased $361,000, or 5.2%, to $7.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $6.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The average balance of borrowings increased $1.8 million to $58.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $56.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, while the average cost of these borrowings increased 25 basis points to 12.52% from 12.27% year to year. The terms of our's $30.0 million subordinated debt include a variable interest rate equal to the one-month LIBOR rate plus an applicable margin. Additionally, the debt agreement provides for payment by us of an amount equal to 49.0% of the earnings of our wholly owned subsidiary, NMF. As a result of this payment, the effective cost of borrowings increased from 3.21% and 2.86%, to 12.52% and 12.27% for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

        Net Interest Income.     Net interest income increased $11.9 million, or 28.3%, to $54.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $42.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase resulted from a $69.0 million increase in net interest-earning assets to $850.4 million for 2016 from $781.4 million for 2015, and an increase of 12 basis points in the interest rate spread to 1.72% for 2016 from 1.60% for 2015. The net interest margin increased five basis points to 2.07% for 2016 from 2.02% for 2015.

        The following table presents, for the periods indicated, information about (i) average balances, the total dollar amount of interest income from interest-earning assets and the resultant average yields; (ii) average balances, the total dollar amount of interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities and the

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resultant average rates; (iii) net interest income; (iv) the interest rate spread; and (v) the net interest margin. Yields have been calculated on a pre-tax basis.

 
  Year Ended December 31,  
 
  2016   2015  
(Dollars in thousands)
  Average
Balance (1)
  Interest
Inc / Exp
  Average
Yield /
Rate
  Average
Balance (1)
  Interest
Inc / Exp
  Average
Yield /
Rate
 

ASSETS

                                     

Interest bearing deposits and other

  $ 458,060   $ 2,611     0.57 % $ 423,765   $ 1,399     0.33 %

Securities available for sale

    297,874     3,249     1.09 %   233,312     2,361     1.01 %

Trading securities

    147,782     4,516     3.06 %   107,214     3,579     3.34 %

Loans and loans held for sale

    1,697,957     62,563     3.68 %   1,319,834     49,006     3.71 %

Total interest-earning assets

    2,601,673     72,939     2.80 %   2,084,125     56,345     2.70 %

Allowance for loan losses

    (5,892 )               (4,964 )            

Noninterest-earning assets

    83,890                 71,501              

TOTAL ASSETS

  $ 2,679,671               $ 2,150,662              

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

                                     

Deposits

                                     

Interest bearing checking

  $ 397,767     2,796     0.70 % (4) $ 196,738     486     0.25 %

Savings deposits

    278,919     356     0.13 %   243,841     306     0.13 %

Money market deposits

    673,643     6,481     0.96 %   540,028     5,202     0.96 %

Certificates of deposit

    342,599     2,030     0.59 %   265,577     1,352     0.51 %

Total Deposits

    1,692,928     11,663     0.69 %   1,246,184     7,346     0.59 %

Borrowings

    58,335     7,305     12.52 %   56,580     6,944     12.27 %

Total interest bearing liabilities

    1,751,263     18,968     1.08 %   1,302,764     14,290     1.10 %

Noninterest bearing deposits

    726,811                 703,944              

Noninterest-bearing liabilities

    24,227                 18,491              

Total liabilities

    2,502,301                 2,025,199              

Shareholders' Equity

    177,370                 125,463              

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

  $ 2,679,671               $ 2,150,662              

Net interest spread (2)

                1.72 %               1.60 %

Net interest-earning assets

  $ 850,410               $ 781,361              

Net interest income

        $ 53,971               $ 42,055        

Net interest margin (3)

                2.07 %               2.02 %

Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities

                148.56 %               159.98 %

(1)
Average balances are average daily balances.

(2)
Represents the average rate earned on interest-earning assets minus the average rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities.

(3)
Represents net interest income (annualized) divided by total average earning assets.

(4)
Reflects increases in LIBOR on mortgage custodial deposits.

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        Increases and decreases in interest income and interest expense result from changes in average balances (volume) of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, as well as changes in weighted average interest rates. The following table sets forth the effects of changing rates and volumes on our net interest income during the periods shown. Information is provided with respect to (i) effects on interest income attributable to changes in volume (changes in volume multiplied by prior rate) and (ii) effects on interest income attributable to changes in rate (changes in rate multiplied by prior volume). Changes applicable to both volume and rate have been allocated to volume. Yields have been calculated on a pre-tax basis. The tables below summarize the increases and decreases in interest income and interest expense resulting from changes in average balances (volume) and changes in average interest rates:

 
  Year ended December 31, 2016
compared to Year ended
December 31, 2015
 
 
  Increase (Decrease)
Due to
   
 
(Dollars in thousands)
  Volume   Rate   Total  

Interest income

                   

Interest bearing deposits and other

  $ 121   $ 1,091   $ 1,212  

Securities available for sale

    693     195     888  

Trading securities

    1,261     (324 )   937  

Loans and loans held for sale

    13,935     (378 )   13,557  

Total interest income

    16,010     584     16,594  

Interest expense

                   

Deposits

                   

Interest bearing checking

    823     1,487     2,310  

Savings deposits

    45     5     50  

Money market deposits

    1,285     (6 )   1,279  

Certificates of deposit

    433     245     678  

Total Deposits

    2,586     1,731     4,317  

Borrowings

    218     143     361  

Total interest expense

    2,804     1,874     4,678  

Net interest income

  $ 13,206   $ (1,290 ) $ 11,916  

        Provision for Loan Losses.     We recorded a $960,000 provision for loan losses for each of the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015. The allowance for loan losses was $6.3 million, or 0.66% of total loans, at December 31, 2016, compared to $5.4 million, or 0.71% of total loans, at December 31, 2015. Total nonperforming loans were $1.9 million at December 31, 2016, compared to $887,000 at December 31, 2015. Classified (substandard, doubtful and loss) loans were $5.5 million at December 31, 2016, compared to $2.9 million at December 31, 2015, and total loans past due greater than 30 days were $4.2 million and $2.4 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Bank had no net charge-offs or recoveries during 2016, and net recoveries of $4,000 during 2015. As a percentage of nonperforming loans, the allowance for loan losses was 331.2% at December 31, 2016 compared to 611.3% at December 31, 2015.

        Non-Interest Income.     Non-interest income increased $1.5 million, or 5.5%, to $28.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $27.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase was primarily due to a $1.8 million increase in mortgage warehouse fees, which was partially offset by a $556,000, or 66.5%, decrease in loan servicing fees. The increase in mortgage warehouse fees was due primarily to a 23.1%, increase in funding volumes of residential participations and warehouse lines of

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credit. The funded volume of residential participations and warehouse lines of credit increased from $20.1 billion for the year ended December 31, 2015 to $24.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2016. The decrease in net loan servicing fees was due primarily to a decline in the fair value of mortgage servicing rights at December 31, 2016, compared to December 31, 2015. The Bank accounts for mortgage servicing rights at fair value. Fluctuations in fair value, based upon periodic appraisals performed by independent third party specialists, are recorded to the consolidated financial statements as an adjustment to the carrying value of the mortgage servicing rights asset and recognized in the income statement as a component of noninterest income.

        Non-Interest Expense.     Non-interest expense increased $5.8 million, or 27.7%, to $26.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to $20.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. Salaries and employee benefits increased $2.4 million, or 19.7%, to $14.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to the year ended December 31, 2015; loan expenses increased $1.5 million, or 55.4%, to $4.3 million for 2016 compared to 2015; professional fees increased $623,000, or 92.3%, to $1.3 million for 2016 from $675,000 for 2015; and other expenses increased $857,000, or 34.0%, to $3.4 million for 2016 from $2.5 million for 2015. The increase in salaries and employee benefits was due primarily to an increase in staffing levels as a result of our growth. We added 17 full-time equivalent positions during the year ended December 31, 2016. The increase in loan expenses was due to the increased loan origination volume year to year. The increase in technology expense was due primarily to costs associated with the implementation and use of new wire transfer software during 2016, which increased efficiencies and enhanced internal controls at our Mortgage Warehousing segment noted above. The increase in professional expense was due primarily to an increase in legal expense related to loan related litigation, and an increase in audit, accounting, consulting and supervisory examination fees due to our overall growth.

        Income Taxes.     Income tax expense increased $2.9 million, or 15.3%, to $21.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $18.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase resulted from the increase in pretax income of $7.6 million, or 16.1% during 2016 as compared to 2015. The effective tax rate was 39.5% and 39.8% for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Operating Segment Analysis

        Our reportable segments are Multi-family Mortgage Banking, Mortgage Warehousing and Banking. As discussed in Note 23 of our Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this prospectus, our reportable segments have been determined based upon their business processes and economic characteristics. This determination also gave consideration to the structure and management of various product lines.

        The Multi-family Mortgage Banking segment originates and services predominantly government sponsored mortgages for multi-family and healthcare facilities. The Mortgage Warehousing segment funds agency eligible residential loans from origination or purchase to sale in the secondary market, as well as commercial loans to non-depository financial institutions. The Banking segment provides a wide range of financial products and services to consumers and businesses, including commercial, commercial real estate, mortgage and other consumer loan products; letters of credit; and various types of deposit products, including checking, savings and time deposit accounts. The Other item presented in Note 23 of our Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this prospectus includes general and administrative expenses for provision of services to all segments, internal funds transfer pricing offsets resulting from allocations to or from the other segments, certain elimination entries, and investments in qualified affordable housing limited partnerships.

        Our segment financial information was compiled utilizing the accounting policies described in Note 1, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," and Note 23, "Segment Information," of the

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. As a result, reported segments and the financial information of the reported segments are not necessarily comparable with similar information reported by other financial institutions. Furthermore, changes in management structure or allocation methodologies and procedures may result in future changes to previously reported segment financial data. Transactions between segments consist primarily of borrowed funds. Intersegment interest expense is allocated to the Mortgage Warehousing and Banking segments based on the Bank's cost of funds. The provision for loan losses is allocated based on information included in our allowance for loan losses analysis and specific loan data for each segment.

        The following tables present our primary operating results for our operating segments for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016.

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(Dollars in thousands)
  Multi-family
Mortgage
Banking
  Mortgage
Warehousing
  Banking   Other   Total  
 
  (Unaudited)
 

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017

                               

Interest Income

                               

Loans held for sale

  $   $ 15,967   $   $   $ 15,967  

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

        4,334             4,334  

Residential real estate

            4,975         4,975  

Multi-family residential real estate

            5,131         5,131  

Commercial and commercial real estate

        787     2,210         2,997  

Agricultural production and real estate

            1,051         1,051  

Consumer and margin loans

    142     11     197         350  

Investment securities and other

    37     1,413     5,216         6,666  

Total interest income

    179     22,512     18,780         41,471  

Interest Expense

                               

Deposits

        2,428     6,083         8,511  

Internal funds transfer charge

        337     212     (549 )    

Borrowings

        3,316     47     342     3,705  

Total interest expense

        6,081     6,342     (207 )   12,216  

Net interest income

    179     16,431     12,438     207     29,255  

Provision for loan losses

        405     75         480  

Net interest income after provision for loan losses

    179     16,026     12,363     207     28,775  

Noninterest income

                               

Gain on sale of loans

    20,064         545         20,609  

Loan servicing fees

    2,384                 2,384  

Warehouse fee income

        1,258             1,258  

Other income

        45     421         466  

Total noninterest income

    22,448     1,303     966         24,717  

Noninterest expense

                               

Salaries and employee benefits

    3,497     943     2,946     1,681     9,067  

Loan expenses

        1,780     173         1,953  

Occupancy and equipment

    189     92     363     110     754  

Professional fees

    106     208     147     69     530  

Deposit insurance

        137     337         474  

Technology expense

    27     197     275     7     506  

Other expense

    553     373     277     415     1,618  

Noninterest expense

    4,372     3,730     4,518     2,282     14,902  

Income before income taxes

    18,255     13,599     8,811     (2,075 )   38,590  

Income taxes

    6,955     5,181     3,357     (791 )   14,702  

Net income

  $ 11,300   $ 8,418   $ 5,454   $ (1,284 ) $ 23,888  

Total assets

  $ 117,862   $ 1,288,717   $ 1,671,054   $ 13,867   $ 3,091,500  

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(Dollars in thousands)
  Multi-family
Mortgage
Banking
  Mortgage
Warehousing
  Banking   Other   Total  
 
  (Unaudited)
 

Six Months Ended June 30, 2016

                               

Interest Income

                               

Loans held for sale

  $   $ 13,091   $   $   $ 13,091  

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

        4,838             4,838  

Residential real estate

            3,852         3,852  

Multi-family residential real estate

            2,858         2,858  

Commercial and commercial real estate

        581     1,324         1,905  

Agricultural production and real estate

            1,284         1,284  

Consumer and margin loans

    62     11     165         238  

Investment securities and other

    3     870     3,482         4,355  

Total interest income

    65     19,391     12,965         32,421  

Interest Expense

                               

Deposits

        930     4,030         4,960  

Internal funds transfer charge

        967     (1,408 )   441      

Borrowings

        3,320     34     288     3,642  

Total interest expense

        5,217     2,656     729     8,602  

Net interest income

    65     14,174     10,309     (729 )   23,819  

Provision for loan losses

        286     194         480  

Net interest income after provision for loan losses

    65     13,888     10,115     (729 )   23,339  

Noninterest income

                               

Gain on sale of loans

    5,799         811         6,610  

Loan servicing fees

    2,091                 2,091  

Warehouse fee income

        1,178             1,178  

Other income

            72         72  

Total noninterest income

    7,890     1,178     883         9,951  

Noninterest expense

                               

Salaries and employee benefits

    2,363     884     2,247     777     6,271  

Loan expenses

    (3 )   1,636     273         1,906  

Occupancy and equipment

    141     81     338     112     672  

Professional fees

    61     195     94     389     739  

Deposit insurance

        177     413         590  

Technology expense

    9     149     252     11     421  

Other expense

    566     359     265     374     1,564  

Noninterest expense

    3,137     3,481     3,882     1,663     12,163  

Income before income taxes

    4,818     11,585     7,116     (2,392 )   21,127  

Income taxes

    1,905     4,580     2,813     (945 )   8,353  

Net income

  $ 2,913   $ 7,005   $ 4,303   $ (1,447 ) $ 12,774  

Total assets

  $ 92,749   $ 1,138,638   $ 1,271,277   $ 4,310   $ 2,506,974  

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        Multi-family Mortgage Banking.     The Multi-family Mortgage Banking segment reported net income for the six months ended June 30, 2017, of $11.3 million, an increase of $8.4 million, or 287.9%, over the $2.9 million reported for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The increase was comprised primarily of a $14.6 million increase in noninterest income, primarily gain on sale of loans and loan servicing fees, as the volume of loans originated for sale in the secondary market increased by $397.7 million, or 305.6%, to $527.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2016. The volume in the six months ended June 30, 2016 was lower than other periods in this segment, as borrowers delayed closings anticipating favorable HUD regulation changes that became effective in the second quarter of 2016. This increase in loan volume contributed to a $1.6 billion increase in the portfolio of loans serviced as of June 30, 2017, compared to June 30, 2016, and as a result loan servicing fees increased $293,000, or 14.0%, for the six months ended June 30, 2017 compared to the same period in 2016. The $13.4 million increase in pretax income resulted in a $5.1 million increase in income taxes expense.

        Mortgage Warehousing.     The Mortgage Warehousing segment reported net income for the six months ended June 30, 2017, of $8.4 million, an increase of $1.4 million, or 20.2%, over the $7.0 million reported for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The increase was comprised primarily of a $2.3 million, or 15.9%, increase in net interest income, due primarily to an increase in the average loan yield. The volume of loans originated during the six months ended June 30, 2017 amounted to $11.1 billion, an increase of $453.8 million, or 4.3%, over the same period in 2016. The increase in net interest income was partially offset by a $249,000 increase in noninterest expenses, primarily loan expenses, which increased 8.8% in connection with the increased volume, and a $601,000 increase in income taxes.

        Banking.     The Banking segment reported net income for the six months ended June 30, 2017, of $5.5 million, an increase of $1.2 million, or 26.7%, over the $4.3 million reported for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The increase was comprised primarily of a $2.1 million increase in net interest income, due primarily to an increase in both the average loan balance outstanding and the average yield on loans. The increase in net interest income was partially offset by a $699,000 increase in salaries and employee benefits. The Banking segment's personnel increased 13 employees for the six months ended June 30, 2017 compared to the same period in 2016, due primarily to the need to support growth in Merchants Mortgage.

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        The following table presents our primary operating results for our operating segments for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.

(Dollars in thousands)
  Multi-family
Mortgage
Banking
  Mortgage
Warehousing
  Banking   Other   Total  

Year Ended December 31, 2016

                               

Interest Income

                               

Loans held for sale

  $   $ 28,252   $   $   $ 28,252  

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

        11,792             11,792  

Residential real estate

            7,970         7,970  

Multi-family residential real estate

            7,480         7,480  

Commercial and commercial real estate

        895     3,150         4,045  

Agricultural production and real estate

            2,413         2,413  

Consumer and margin loans

    231     22     358         611  

Investment securities and other

    6     2,391     7,979         10,376  

Total interest income

    237     43,352     29,350         72,939  

Interest Expense

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Deposits

        2,969     8,694         11,663  

Internal funds transfer charge

        1,616     (2,215 )   599      

Borrowings

        6,650     67     588     7,305  

Total interest expense

        11,235     6,546     1,187     18,968  

Net interest income

    237     32,117     22,804     (1,187 )   53,971  

Provision for loan losses

        (247 )   1,207         960  

Net interest income after provision for loan losses

    237     32,364     21,597     (1,187 )   53,011  

Noninterest income

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Gain on sale of loans

    22,516         2,239         24,755  

Loan servicing fees

    280                 280  

Warehouse fee income

        3,015             3,015  

Other income

    2     205     247         454  

Total noninterest income

    22,798     3,220     2,486         28,504  

Noninterest expense

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Salaries and employee benefits

    5,814     1,723     4,944     1,832     14,313  

Loan expenses

        3,766     485         4,251  

Occupancy and equipment

    303     180     632     229     1,344  

Professional fees

    109     501     261     427     1,298  

Deposit insurance

        343     806         1,149  

Technology expense

    27     416     535     7     985  

Other expense

    1,221     801     720     638     3,380  

Noninterest expense

    7,474     7,730     8,383     3,133     26,720  

Income before income taxes

    15,561     27,854     15,700     (4,320 )   54,795  

Income taxes

    6,153     11,015     6,208     (1,708 )   21,668  

Net income

  $ 9,408   $ 16,839   $ 9,492   $ (2,612 ) $ 33,127  

Total assets

  $ 98,553   $ 1,060,723   $ 1,545,783   $ 13,453   $ 2,718,512  

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(Dollars in thousands)
  Multi-family
Mortgage
Banking
  Mortgage
Warehousing
  Banking   Other   Total  

Year Ended December 31, 2015

                               

Interest Income

                               

Loans held for sale

  $   $ 25,452   $   $   $ 25,452  

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

        7,363             7,363  

Residential real estate

        56     5,818         5,874  

Multi-family residential real estate

            3,251         3,251  

Commercial and commercial real estate

        2,068     2,097         4,165  

Agricultural production and real estate

            2,309         2,309  

Consumer and margin loans

    304     22     266         592  

Investment securities and other

    5     1,869     5,465         7,339  

Total interest income

    309     36,830     19,206         56,345  

Interest Expense

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Deposits

        440     6,906         7,346  

Internal funds transfer charge

        2,719     (3,500 )   781      

Borrowings

        6,447     85     412     6,944  

Total interest expense

        9,606     3,491     1,193     14,290  

Net interest income

    309     27,224     15,715     (1,193 )   42,055  

Provision for loan losses

        (47 )   1,007         960  

Net interest income after provision for loan losses

    309     27,271     14,708     (1,193 )   41,095  

Noninterest income

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Gain on sale of loans

    23,913         890         24,803  

Loan servicing fees

    836                 836  

Warehouse fee income

        1,193             1,193  

Other income

            176         176  

Total noninterest income

    24,749     1,193     1,066         27,008  

Noninterest expense

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Salaries and employee benefits

    5,018     1,713     3,941     1,290     11,962  

Loan expenses

    2     2,558     175         2,735  

Occupancy and equipment

    269     169     673     137     1,248  

Professional fees

    116     193     168     198     675  

Deposit insurance

        319     758         1,077  

Technology expense

    29     167     493     13     702  

Other expense

    878     584     805     256     2,523  

Noninterest expense

    6,312     5,703     7,013     1,894     20,922  

Income before income taxes

    18,746     22,761     8,761     (3,087 )   47,181  

Income taxes

    7,469     9,068     3,491     (1,230 )   18,798  

Net income

  $ 11,277   $ 13,693   $ 5,270   $ (1,857 ) $ 28,383  

Total assets

  $ 87,188   $ 924,731   $ 1,253,402   $ 4,121   $ 2,269,442  

        Multi-family Mortgage Banking.     The Multi-family Mortgage Banking segment reported net income for the year ended December 31, 2016, of $9.4 million, a decrease of $1.9 million, or 16.6%, compared to the $11.3 million reported for the year ended December 31, 2015. The decrease was due primarily to a $2.0 million decrease in noninterest income from decreased FHA permanent loan origination volume

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which decreased gain on sale revenue. The volume in the six months ended June 30, 2016 was lower than other quarters in this segment, as borrowers delayed closings anticipating favorable HUD regulation changes that became effective in the second quarter of 2016. A fair value reduction in the valuation of our mortgage servicing rights at December 31, 2016, contributed to a year-to-year decrease of $556,000 in net loan servicing revenue. Noninterest expense increased $1.2 million, or 18.4%, due primarily to a $796,000, or 15.9%, increase in salaries and employee benefits, as the segment added several key personnel for planned growth. The $3.2 million decrease in pretax income was offset by a $1.3 million decrease in income tax expense.

        Mortgage Warehousing.     The Mortgage Warehousing segment reported net income for the year ended December 31, 2016, of $16.8 million, an increase of $3.1 million, or 23.0%, over the $13.7 million reported for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase was comprised primarily of a $4.9 million, or 18.0%, increase in net interest income, due to increases in both the average loan portfolio balance outstanding, and a $1.8 million, or 152.7%, increase in warehouse fee income, which was partially offset by a $1.2 million, or 47.2%, increase in loan expenses, an $819,000 increase in all other noninterest expenses and a $1.9 million increase in income taxes. The volume of warehouse residential participations and lines of credit loan funding increased 23.4% to $24.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to $20.1 billion for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase in other noninterest expenses was due primarily to a $308,000 increase in legal expense and a $249,000 increase in technology expense related to the implementation and use of new wire transfer software during 2016, which increased efficiencies and enhanced internal controls.

        Banking.     The Banking segment reported net income for the year ended December 31, 2016, of $9.5 million, an increase of $4.2 million, or 80.1%, over the $5.3 million reported for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase was comprised primarily of a $7.1 million increase in net interest income, due primarily to an increase in both the average loan and investment securities balances outstanding, and a $1.3 million increase in gain on sale of loans, which were partially offset by a $1.0 million increase in salaries and employee benefits and $2.7 million increase in income taxes. The increase in net interest income was due to a $4.2 million net increase in interest on multi-family rental real estate loans. The average balance of these loans totaled $197.9 million at December 31, 2016 compared to $77.0 million at December 31, 2015, an increase of $120.9 million.

Financial Condition

        As of June 30, 2017, we had approximately $3.1 billion in total assets, $2.8 billion in deposits, and $226.5 million in total shareholders' equity. Total assets as of June 30, 2017, included approximately $416.6 million of cash and cash equivalents, $2.0 billion of loans, which was comprised of $983.4 million of loans held for sale and $1.1 billion of loans held for investment. It also includes $145.1 million of trading securities that represent pre-sold multi-family rental real estate loan originations in Ginnie Mae mortgage backed securities pending settlements that typically occur within 30 days. There are $378.3 million of available for sale securities that are match funded with related custodial deposits. There are restrictions on the types of securities as these are funded by certain custodial deposits where we set the cost of deposits based on the yield of the related securities. Mortgage servicing rights at June 30, 2017 were $57.6 million based on the fair value of the multi-family rental real estate loans servicing, which are primarily Ginnie Mae servicing rights with 10-year call protection.

Comparison of Financial Condition at June 30, 2017, December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015

        Total Assets.     Total assets increased $373.0 million, or 13.7%, to $3.1 billion at June 30, 2017 from $2.7 billion at December 31, 2016, and at December 31, 2016 increased $449.1 million, or 19.8%, from $2.3 billion at December 31, 2015. The increases were due primarily to increases in investment securities and loans for both periods, which were partially offset by a decrease in cash and cash equivalents.

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        Cash and Cash Equivalents.     Cash and cash equivalents decreased $29.1 million, or 6.5%, to $416.6 million at June 30, 2017 from $445.7 million at December 31, 2016, and at December 31, 2016 decreased $1.1 million, or 0.2%, to $445.7 million from $446.8 million at December 31, 2015.

        Trading Securities.     Trading securities increased $7.4 million, or 5.4%, to $145.1 million at June 30, 2017, from $137.7 million at December 31, 2016, and at December 31, 2016 increased $29.8 million, or 27.6%, to $137.7 million, from $107.9 million at December 31, 2015. The trading securities represent loans that the Bank has funded and are held pending settlement as a Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed security with a firm commitment from the investor, as to which the Bank has committed to sell the securities. The increases were due to an increase in the volume of lending.

        Securities Available-for-Sale.     Investment securities available-for-sale increased $52.4 million, or 16.1%, to $378.3 million at June 30, 2017 from $325.9 million at December 31, 2016. The increase in securities available-for-sale was primarily due to purchases of $95.0 million which were partially offset by calls, maturities and repayments of securities totaling $42.7 million during the period. Investment securities available-for-sale increased $71.4 million, or 28.1%, to $325.9 million at December 31, 2016 from $254.5 million at December 31, 2015. The increase in securities available-for-sale was primarily due to purchases of $290.4 million, partially offset by maturities (paydowns), calls and sales of securities totaling $218.3 million. We invest in available for sale securities primarily using funds from escrow deposits held at the Bank received in connection with our servicing activities. These escrow deposits increased $79.4 million from $378.5 million at December 31, 2016 to $457.9 million at June 30, 2017.

        The available for sale securities are funded by, and paired with as to interest rates, escrow custodial deposits held at the Bank on loans serviced by us. This portfolio of securities is structured to achieve a favorable interest rate spread. The balance of these securities closely approximates the balances of the escrow custodial accounts on an ongoing basis.

        The following table sets forth certain information regarding contractual maturities and the weighted average yields of our investment securities as of the dates presented. Expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities if borrowers have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.

 
  Maturity as of June 30, 2017  
 
  Due in One Year
or Less
  Due from One to
Five Years
  Due from Five to
Ten Years
  Due after Ten
Years
 
(Dollars in thousands)
  Amortized
Cost
  Weighted
Average
Yield (1)
  Amortized
Cost
  Weighted
Average
Yield (1)
  Amortized
Cost
  Weighted
Average
Yield (1)
  Amortized
Cost
  Weighted
Average
Yield (1)
 
 
  (unaudited)
 

U.S. Treasury Notes

  $ 1,000     0.63 % $     % $     % $     %

U.S. government agencies

    103,774     0.91 %   248,284     1.12 %       %       %

Residential mortgage-backed securities

                            26,173     3.74 %

Total

  $ 104,774     0.91 % $ 248,284     1.12 % $     % $ 26,173     3.74 %

        Loans Held for Sale.     Loans held for sale, comprised primarily of single-family residential real estate loan participations, increased $218.9 million, or 28.6%, to $983.4 million at June 30, 2017 from $764.5 million at December 31, 2016. The increase in loans held for sale was due primarily to a $212.3 million increase in balances at Merchants Bank and a $6.6 million increase at NMF. Originations and purchases of loans identified as held for sale totaled $9.5 billion during the six months ended June 30, 2017, compared to $8.5 billion during the same period in 2016, or an increase of 12.9%. Loans held for sale increased $143.9 million, or 23.2%, to $764.5 million at December 31, 2016 from $620.6 million at December 31, 2015. Originations and purchases of loans identified as held for sale

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totaled $20.1 billion during the year ended December 31, 2016, compared to $15.6 billion during the year ended December 31, 2015.

        The following table shows our allocation of loans held for investment as of the dates presented:

 
  June 30, 2017   December 31, 2016   December 31, 2015  
(Dollars in thousands)
  Amount   % of
Total
  Amount   % of
Total
  Amount   % of
Total
 
 
  (unaudited)
   
   
   
   
 

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

  $ 245,876     23.0 % $ 275,039     29.2 % $ 281,746     37.0 %

Residential real estate

    289,932     27.1 %   235,759     25.0 %   199,065     26.1 %

Multi-family and healthcare financing

    315,076     29.4 %   261,031     27.7 %   145,082     19.0 %

Commercial and commercial real estate

    162,138     15.1 %   113,812     12.1 %   83,688     11.0 %

Agricultural production and real estate

    48,594     4.5 %   46,763     5.0 %   44,772     5.9 %

Consumer and margin

    9,250     0.9 %   9,392     1.0 %   7,859     1.0 %

Total

    1,070,866           941,796           762,212        

Allowance for loan losses

    (6,865 )         (6,250 )         (5,422 )      

Total loans held for investment, net

  $ 1,064,001     100.0 % $ 935,546     100 % $ 756,790     100 %

        Loans Receivable, Net.     Loans receivable, net, which are comprised of loans held for investment, increased $128.5 million, or 13.7%, to $1.1 billion at June 30, 2017 compared to December 31, 2016. The increase in net loans was comprised primarily of an increase of $54.2 million, or 23.0%, in residential real estate loans, to $289.9 million at June 30, 2017, a $54.0 million increase in multi-family and healthcare financing loans, to $315.1 million at June 30, 2017 and a $48.3 million, or 42.5%, increase in commercial loans, to $162.1 million at June 30, 2017, which were partially offset by a decrease of $29.2 million, or 10.6%, in mortgage warehouse lines of credit loans to $245.9 million at June 30, 2017 from $275.0 million at December 31, 2016. The decrease in mortgage warehouse lines of credit was due primarily to an $16.7 million decrease in balances and a $12.5 million increase in participations sold to other financial institutions. The decrease in mortgage warehouse lines of credit was primarily due to a shift from warehouse lines of credit to single family loan participations and an industry decline. The overall increase in Mortgage Warehousing warehouse lines and loan participations loan balances was 18.3% from $1.0 billion at December 31, 2016 to $1.2 billion at June 30, 2017 as the decrease in mortgage warehouse lines of credit was more than offset by a 28.9% increase in single-family residential real estate loan participations. There was a 4.2% industry decline in single-family residential loan volumes from the six months ended June 30, 2016 to the six months ended June 30, 2017, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The increase in commercial loans was due primarily to a $38.7 million increase in operating lines of credit secured by mortgage servicing rights and cross-collateralized by gain on sale proceeds from loans funded by Merchants Bank under warehouse facilities. Loans receivable, net increased $178.8 million, or 23.6%, to $935.5 million at December 31, 2016 compared to December 31, 2015. The increase in net loans was comprised primarily of an increase of $115.9 million, or 79.9%, in multi-family rental real estate loans, to $261.0 million at December 31, 2016 from $145.1 million at December 31, 2015; a $36.7 million, or 18.4%, increase in residential real estate loans to $235.8 million at December 31, 2016 from $199.1 million at December 31, 2015; and a $30.1 million, or 36.0%, increase in commercial loans, to $113.8 million at December 31, 2016 from $83.7 million at December 31, 2015, which were partially offset by a $6.7 million, or 2.4%, decrease in mortgage warehouse lines of credit loans to $275.0 million at December 31, 2016 from $281.7 million at December 31, 2015. The increase in multi-family rental real estate loans was due to loans delaying conversion to permanent financing due to the favorable HUD regulations changes that went into effect in the second quarter of 2016 and an increase in participations to other institutions which allowed for increased capacity to originate multi-family bridge and acquisition loans. The increase in residential real estate was primarily due to a $36.2 increase in

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HELOCs due to additional purchases of first lien home equity lines of credit in excess of runoff. The increase in commercial loans was due to new commercial loan relationships.

        The following table presents an analysis of the allowance for loan losses for the periods presented:

 
  At or for
the Six
Months
Ended
June 30,
2017
   
   
 
 
  At or For the Year
Ended December 31,
 
(Dollars in thousands)
  2016   2015  
 
  (unaudited)
   
   
 

Balance at beginning of period

  $ 6,250   $ 5,422   $ 4,458  

Charge-offs:

                   

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

             

Residential real estate

             

Multi-family and healthcare financing

             

Commercial and commercial real estate

             

Agricultural production and real estate

             

Consumer and margin

             

Total charge-offs

             

Recoveries:

                   

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

             

Residential real estate

            1  

Multi-family and healthcare financing

             

Commercial and commercial real estate

    101         3  

Agricultural production and real estate

                 

Consumer and margin

    34          

Total recoveries

    135         4  

Net (charge-offs) recoveries

    135         4  

Transfers out:

                   

Residential real estate

        (132 )    

Provision for loan losses

    480     960     960  

Balance at end of period

  $ 6,865   $ 6,250   $ 5,422  

Ratios:

                   

Net recoveries to average loans outstanding

    0.01 %   0.00 %   0.00 %

Allowance for loan losses to non-performing loans at end of period

    213.26 %   331.21 %   611.27 %

Allowance for loan losses to total loans at end of period

    0.64 %   0.66 %   0.71 %

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        The following table presents an analysis of the allowance for loan losses for the periods presented:

 
   
   
   
  At December 31,  
 
  At June 30, 2017   2016   2015  
(Dollars in thousands)
  Amount   Percent of
Allowance
to Total
Allowance
  Percent of
Loans in
Category
to Total
Loans
  Amount   Percent of
Allowance
to Total
Allowance
  Percent of
Loans in
Category
to Total
Loans
  Amount   Percent of
Allowance
to Total
Allowance
  Percent of
Loans in
Category
to Total
Loans
 
 
  (unaudited)
   
   
   
   
   
   
 

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

  $ 281     4.1 %   23.0 % $ 373     6.0 %   29.2 % $ 704     13.0 %   37.0 %

Residential real estate

    1,938     28.2 %   27.1 %   2,170     34.7 %   25.0 %   2,212     40.8 %   26.1 %

Multi-family and healthcare financing

    2,426     35.3 %   29.4 %   1,962     31.4 %   27.7 %   1,308     24.1 %   19.0 %

Commercial and commercial real estate

    1,845     26.9 %   15.1 %   1,374     22.0 %   12.1 %   908     16.7 %   11.0 %

Agricultural production and real estate

    271     4.0 %   4.5 %   269     4.3 %   5.0 %   222     4.1 %   5.9 %

Consumer and margin

    104     1.5 %   0.9 %   102     1.6 %   1.0 %   68     1.3 %   1.0 %

Total allocated allowance

    6,865     100.0 %   100.0 %   6,250     100.0 %   100.0 %   5,422     100.0 %   100.0 %

Unallocated allowance

                                     

Total allowance for loan losses

  $ 6,865     100.0 %   100.0 % $ 6,250     100.0 %   100.0 % $ 5,422     100.0 %   100.0 %

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        The following table sets forth the amounts of non-performing loans and non-performing assets at the dates indicated:

 
   
  At
December 31,
 
 
  At
June 30,
2017
 
(Dollars in thousands)
  2016   2015  
 
  (unaudited)
   
   
 

Nonaccrual loans:

                   

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

  $   $   $  

Residential real estate

    301     303     66  

Multi-family and healthcare financing

             

Commercial and commercial real estate

    627     899     181  

Agricultural production and real estate

    282          

Consumer and margin

             

Total

    1,210     1,202     247  

Accruing loans 90 days or more past due:

                   

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

             

Residential real estate

        578     605  

Multi-family and healthcare financing

             

Commercial and commercial real estate

    2,009          

Agricultural production and real estate

        107     35  

Consumer and margin

             

Total

    2,009     685     640  

Total nonperforming loans

    3,219     1,887     887  

Real estate owned

             

Other nonperforming assets

             

Total nonperforming assets

  $ 3,219   $ 1,887   $ 887  

Troubled debt restructurings

                   

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

  $   $   $  

Residential real estate

             

Multi-family and healthcare financing

             

Commercial and commercial real estate

             

Agricultural production and real estate

             

Consumer and margin

             

Total (1)

  $   $   $  

Ratios:

                   

Total non-performing loans to total loans

    0.30 %   0.20 %   0.12 %

Total non-performing loans to total assets

    0.10 %   0.07 %   0.04 %

Total non-performing assets to total assets

    0.10 %   0.07 %   0.04 %

Total non-performing loans and TDRs to total loans

    0.30 %   0.20 %   0.12 %

Total non-performing loans and TDRs to total assets

    0.10 %   0.07 %   0.04 %

Total non-performing assets and TDRs to total assets

    0.10 %   0.07 %   0.04 %

        Mortgage Servicing Rights.     Mortgage servicing rights increased $3.9 million, or 7.2%, to $57.6 million at June 30, 2017 from $53.7 million at December 31, 2016. During the six months ended June 30, 2017, purchased servicing was $1.1 million and additions for originated servicing were $4.8 million, partially offset by reductions for paydowns on serviced loans of $2.7 million. Mortgage servicing rights decreased $1.9 million, or 3.4%, to $53.7 million at December 31, 2016 from $55.6 million at December 31, 2015. Mortgage servicing rights are recognized in connection with sales

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of multi-family loans when We retain servicing of the sold loans, as well as upon purchases of loan servicing portfolios. The mortgage servicing rights are recorded and carried at fair value.

        Deposits.     Deposits increased $342.9 million, or 14.1%, to $2.8 billion at June 30, 2017 from $2.4 billion at December 31, 2016. Interest bearing deposits increased $276.4 million, or 14.8%, to $2.1 billion at June 30, 2017, and noninterest bearing deposits increased $66.5 million, to $633.1 million at June 30, 2017. Demand deposits increased $138.7 million, or 13.0%, to $1.2 billion at June 30, 2017, savings deposits increased $53.4 million, or 4.5%, to $1.2 billion at June 30, 2017, while certificates of deposit accounts increased $150.8 million, or 90.7%, to $317.0 million at June 30, 2017. The change in certificates of deposit accounts was largely due to the level of brokered deposits outstanding period to period. Brokered certificates of deposit accounts increased $127.7 million, or 100.6%, to $254.7 million at June 30, 2017 from $127.0 million at December 31, 2016. Brokered savings deposits decreased $38.6 million, or 8.6%, to $412.0 million at June 30, 2017 from $450.6 million at December 31, 2016 and brokered demand deposit accounts also decreased by $39.9 million, or 65.9%, to $20.6 million at June 30, 2017. To fund increased loan originations, total brokered deposits, which also includes brokered demand accounts, increased $49.2 million, or 7.7%, to $687.3 million at June 30, 2017 from $638.1 million at December 31, 2016.

        Deposits increased $389.1 million, or 19.1%, to $2.4 billion at December 31, 2016 from $2.0 billion at December 31, 2015. Interest-bearing deposits increased $487.0 million, or 35.4%, to $1.9 billion at December 31, 2016, while noninterest bearing deposits decreased $97.9 million, to $566.6 million at December 31, 2016. Savings deposits increased $331.8 million, or 38.5%, to $1.2 billion at December 31, 2016 and demand deposits increased $294.5 million, or 38.1%, while certificates of deposit accounts decreased $237.2 million, or 58.8%, to $166.2 million at December 31, 2016. The change in savings deposits and certificates of deposit accounts was largely related to the level of brokered deposits outstanding period to period. Brokered savings deposits increased $279.8 million, or 163.8%, to $450.6 million at June 30, 2017 from $170.8 million at December 31, 2016. Brokered certificates of deposit decreased $240.2 million, or 65.4%, to $127.0 million at December 31, 2016 from $367.2 million at December 31, 2015. Total brokered deposits, which includes brokered demand accounts, increased $100.1 million, or 18.6%, to $638.1 million at December 31, 2016 from $538.0 million at December 31, 2015 due to increased loan origination.

        Brokered deposits may be more rate sensitive compared to other sources of funding. In the future, those depositors may not replace their brokered deposits with us as they mature, or we may have to pay a higher rate of interest to keep those deposits or to replace them with other deposits or other sources of funds. Not being able to maintain or replace those deposits as they mature would adversely affect our liquidity. Additionally, if the Bank does not maintain its well-capitalized position, it may not accept or renew any brokered deposits without a waiver granted by the FDIC.

        The following tables show the average balance amounts and the average contractual rates paid on our deposits for the periods indicated:

 
  For the Six Months
Ended June 30, 2017
 
(Dollars in thousands)
  Average
Balance
  Average
Rate
 
 
  (unaudited)
 

Non-interest bearing demand

  $ 576,624     0.00 %

Interest bearing demand

    520,973     1.01 %

Money market savings

    846,721     1.13 %

Savings

    313,294     0.25 %

Certificates of deposit

    186,639     0.85 %

Total

  $ 2,444,251     0.70 %

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  For the Year Ended
December 31, 2016
  For the Year Ended
December 31, 2015
 
(Dollars in thousands)
  Average
Balance
  Average
Rate
  Average
Balance
  Average
Rate
 

Non-interest bearing demand

  $ 726,811     0.00 % $ 703,944     0.00 %

Interest bearing demand

    397,767     0.70 %   196,738     0.25 %

Money market savings

    673,643     0.96 %   540,028     0.96 %

Savings

    278,919     0.13 %   243,841     0.13 %

Certificates of deposit

    342,599     0.59 %   265,577     0.51 %

Total

  $ 2,419,739     0.48 % $ 1,950,128     0.38 %

        The following table shows time deposits of $100,000 or more by time remaining until maturity:

(Dollars in thousands)
  At June 30,
2017
 
 
  (unaudited)
 

Three months or less

  $ 11,771  

Over three months through six months

    26,238  

Over six months through one year

    21,413  

Over one year to three years

    540  

Over three years

    574  

Total

  $ 60,536  

        Borrowings.     Borrowings totaled $56.6 million at June 30, 2017, a decrease of $373,000 from December 31, 2016, and at December 31, 2016, a decrease of $484,000 from December 31, 2015, which represented net repayments on FHLBI advances.

        The following table sets forth certain information regarding our borrowings at the dates and for the periods indicated:

 
   
  At or For the Years
Ended
December 31,
 
 
  At or For the
Six Months Ended
June 30, 2017
 
(Dollars in thousands)
  2016   2015  
 
  (unaudited)
   
   
 

Balance at end of period

  $ 56,633   $ 57,006   $ 57,490  

Average balance during period

    60,733     58,335     56,580  

Maximum outstanding at any month end

    57,002     57,490     189,125  

Weighted average interest rate at end of period (1)

    3.94 %   3.35 %   2.98 %

Average interest rate during period

    12.30 %   12.52 %   12.27 %

(1)
The weighted-average interest rate at the end of the period reflects the stated interest rates on the borrowings. In addition to the stated rate, the borrowing term on the subordinated debt include payment of an amount equal to 49% of the net income of NMF.

        Total Equity.     Total equity increased $20.2 million, or 9.8%, to $226.5 million at June 30, 2017 from $206.3 million at December 31, 2016. The increase resulted primarily from net income of $23.9 million and an increase in other comprehensive income of $71,000, which were partially offset by dividends paid on preferred and common shares of $1.7 million and $2.1 million, respectively, during the period. Total equity increased $58.1 million, or 39.2%, to $206.3 million at December 31, 2016 from $148.2 million at December 31, 2015. The increase resulted primarily from net income of $33.1 million and net proceeds from the issuance of $31.6 million of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred

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Stock, which were partially offset by dividends paid on preferred and common shares of $2.0 million and $4.2 million, respectively, during the year.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

        Our primary sources of funds are deposits, escrow and custodial deposits, principal and interest payments on loans, and proceeds from sale of loans. While maturities and scheduled amortization of loans are predictable sources of funds, deposit flows and mortgage prepayments are greatly influenced by market interest rates, economic conditions, and competition. Our most liquid assets are cash, short-term investments, including interest-bearing demand deposits and trading securities. The levels of these assets are dependent on our operating, financing, lending, and investing activities during any given period.

        Our cash flows are comprised of three primary classifications: cash flows from operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities. Net cash used in operating activities was $183.6 million and $201.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Net cash used in investing activities, which consists primarily of net change in loans receivable and purchases, sales and maturities of investment securities, was $184.3 million and $159.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Net cash provided by financing activities, which is comprised primarily of net change in deposits, was $338.7 million and $223.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

        Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities was $(149.8 million) and $118.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Net cash used in investing activities, which consists primarily of net change in loans receivable and purchases, sales and maturities of investment securities, was $(265.3 million) and $(349.3 million) for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Net cash provided by financing activities, which is comprised primarily of net change in deposits, was $414.0 million and $448.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

        At June 30, 2017, we had outstanding commitments to originate loans of $328.6 million, unused lines of credit of $93.2 million and outstanding letters of credit of $54.4 million. We anticipate that we will have sufficient funds available to meet our current loan origination commitments. Certificates of deposit that are scheduled to mature in less than one year from June 30, 2017 totaled $315.0 million. Management expects that a substantial portion of the maturing certificates of deposit will be renewed. However, if a substantial portion of these deposits is not retained, we may decide to utilize FHLBI advances or raise interest rates on deposits to attract new accounts, which may result in higher levels of interest expense. At June 30, 2017, based on available collateral and our ownership of FHLBI stock we had access to additional FHLBI advances of up to $386.4 million.

        At June 30, 2017, the Bank exceeded all of its regulatory capital requirements with a Tier 1 leverage capital level of $267.0 million, or 9.3% of adjusted total assets, which is above the required level of $114.4 million, or 4.0%; total risk-based capital of $273.9 million, or 12.0% of risk-weighted assets, which is above the required level of $182.3 million, or 8.0%; and common equity Tier 1 capital of $267.0 million, or 11.7% of risk-weighted assets, which is above the required level of $102.5 million, or 4.5% of risk-weighted assets. Accordingly, the Bank was categorized as well capitalized at June 30, 2017. Management is not aware of any conditions or events since the most recent notification that would change our category.

        At June 30, 2017, the Company exceeded all of its regulatory capital requirements with a Tier 1 leverage capital level of $211.0 million, or 7.4% of adjusted total assets, which is above the required level of $114.1 million, or 4.0%; total risk-based capital of $217.9 million, or 9.6% of risk-weighted assets, which is above the required level of $182.4 million, or 8.0%; and common equity Tier 1 capital of $169.4 million, or 7.4% of risk-weighted assets, which is above the required level of $102.6 million,

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or 4.5% of risk-weighted assets. Management is not aware of any conditions or events since the most recent notification that would change our category.

        The table directly below shows the capital ratios under the Basel III capital framework:

 
  June 30, 2017
Actual
  December 31, 2016
Actual
  Minimum Capital Levels
as of Jan. 1, 2017
  Well-Capitalized Basel III
Ratio as of Jan. 1, 2015
Under Prompt Corrective
Action Regulations
 

Merchants Bancorp

                         

Common Equity Tier 1 (to risk-weighted assets)

    7.4 %   8.1 %   4.5 %   N/A  

Tier 1 Leverage Ratio

    7.4 %   6.6 %   4.0 %   N/A  

Tier 1 Capital

    9.3 %   10.3 %   6.0 %   ³ 6.0 %

Total Capital (to risk-weighted assets)

    9.6 %   10.6 %   8.0 %   ³ 10.0 %

Merchants Bank

                         

Common Equity Tier 1 (to risk-weighted assets)

    11.7 %   13.2 %   4.5 %   ³ 6.5 %

Tier 1 Leverage Ratio

    9.3 %   8.4 %   4.0 %   ³ 5.0 %

Tier 1 Capital

    11.7 %   13.2 %   6.0 %   ³ 8.0 %

Total Capital (to risk-weighted assets)

    12.0 %   13.5 %   8.0 %   ³ 10.0 %

Contractual obligations

        The following table summarizes aggregated information about our outstanding contractual obligations and other long-term liabilities as of June 30, 2017. The payment amounts represent those amounts contractually due to the recipients.

 
  Payments Due by Period  
(Dollars in thousands)
  Total   Less Than
One Year
  One to Three
Years
  Three to
Five
Years
  More
than
Five Years
 
 
  (unaudited)
 

Deposits without a stated maturity

  $ 2,454,473   $ 2,454,473   $   $   $  

Time deposits

    317,028     315,029     1,200     799      

Borrowings

    56,633     55,412     358     114     749  

Operating lease obligations

    3,729     720     1,484     938     587  

Total

  $ 2,831,863   $ 2,825,634   $ 3,042   $ 1,851   $ 1,336  

        Borrowings are fully described in Note 10 of the Consolidated Financial Statements as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015. Operating lease obligations are in place primarily for facilities and land on which banking facilities are located. See Note 22 of our Consolidated Financial Statements as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015 for additional information.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements.

        In the normal course of operations, we engage in a variety of financial transactions that, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, are not recorded in our financial statements. These transactions involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit, interest rate and liquidity

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risk. Such transactions are used primarily to manage customers' requests for funding and take the form of loan commitments, lines of credit and standby letters of credit.

        For information about our loan commitments, unused lines of credit and standby letters of credit, see Note 22 of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements beginning on page F-1 of this prospectus.

        We have not engaged in any other off-balance-sheet transactions in the normal course of our lending activities.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

        Market Risk.     Market risk represents the risk of loss due to changes in market values of assets and liabilities. We incur market risk in the normal course of business through exposures to market interest rates, equity prices, and credit spreads. We have identified two primary sources of market risk: interest rate risk and price risk.

    Interest Rate Risk

        Overview.     Interest rate risk is the risk to earnings and value arising from changes in market interest rates. Interest rate risk arises from timing differences in the repricings and maturities of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities (reprice risk), changes in the expected maturities of assets and liabilities arising from embedded options, such as borrowers' ability to prepay residential mortgage loans at any time and depositors' ability to redeem certificates of deposit before maturity (option risk), changes in the shape of the yield curve where interest rates increase or decrease in a nonparallel fashion (yield curve risk), and changes in spread relationships between different yield curves, such as U.S. Treasuries and LIBOR (basis risk).

        The Asset-Liability Committee of our board of directors, or ALCO, establishes broad policy limits with respect to interest rate risk. ALCO establishes specific operating guidelines within the parameters of the board of directors' policies. In general, we seek to minimize the impact of changing interest rates on net interest income and the economic values of assets and liabilities. Our ALCO meets quarterly to monitor the level of interest rate risk sensitivity to ensure compliance with the board of directors' approved risk limits.

        Interest rate risk management is an active process that encompasses monitoring loan and deposit flows complemented by investment and funding activities. Effective management of interest rate risk begins with understanding the dynamic characteristics of assets and liabilities and determining the appropriate interest rate risk posture given business forecasts, management objectives, market expectations, and policy constraints.

        An asset sensitive position refers to a balance sheet position in which an increase in short-term interest rates is expected to generate higher net interest income, as rates earned on our interest-earning assets would reprice upward more quickly than rates paid on our interest-bearing liabilities, thus expanding our net interest margin. Conversely, a liability sensitive position refers to a balance sheet position in which an increase in short-term interest rates is expected to generate lower net interest income, as rates paid on our interest-bearing liabilities would reprice upward more quickly than rates earned on our interest-earning assets, thus compressing our net interest margin.

        Income Simulation and Economic Value Analysis.     Interest rate risk measurement is calculated and reported to the ALCO at least quarterly. The information reported includes period-end results and identifies any policy limits exceeded, along with an assessment of the policy limit breach and the action plan and timeline for resolution, mitigation, or assumption of the risk.

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        We use two approaches to model interest rate risk: Net Interest Income at Risk (NII at Risk) and Economic Value of Equity (EVE). Under NII at Risk, net interest income is modeled utilizing various assumptions for assets, liabilities, and derivatives. EVE measures the period end market value of assets minus the market value of liabilities and the change in this value as rates change. EVE is a period end measurement.

        We report NII at Risk to isolate the change in income related solely to interest earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities. The NII at Risk results reflect the analysis used quarterly by management. It models gradual –100, +100 and +200 basis point parallel shifts in market interest rates, implied by the forward yield curve over the next one-year period. The following table presents NII at Risk as of June 30, 2017, December 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015:

 
  Net Interest Income Sensitivity
Twelve Months Forward
 
(Dollars in thousands)
  –100   +100   +200  

June 30, 2017:

                   

Dollar change

  $ (13,080 ) $ 9,593   $ 19,418  

Percent change

    (16.0 )%   11.7 %   23.4 %

December 31, 2016:

   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Dollar change

  $ (15,458 ) $ 12,867   $ 26,083  

Percent change

    (20.3 )%   16.9 %   34.2 %

December 31, 2015:

   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Dollar change

  $ (8,114 ) $ 9,729   $ 19,438  

Percent change

    (13.2 )%   15.9 %   31.7 %

        Our interest rate risk management policy limits the change in our net interest income to –15% for a 100 basis point move in interest rates, and –20% for a 200 basis point move in rates. At both June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 we estimated that a –100 basis point change in rates would have caused a greater than 15% decline in net interest income over the forward 12 month period. However, these estimates were based on a constant-sized balance sheet. Mortgage volumes typically would increase in a –100 basis point scenario which would increase net interest and noninterest income. Management determined these dynamics are sufficient mitigating factors. Management may also remediate situations where we are not within our policy limits by buying or selling assets, buying or selling participations in assets, and changing asset and liability pricing.

        The EVE results included in the table below reflect the analysis used quarterly by management. It models immediate –100, +100 and +200 basis point parallel shifts in market interest rates.

 
  Economic Value of Equity
Sensitivity (Shock)
 
 
  Immediate Change in Rates  
(Dollars in thousands)
  –100   +100   +200  

June 30, 2017:

                   

Dollar change

  $ 2,842   $ (5,979 ) $ (13,574 )

Percent change

    1.0 %   (2.2 )%   (4.9 )%

December 31, 2016:

   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Dollar change

  $ 2,277   $ (5,289 ) $ (12,100 )

Percent change

    0.9 %   (2.1 )%   (4.8 )%

December 31, 2015:

   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Dollar change

  $ 2,960   $ (6,938 ) $ (14,143 )

Percent change

    1.5 %   (3.5 )%   (7.1 )%

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        Our interest rate risk management policy limits the change in our EVE to –15% for a 100 basis point move in interest rates, and –20% for a 200 basis point move in rates. We are within policy limits set by our board of directors for the –100, +100 and +200 basis point scenarios. The EVE reported at June 30, 2017 projects that as interest rates increase (decrease) immediately, the economic value of equity position will be expected to decrease (increase). When interest rates rise, fixed rate assets generally lose economic value; the longer the duration, the greater the value lost. The opposite is true when interest rates fall. The EVE results reported as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015, for all levels of interest rate changes, shows an asset sensitive position.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

        The discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations are based on our financial statements, which are prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles used in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions affecting the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and the reported amounts of income and expenses. We consider the accounting policies discussed below to be critical accounting policies. The estimates and assumptions that we use are based on historical experience and various other factors and are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions, resulting in a change that could have a material impact on the carrying value of our assets and liabilities and our results of operations.

        The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, reduce certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. As an "emerging growth company" we may delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period. Accordingly, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.

        The following represent our critical accounting policies:

        Allowance for Loan Losses.     The allowance for loan losses is the estimated amount considered necessary to cover inherent, but unconfirmed, credit losses in the loan portfolio at the balance sheet date. The allowance is established through the provision for loan losses which is charged against income. In determining the allowance for loan losses, management makes significant estimates and has identified this policy as one of our most critical accounting policies.

        Management performs a quarterly evaluation of the allowance for loan losses. Consideration is given to a variety of factors in establishing this estimate including, but not limited to, current economic conditions, delinquency statistics, geographic and industry concentrations, the adequacy of the underlying collateral, the financial strength of the borrower, results of internal loan reviews and other relevant factors. This evaluation is inherently subjective as it requires material estimates that may be susceptible to significant change.

        The analysis has two components, specific and general allowances. The specific percentage allowance is for unconfirmed losses related to loans that are determined to be impaired. Impairment is measured by determining the present value of expected future cash flows or, for collateral-dependent loans, the fair value of the collateral, adjusted for market conditions and selling expenses. If the fair value of the loan is less than the loan's carrying value, a specific reserve is established for the difference. The general allowance, which is for loans reviewed collectively, is determined by segregating the remaining loans by type of loan, risk weighting (if applicable) and payment history. We also analyze historical loss experience, delinquency trends, general economic conditions and geographic and industry concentrations. This analysis establishes historical loss percentages and qualitative factors that are applied to the loan groups to determine the amount of the allowance for loan losses necessary for

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loans that are reviewed collectively. The qualitative component is critical in determining the allowance for loan losses as certain trends may indicate the need for changes to the allowance for loan losses based on factors beyond the historical loss history. Not incorporating a qualitative component could misstate the allowance for loan losses. Actual loan losses may be significantly more than the allowances we have established which could result in a material negative effect on our financial results.

        Mortgage Servicing Rights.     Mortgage servicing assets are recognized separately when rights are acquired through purchase or through sale of financial assets. Servicing rights resulting from the sale or securitization of loans originated by us are initially measured at fair value at the date of transfer. We have elected to initially and subsequently measure the mortgage servicing rights for mortgage loans using the fair value method. Under the fair value method, the servicing rights are carried in the balance sheet at fair value and the changes in fair value are reported in earnings in the period in which the changes occur.

        Fair value is based on market prices for comparable mortgage servicing contracts, when available, or alternatively, is based on a valuation model that calculates the present value of estimated future net servicing income. The valuation model is from an independent third party and it incorporates assumptions that market participants would use in estimating future net servicing income, such as the cost to service, the discount rate, the custodial assets earnings rate, an inflation rate, ancillary income, prepayment speeds, prepayment penalties, and default rates and losses. We review the reasonableness of the assumptions and the methodology to ensure the estimated fair value complies with accounting standards generally accepted in the United States. These variables change from quarter to quarter as market conditions and projected interest rates change, and may have an adverse impact on the value of the mortgage-servicing right and may result in a reduction to noninterest income.

        Fair Value Measurements.     The fair value of a financial instrument is defined as the amount at which the instrument could be exchanged in a current transaction between willing parties, other than in a forced or liquidation sale. We estimate the fair value of a financial instrument and any related asset impairment using a variety of valuation methods. Where financial instruments are actively traded and have quoted market prices, quoted market prices are used for fair value. When the financial instruments are not actively traded, other observable market inputs, such as quoted prices of securities with similar characteristics, may be used, if available, to determine fair value. When observable market prices do not exist, we estimate fair value. These estimates are subjective in nature and imprecision in estimating these factors can impact the amount of gain or loss recorded. A more detailed description of the fair values measured at each level of the fair value hierarchy and the methodology utilized by us can be found in Note 20 of our Consolidated Financial Statements "Disclosures About Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities."

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

        For a discussion of the expected impact of accounting pronouncements recently issued but not adopted by us as of June 30, 2017, see Note 25 of our Consolidated Financial Statements "Recent Accounting Pronouncements."

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BUSINESS

Our Company Overview

        We are a diversified bank holding company headquartered in Carmel, Indiana and registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. We currently operate multiple lines of business with a focus on FHA multi-family housing and healthcare facility financing and servicing, mortgage warehouse financing, retail and correspondent residential mortgage banking, agricultural lending and traditional community banking. As of June 30, 2017, we had $3.1 billion in assets, $2.8 billion of deposits and $226.5 million of shareholders' equity.

        We were founded in 1990 as a mortgage banking company, providing financing for multi-family housing and senior living properties. The shared vision of our founders, Michael Petrie and Randall Rogers, was to create a diversified financial services company, which efficiently operates both nationally through mortgage banking and related services and locally through a community bank. We have grown both organically and through acquisitions focused on expanding our services. We have strategically built our business in a way that we believe offers insulation from cyclical economic and credit swings and may provide synergies across our lines of business.

Experienced Board and Management Team

        Our founders, Michael Petrie and Randall Rogers, each have over 38 years of industry experience. Prior to founding Merchants, Mr. Petrie and Mr. Rogers worked together as Merchants Mortgage Corporation, a company founded by Mr. Rogers, with Mr. Rogers as Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Petrie as Executive Vice President.

        In addition to our founders, the other members of our executive management team collectively have, on average, over 27 years of industry experience, each with a diverse and complementary background that is an integral part of our success. Michael Dunlap, the President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Merchants Bank, has primarily been responsible for establishing our warehouse lending platform and Merchants Mortgage, and previously served in senior management and financial roles for several mortgage companies, including as Chief Financial Officer of National City Mortgage. John Macke, our Chief Financial Officer, previously served as Executive Vice President of Capital Markets and as Chief Financial Officer of Stonegate Mortgage Corporation. Scott Evans, President of Merchants Bank's Lynn Market and Co-Chief Operating Officer, has extensive experience in community banking, including as Vice President of The Farmers State Bank for over 10 years, and is primarily responsible for our Banking segment, including our agriculture lending activities. Michael Dury, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of P/RMIC, oversees P/RMIC's strategy and business development for multi-family and healthcare financing activities and since 2010 has originated over $3 billion of multi-family loan volume. For more information on our executive management team, see the "Management" section below in this prospectus. The below table provides a

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summary of our executive management team and reflects each member's current respective current ownership of our common stock as of October 12, 2017.

Name
  Title   Age   Years
in
Financial
Services
  Years
with the
Company
  Ownership  

Michael F. Petrie

  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Merchants and Merchants Bank     63     38     27     46.53 % (1)

Randall D. Rogers

  President and Chief Operating Officer of Merchants, Vice Chairman of Merchants Bank     71     48     27     44.84 % (2)

Michael J. Dunlap

  President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Merchants Bank     51     25     8     *  

John F. Macke

  Chief Financial Officer of Merchants and Merchants Bank     52     25     0      

Michael R. Dury

  Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of P/RMIC     32     10     10     *  

Scott A. Evans

  Lynn Market President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Merchants Bank     52     28     13     *  

Susan D. Kucer

  Indianapolis Market President of Merchants Bank     62     35     2      

Jerry F. Koors

  President of Merchants Mortgage     53     26     4     *  

Richard L. Belser

  Senior Vice President and Senior Credit Officer of Merchants Bank     66     43     10      

Bill D. Buchanan

  Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of Merchants and Merchants Bank     59     29     3     *  

Kevin T. Langford

  Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Merchants Bank     49     27     1      

TOTAL

                91.57 % (3)

AVERAGE

    30.36     9.55        

*
denotes less than 1%

(1)
Includes 38.58% beneficially owned by Mr. Petrie's wife, Jody J. Petrie. See "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management" for additional information.

(2)
Includes 43.59% beneficially owned by Mr. Rogers' wife, Mary H. Rogers. See "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management" for additional information.

(3)
Includes 82.17% beneficially owned by Mr. Petrie's and Mr. Rogers' wives as described in (1) and (2) above.

        Upon the closing of this offering, Messrs. Petrie and Rogers, together with their families, will hold approximately 73.97% of our outstanding common stock. Therefore, Messrs. Petrie and Rogers, together with their families, will have the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted to our shareholders for approval, including the election or removal of directors and the amendment of our articles of incorporation, along with approval of significant transactions. This control position may conflict with the interests of some or all of our other shareholders. In addition, Messrs. Petrie and Rogers, together with their families, own approximately 24.02% of our outstanding 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock.

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        Our five non-executive directors are all successful business owners, professionals or senior executives with long-standing ties to their communities. The collective professional background of our directors provides us with valuable insights into the business and banking needs of our customer base. After the completion of this offering, our five non-executive directors and their affiliated entities, collectively, are expected to have an approximately 0.15% ownership.

Our Growth

        Since our acquisition of Merchants Bank (formerly known as Greensfork Township State Bank), with assets of $6.7 million in March 2002, we have achieved significant growth in many of our key financial performance categories while maintaining an acute focus on building profitable and complementary business lines that provide for insulation from cyclical swings and create synergies within our lines of business that give us competitive advantages. We have grown our total assets from $936 million at December 31, 2012 to $3.1 billion at June 30, 2017, a compound annual growth rate of 30.4%. Total gross loans (including loans held for investment and loans held for sale) grew from $583 million at December 31, 2012 to $2.1 billion at June 30, 2017, a compound annual growth rate of 32.3%. Total deposits grew from $815 million at December 31, 2012 to $2.8 billion at June 30, 2017, a compound annual growth rate of 31.3%.

        Our growth thus far is due primarily to the consistent production and efficiency of P/RMIC and the scalable growth of our warehouse lending line of business. P/RMIC has grown the unpaid principal balance of its servicing portfolio from $2.8 billion as of December 31, 2012 to $6.2 billion as of June 30, 2017, while our warehouse lending funded volumes have grown from $8.3 billion in 2012 to $24.8 billion in 2016. Over the same period we have experienced low levels of non-performing assets and charge-offs, driven principally by the nature of our lending business and our focus on originating assets with favorable risk profiles.

Total Assets
  Total Gross Loans
  Total Deposits
($ in Millions)
  ($ in Millions)
  ($ in Millions)

 

 

 

 

 
GRAPHIC   GRAPHIC   GRAPHIC
Nonperforming Assets / Total Assets
  Net Charge-offs / Average Loans

 

 

 
GRAPHIC   GRAPHIC

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        During every period since January 1, 2012, as shown in the chart below, we have maintained a return on average assets above 1.23%, a return on average tangible common equity over 19%, and an efficiency ratio under 33%. We were able to achieve these metrics despite historically earning a lower net interest rate margin than most banks, which we attribute to originating low risk shorter-term assets.

Return on Average
Assets (2)
  Return on Average
Tangible Common Equity (2)
  Efficiency Ratio   Net Interest Margin (1)

GRAPHIC

 

GRAPHIC

 

GRAPHIC

 

GRAPHIC

Our Corporate Structure

        We have several lines of business and provide various banking and financial services through our subsidiaries as follows:

   


(2)
In 2014, for federal income tax purposes, we converted from a Subchapter S corporation to a C corporation. The 2012 and 2013 performance metrics reflect adjustments to net income for comparability with subsequent years. Specifically, for 2012 and 2013, we adjusted net income for pro-forma federal and state corporate income tax expenses to which we were subject following our conversion to a C corporation, using an assumed income tax rate of 40%. Net income also was adjusted for 2014 to reverse the charge we recorded for the conversion of deferred tax liabilities in connection with our conversion from a Subchapter S to C corporation. These pro-forma net income metrics are non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for additional discussion regarding pro-forma net income and a reconciliation of this metric to net income.

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GRAPHIC

Lines of Business

        Revenues by our segments for the year ended December 31, 2016 and the six months ended June 30, 2017 were as follows:

 
  Six Months Ended June 30, 2017   Year Ended December 31, 2016  
(Dollars in thousands)
  Multi-Family
Mortgage
Banking
  Mortgage
Warehousing
  Banking   Multi-Family
Mortgage
Banking
  Mortgage
Warehousing
  Banking  
 
   
  (unaudited)
   
   
   
   
 

Net Interest Income

  $ 179   $ 16,431   $ 12,438   $ 237   $ 32,117   $ 22,804  

Non-Interest Income

    22,448     1,303     966     22,798     3,220     2,486  

Net Revenue

  $ 22,627   $ 17,734   $ 13,404   $ 23,035   $ 35,337   $ 25,290  

Percent of Net Revenues

    41.9 %   32.9 %   24.8 %   27.9 %   42.8 %   30.7 %

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P/RMIC: Multi-Family Rental Housing, Healthcare Financing and Servicing

        P/RMIC is primarily engaged in mortgage banking, specializing in originating and servicing loans for multi-family rental housing and healthcare facility financing, particularly for senior living properties. P/RMIC originated $1.2 billion in loans during 2016 and $906 million during the six months ended June 30, 2017. P/RMIC primarily originates FHA loans that are sold as Ginnie Mae mortgage backed securities within approximately 30 days. The loans are sold and servicing is retained. Other originations include bridge and permanent financing that are referred to the Banking segment. These loans eventually become permanent FHA financings by P/RMIC. In addition to the $1.2 billion originated directly by P/RMIC, we also funded loans brought to us by non-affiliated entities. As of June 30, 2017, P/RMIC's servicing portfolio totaled $6.2 billion, which includes both owned and subserviced loans.

        P/RMIC's primary source of funding is the national secondary mortgage market. Investors in the market are large financial institutions, brokerage companies, insurance companies and real estate investment trusts. P/RMIC is an approved FHA lender and a Ginnie Mae issuer of mortgage backed securities. During 2010, P/RMIC was the most productive FHA multi-family lender in the country based on number of loans originated. It is also an approved Multifamily Accelerated Processing and HUD section 232 LEAN lender and an RHS approved lender for their Section 538 program. These programs facilitate secondary market activities in order to provide funding for the multi-family mortgage market.

        P/RMIC also funds loans through the sale of participation interests to Merchants Bank, where they accrue interest for approximately 30 days before delivery to the end investor. Generally, these loans have 35 year fixed rates with 10 year call protection. The loans are predominantly insured by the FHA and RHS and rate locked as forward delivery Ginnie Mae securities, who guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest to investors. P/RMIC services the loans for a fee.

        We generated approximately $22.6 and $23.0 million, or 41.9% and 27.9%, of net revenue (net interest income plus non-interest income) from our Multi-family Mortgage Banking segment for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and year ended December 31, 2016, respectively.

RICHMAC

        In August 2017, P/RMIC acquired RICHMAC, a national multi-family housing mortgage lender, to compliment and expand the products and services offered by P/RMIC.

Merchants Bank: Warehouse Financing, Loan Participations and Community Banking

        Merchants Bank operates under an Indiana charter and provides traditional community banking services, as well as retail and correspondent residential mortgage banking and agricultural lending. Merchants Bank has five depository branches located in Carmel, Indianapolis, and Lynn, Indiana.

Warehouse Financing and Loan Participations

        Merchants Bank started our warehouse lending business in 2009 as a result of dislocation in the market. Merchants Bank currently has warehouse lines of credit and loan participations with some of the largest non-depository financial institutions in the country. As of June 30, 2017, Merchants Bank and NMF had $1.2 billion in loans outstanding from warehouse lines for credit to single and multi-family lenders and loan participations.

        We generated approximately $17.7 and $35.3 million, or 32.9% and 42.8%, of net revenue (net interest income plus non-interest income) from our Mortgage Warehousing segment for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and year ended December 31, 2016, respectively.

        Under its warehouse program, Merchants Bank provides warehouse financing arrangements to lenders for the origination and sale of residential mortgage loans. Merchants Bank structures its funding primarily as a loan participation and also offers secured lines of credit. Agency eligible (Fannie

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Mae and Freddie Mac), governmental (FHA insured or Veterans Affairs ("VA") or United States Department of Agriculture ("USDA") guaranteed), and jumbo residential mortgage loans that are secured by mortgages placed on existing one– to four–family dwellings may be purchased and placed on each mortgage warehouse line.

        In the case of the purchase of a loan participation interest, Merchants Bank funds the lender's origination or purchase. As a participation, Merchants Bank acts as up to a 100% participant in the loan, but the lender retains servicing rights and the fees attached to origination and servicing the loan. These loans are accounted for as loans held for sale. As a secured line of credit, collateral pledged to Merchants Bank secures each individual mortgage until the lender sells the loan to the secondary market. A traditional secured warehouse line of credit typically carries a basis of 30-day LIBOR or the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate plus a margin.

        The participation agreements—unlike the mandatory funding obligations often in a traditional warehouse line of credit—provide Merchants Bank with the option to participate in up to a 100% interest in any loan offered for participation by the lenders. The elective nature of Merchants Bank's participation agreements, and its pre funding requirements including Merchants Bank's review, provides it with the ability to be selective as to the loans it will fund and affords Merchants Bank with flexibility to quickly adjust assets accordingly following unexpected swings in the market or Merchants Bank's liabilities.

        Before choosing to participate in any given loan, Merchants Bank validates whether the loan is conforming and agency eligible. Upon validation, Merchants Bank approves the wire. It tracks the receipt of the collateral, the note, and holds it in its possession. Merchants Bank sends the note upon receipt of instructions from the lender as to the identity of the investor, who the lender typically has in place before the loan is made. Merchants Bank or its custodial agent sends the note to the investor under a bailment arrangement and instructs the investor to wire the proceeds directly to Merchants Bank, which applies its share of the proceeds and sends the remainder to the lender. Interest income accrues during the warehouse period. Therefore, throughout this whole process, Merchants Bank attempts to minimize any risk by controlling the cash and collateral and transferring the loan within a 45 day timeframe. These loans are usually sold to Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac and the FHLBI.

Commercial Lending and Retail Banking

        Merchants Bank holds loans in its portfolio comprised of multi-family construction and bridge loans referred by P/RMIC, owner occupied commercial real estate loans, commercial & industrial loans, agricultural loans, residential mortgage loans and consumer loans. Merchants Bank receives deposits from customers located primarily in Hamilton, Marion, Randolph and surrounding counties in Indiana and from the escrows generated by the servicing activities of P/RMIC.

        Merchants Bank's assets in its commercial loan portfolio, as of June 30, 2017, primarily consist of $39.9 million from loans secured by commercial real estate and $122.2 million from commercial and industrial loans.

SBA Lending

        Merchants Bank participates in the SBA 7(a) program in order to meet the needs of our small business community, and help diversify our retail revenue stream. We originate and service, as well as sell the guaranteed portion of these loans. As of June 30, 2017, Merchants Bank had originated $4.5 million in SBA 7(a) loans in Marion and Hamilton counties in Central Indiana since our participation this program.

        The SBA's 7(a) program provides up to a 75% guaranty for loans greater than $150,000. For loans $150,000 or less, the program provides up to an 85% guaranty. The maximum 7(a) loan amount is $5 million. The guaranty is conditional and covers a portion of the risk of payment default by the

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borrower, but not the risk of improper closing and servicing by the lender. As such, prudent underwriting and closing processes are essential to effective utilization of the 7(a) program. We typically sell in the secondary market the SBA-guaranteed portion (generally 75% of the principal balance) of the loans we originate.

Agricultural Lending

        MBI-Lynn, located in Lynn, Randolph County, Indiana, primarily provides agricultural loans within its designated CRA area of Randolph and Wayne counties in Eastern Indiana and nearby Darke County, Ohio. Merchants Bank offers operating lines of credit for crop and livestock production, intermediate term financing to purchase agricultural equipment and breeding livestock and long-term financing to purchase agricultural real estate. As of June 30 2017, Merchants Bank had $66.4 million of agricultural loans, including undisbursed funds of $4.3 million, in our portfolio, 48.2% of which have a FSA 90% guarantee. Merchants Bank is approved to sell agricultural loans in the secondary market through the Farmer Mac and uses this relationship to manage interest rate risk within the agricultural loan portfolio. As of June 30, 2017, Merchants Bank sold agricultural loans with an aggregate principal balance of $13.5 million to Farmer Mac without recourse. Merchants Bank has written off less than $25 thousand in loan loss in its agricultural loan portfolio since December 31, 2004.

Single Family Mortgage Lending, Correspondent Lending and Servicing

        Merchants Mortgage is the branded arm and division of Merchants Bank that is a full service single-family mortgage origination and servicing platform that we launched in February 2013. Merchants Mortgage is both a retail and correspondent mortgage lender. Merchants Mortgage offers agency eligible, jumbo fixed and hybrid adjustable rate mortgages for purchase or refinancing of single-family residences. Other products include construction, bridge and lot financing and HELOC, including the All-in-One product, which links a customer's checking account balance to a first lien HELOC. Merchants Mortgage generates revenues from fees charged to borrowers, interest income during the warehouse period, and gain on sale of loans to investors. There are multiple investor outlets, including direct sale capability to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHLBI, and other third party investors to allow Merchants Mortgage a best execution at sale. Merchants Mortgage also originates loans held for investment and earns interest income over the life of the loan.

NMF: Warehouse Financing and Loan Participations

        In 2014, we entered into a Revolving Subordinated Loan Agreement with Stonegate ("Stonegate Loan Agreement"), whereby, Stonegate agreed to invest up to $30 million in our subordinated debt. In exchange, we agreed to cause any funds lent by Stonegate to be contributed to NMF and to pledge all of its shares of NMF as security. We earn net interest income and use the custodial deposits to fund the loans.

        On May 31, 2017 Stonegate was acquired by and became a subsidiary of Home Point. On the same date we entered into a Revolving Subordinated Loan Agreement with Home Point ("Home Point Loan Agreement"), whereby Home Point agreed to invest up to $30 million in our subordinated debt on substantially the same terms as the Stonegate Loan Agreement. This agreement with Home Point replaced the Stonegate Loan Agreement. Under the terms of the Home Point Loan Agreement, any funds lent by Home Point are contributed by us to NMF and we have pledged all of our shares of NMF to Home Point as security. Under the terms of the Home Point Loan Agreement, on a monthly basis we pay Home Point an interest payment on the amount outstanding at a rate of one-month LIBOR plus 350 basis points, plus additional interest equal to 49% of NMF's earnings. The principal balance of the amount outstanding to Home Point under the Home Point Loan Agreement, and thereby the amount on which we must pay interest, is automatically reduced by the amount of any loss recognized by NMF in the ordinary course of conducting its business. In executing the Home Point Loan Agreement the maturity date thereof was extended to March 31, 2018, with an automatic,

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re-occurring one year renewal period unless either party provides 90 days' notice prior to the then effective maturity date.

        Under the terms of master participation agreements, NMF may purchase loan participations from and provide warehouse financing to Home Point, its subsidiaries, and its correspondent customers (collectively, the "Home Point Entities"). The participation interests in the warehouse loans from NMF to the Home Point Entities provide NMF with 100% of the note rate for the loans originated by the Home Point Entities through the use of the NMF warehouse line. NMF lends at a 10 / 1 ratio—the average amount of NMF's loans will not exceed ten times the amount we have borrowed from Home Point.

        As a result, the Home Point subordinated debt may be viewed as, in effect, a reserve for NMF's lending programs up to the amount of the subordinated debt issued to Home Point. As of June 30, 2017, Home Point had invested $30 million in our subordinated debt, resulting in a total borrowing capacity of $300 million from the Home Point Entities.

Midtown West

        Midtown West owns land upon which we expect to build our new corporate headquarters building in Carmel, Indiana.

Ash Realty

        Ash Realty holds assets acquired through, or in lieu of, loan foreclosures. At June 30, 2017, there were no assets held in Ash Realty.

Arcline

        Merchants Bancorp owns 30% of Arcline and is accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Arcline processes warehouse and correspondent lending transactions, including on behalf of Merchants Bank.

Our Strategic Plan

        Our strategic plan focuses on continuing to grow complementary business lines that will provide a diverse and stable revenue platform and create a balance between our interest and non-interest income. Our strategic plan reflects our belief that our mortgage business and community banking structure complement one another by creating important operational and revenue synergies. Our strategic plan includes five initiatives:

    maintain and grow complementary and diversified business lines;

    develop deep customer relationships;

    execute prudent acquisitions in strategic areas;

    hire experienced and talented personnel while developing talented personnel from within our organization; and

    maintain a low risk profile through strong enterprise-wide risk management.

        We have achieved our recent growth through focused and sustained execution of these initiatives, and we believe that we have an experienced management team in place that will allow us to continue this success.

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Our Competitive Strengths

        We believe our competitive strengths set us apart from many similarly sized community banks and mortgage banking companies, and include the following key attributes:

        Diversified business lines within our mortgage banking business.     Our primary business lines within our mortgage banking business are complementary and provide a diverse and stable source of revenue. Our subsidiaries and divisions are integrated and offer opportunities for operational and revenue synergies. For example, Merchants Bank provides short-term lending support for P/RMIC originations in the form of bridge or construction financing. P/RMIC, in turn, deposits custodial escrow servicing accounts at Merchants Bank, which can be invested in securities and pledged to the FHLBI for additional funding capacity. Although we are exposed to the systemic risk in the mortgage market and the economy as a whole, our performance is not directly correlated with mortgage origination volumes. For example, for the year ended December 31, 2016, our mortgage warehouse lending funding volumes increased by 23%, while the mortgage market as a whole increased by 13%. In addition, for the six months ended June 30, 2017 our mortgage warehouse lending volumes increased 4.3% compared to the six months ended June 30, 2016, while the mortgage market as a whole decreased by 4.2% (based on market volumes from Mortgage Bankers Association of America). We largely attribute our ability to succeed under various market conditions to our low efficiency ratio, which is mainly a result of to our variable cost operating model, and our balanced presence in single and multi-family finance. In rising rate environments, single family mortgage origination volumes may fall, however this should be offset through increased net interest margin. Additionally, as market interest rates rise, originations for multi-family housing may decrease, but the value of our servicing asset increases due to a lesser expectation of prepayment. In falling rate environments, we may expect to see increased gain on sale income from purchase and refinance originations in both the single and multi-family mortgage markets to offset a potential decrease in the value of our servicing asset due to higher prepayments. Thus, Merchants Mortgage's position in the single-family and P/RMIC's position in multi-family housing sector offers us an alternative against variability in the mortgage industry.

        Stable source of non-interest income reduces risks associated with changes in interest rates.     Just as we strive to have diversification within our business lines, we also strive to maintain a complementary and diversified revenue model. We believe that this balanced revenue stream approach can help minimize volatility in our earnings through various economic and interest rate cycles. As a result, we do not have an undue reliance on one source of income, such as net interest income, which can be materially affected by changes in interest rates, or non-interest income, which can be materially affected by reductions in mortgage volumes. Historically, P/RMIC earned fees and servicing income (non-interest income) that greatly outweighed the interest income earned by Merchants Bank. We recognize our reliance on this revenue stream and have implemented strategies to augment the revenue. Since 2012, we have increased our portfolio of loans held for investment to balance our income and to reduce our reliance on a single source of income.

 
  For the Six Months
Ended June 30,
  For the Year Ended December 31,  
(Dollars in thousands)
  2017   2016   2016   2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  (unaudited)
   
   
   
   
   
 

Net Interest Income

  $ 29,255   $ 23,819   $ 53,971   $ 42,055   $ 30,630   $ 25,708   $ 20,710  

Non-Interest Income

    24,717     9,951     28,504     27,008     20,263     27,284     36,121  

Net Revenue

  $ 53,972   $ 33,770   $ 82,475   $ 69,063   $ 50,893   $ 52,992   $ 56,831  

Net Interest Income / Net Revenue

    54 %   71 %   65 %   61 %   60 %   49 %   36 %

Non-Interest Income / Net Revenue

    46 %   29 %   35 %   39 %   40 %   51 %   64 %

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        Low cost and stable source of funds.     Merchants Bank funds its loans, including its participation agreements and warehouse lines of credit, using funds generated primarily from mortgage related custodial deposits. Merchants Bank's cost of total deposits was 0.70% for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and its total cost of funds was 0.98% for the six months ended June 30, 2017. Custodial funds come from Merchants Bank's non-depository financial institution clients, such as servicing related escrow deposits for insurance and property taxes. These deposits are stable because the sources of the deposits have significant borrowing relationships with Merchants Bank. Merchants Bank may elect not to participate or fund loans in the event these customers decide to remove the deposits, thus we can better manage our assets with our liabilities. Merchants Bank also uses brokered deposits as a source of funding to make up for any funding gap with warehouse volumes or timing of mortgage custodial remittances. These deposits are short term and typically have one, two and three month maturities to match the temporarily higher volumes. Further, in the event Merchants Bank's deposits were insufficient to meet its customers' borrowing needs, Merchants Bank has additional available liquidity through cash reserves and available borrowing capacity of $386.4 million through the FHLBI as of June 30, 2017.

        Sophisticated risk management platform.     Our largest source of interest income is Merchants Bank's warehouse financing business, which we have structured to minimize risk. Merchants Bank underwrites lenders prior to entering into a warehouse lending agreement. Merchants Bank uses two different arrangements to fund agency eligible, government insured or guaranteed, or jumbo residential mortgage loans secured by mortgages placed on existing one-to-four family dwellings. The majority of our loans are funded under a participation agreement whereby Merchants Bank elects to purchase a participation interest of up to 100% in individual loans and shares proportionately in the interest income until the loan is sold in the secondary market. Merchants Bank also will fund loans under a warehouse line of credit as a secured financing. The warehouse arrangement is secured by a combination of the funded mortgage loans, cash deposits and personal guarantees of the originating lender, and Merchants Bank's initial disbursement of less than 100% of the loan amount. Merchants Bank's risk mitigation procedures include possession of collateral until the loan is sold and Merchants Bank directly receives the proceeds from the secondary market investor. In addition, prior to funding Merchants Bank reviews each loan to confirm its agency eligibility status and uses vendors to further validate loans as well as to hold the collateral securing the loan. Loans typically are sold by lenders to a third-party investor within approximately 20 days of funding, allowing Merchants Bank to minimize its risk that a loan will default prior to sale. The lenders sell most of these loans individually or through GSE ( i.e. , Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae) mortgage backed securities programs to large financial institutions or to GSEs, as the end investors. This relatively short turnover time is also part of what keeps our balance sheet assets repricing to the current rate environment and helps us manage interest rate risk, as discussed below.

        Minimizing interest rate exposure.     We believe that we appropriately minimize the potential for risk in our investment and loan portfolios, including risks associated with an increase in interest rates given the structure and composition of these portfolios. Our securities portfolio consists primarily of callable, government-backed securities with maturities of two years or less, all of which are available for sale. Our loan portfolio is comprised predominantly of variable interest rates or short maturities, which allows the interest rates to change with the market. As of June 30, 2017, 78.7% of Merchants Bank's assets reprice in less than 90 days. In our multi-family financing business, the vast majority of loans are sold into the secondary market with P/RMIC retaining servicing rights. P/RMIC also avoids "locking in" interest rates significantly in advance of loan closings, which further minimizes interest rate risk prior to closing of the loans.

        Innovative mortgage warehouse lending platform.     We believe that Merchants Bank has an innovative warehouse lending platform that may be considered as an industry leader. We have the capability to fully fund electronic mortgages through our E-Note program, one of only seven lenders in the country

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approved by Freddie Mac to offer this solution. We are highly responsive to our customers' needs by offering MSRs and operating lines of credit selectively to warehouse lending customers. The lines of credit secured by MSR's lead to the potential to add deposits as the customer increases its servicing portfolio. In addition, customer service is especially important in the warehouse lending business because customers need to be able to rely on, with confidence, a readily accessible, stable source of funds given the timing realities of meeting and honoring mortgage loan closings or purchases. We believe that our mortgage banking expertise and experience, size and low overhead costs permit us to be responsive to customers on a level that many larger banks are unable to match. These factors contribute to Merchants Bank providing warehouse facilities to some of the leading non-depository institutions in the country.

Recent Acquisition

        RICHMAC Funding, LLC.     We entered into a Member Interests Purchase Agreement dated June 26, 2017, to acquire 100% of the equity interests of RICHMAC. We closed the acquisition on August 15, 2017, and issued 383,271 shares of our common stock in exchange for 100% of the equity interests of RICHMAC. The acquisition is expected to allow P/RMIC through RICHMAC to operate as a Fannie Mae Affordable Lender and a Freddie Mac Targeted Affordable Housing (TAH) Seller/Servicer, as well as a servicing portfolio of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. The acquisition is expected to provide additional product offerings, such as the Freddie Mac Bridge to Resyndication and the Fannie Mae Tax Exempt Bond Credit Enhancement, to current customers as well as broaden the origination network into attractive markets where we do not currently have a presence. RICHMAC currently operates principally in Minneapolis, Minnesota and New York, New York.

Pending Acquisition

        Joy State Bank.     On October 31, 2016, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger to acquire Joy State Bank, an Illinois chartered bank located in Joy, Illinois. Since the timing and approval of the transaction was uncertain due to Merchants Bancorp's capital position at September 30, 2016, on December 22, 2016 the Agreement and Plan of Merger was amended and the parties agreed that Michael Petrie and Randall Rogers, two of our directors, would acquire Joy State Bank. The acquisition of Joy State Bank by Messrs. Petrie and Rogers received appropriate regulatory approvals and closed on April 3, 2017. On May 8, 2017, we entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with Messrs. Petrie and Rogers to acquire Joy State Bank. The acquisition is expected to provide access to the Mortgage Partnership Finance (MPF) Program, an attractive program offered through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago which Merchants Bank, as an Indiana chartered state bank, cannot access. We have agreed to pay a purchase price of approximately $5.4 million plus $16,403 for each 30 days after June 30, 2017, prorated to the closing date. The purchase price is equal to the price paid by Messrs. Petrie and Rogers, plus expenses and a cost of funds equal to 3.75%. The acquisition has been approved by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, but remains subject to the approval of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Banking. We expect to close this acquisition in the first quarter of 2018.

Our Community Banking Areas

        Our banking operations are largely concentrated in Carmel, Indianapolis and Lynn, Indiana.

        Carmel, Indiana has experienced rapid growth over the last decade and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, based on the 2010 Census, Carmel, Indiana is the fastest growing city in Indiana.

        According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population of Carmel, Indiana was 91,065 as of July 1, 2016, which represents a 141.3% increase from 2000, and, the estimated number of housing units within Carmel, Indiana was 33,012 in 2015, an increase of 11.9% from 2010. In 2015, the

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estimated median household income for Carmel, Indiana was $106,433, which compares favorably to Indiana's median household income of $49,255.

        According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, in 2016 9,061 estimated businesses were located in Hamilton County. Hamilton County has 1,601 professional and technical services, 744 finance and insurance businesses, and 667 construction firms.

        With this diversified employment base, Hamilton County has enjoyed steady employment. According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the unemployment rate for Hamilton County in 2016 was 3.2%, the lowest unemployment rate in the State of Indiana, compared to the Indiana unemployment rate of 4.4%.

Competition

        We compete in a number of areas, including commercial and retail banking, residential mortgages, and multi-family FHA loan originations in the multi-family and health care sectors. These industries are highly competitive, and Merchants Bank and its subsidiaries face strong direct competition for deposits, loans, and FHA loan originations and other financial-related services. We compete with other nondepository financial institutions and community banks, thrifts and credit unions. Although some of these competitors are situated locally, others have statewide or regional presence. In addition, we compete with large banks and other financial intermediaries, such as consumer finance companies, brokerage firms, mortgage banking companies, business leasing and finance companies, insurance companies, FHA loan origination businesses, securities firms, mutual funds and certain government agencies as well as major retailers, all actively engaged in providing various types of loans and other financial services. Additionally, we face growing competition from online businesses with few or no physical locations, including online banks, lenders and consumer and commercial lending platforms, as well as automated retirement and investment service providers. We believe that the range and quality of products that we offer, the knowledge of our personnel and our emphasis on building long-lasting relationships sets us apart from our competitors.

Employees

        As of June 30, 2017, we had approximately 157 employees. The Bank was named one of the "Best Places to Work in Indiana" in 2016 and 2017 by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. None of our employees are represented by any collective bargaining unit or are parties to a collective bargaining agreement. We believe that our relations with our employees are good.

Properties

        Our principal executive offices are located at 11555 North Meridian Street, Suite 400, Carmel, Indiana 46032. Including our principal executive offices, we operate a total of five branches, consisting of three branches in the Indianapolis, Indiana metropolitan area and two branches in Lynn, Indiana. We plan to relocate our principal executive offices in 2018 to a site we own in downtown Carmel, Indiana and operate a Merchants Bank branch at that location. We believe that our facilities are in

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good condition and are adequate to meet our operating needs for the foreseeable future. The following table summarizes pertinent details of our principal executive offices, branches and new offices:

Address
  Owned/Leased
Principal Executive Office, P/RMIC and Warehouse Lending    

11555 North Meridian Street, Suites 400, 500, 520 and 560
Carmel, Indiana 46032

  Leased

Central Indiana Branches:

 

 

3737 East 96th Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46240

  Owned

11590 North Meridian Street, Suite 120 (Merchants Mortgage)
Carmel, Indiana 46032

 

Leased


Lynn, Indiana Branches:

 

 

7375 South US Highway 27
Lynn, Indiana 47355

  Leased

6880 South Arba Pike
Lynn, Indiana 47355

 

Owned


New Offices:

 

 

4 th  Street SW and 4 th  Avenue SW
Carmel, Indiana 46032

  Owned

RICHMAC Offices:

 

 

800 Third Avenue, Suite 350
New York, New York 10022

  Leased

255 East Kellogg Blvd., Suite 103
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101

 

Leased

Legal Proceedings

        We are from time to time subject to claims and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. Currently, we are defendants in a litigation matter pending in the state court of Indiana for breach of contract related to a warehouse credit facility. Management, in consultation with legal counsel, does not expect the ultimate disposition of this matter to have a material adverse effect on our assets, business, cash flow, condition (financial or otherwise), liquidity, prospects, or results of operations. However, given the nature, scope and complexity of the extensive legal and regulatory landscape applicable to our business (including laws and regulations governing consumer protection, fair lending, fair labor, privacy, information security and anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism laws), we, like all banking organizations, are subject to heightened legal and regulatory compliance and litigation risk.

Corporate Information

        Our principal executive offices are located at 11555 North Meridian Street, Suite 400, Carmel, Indiana 46032, and our telephone number at that address is (317) 569-7420. Our website address is www.merchantsbankofindiana.com. The information contained on our website is not a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus.

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SUPERVISION AND REGULATION

General

        Insured banks, their holding companies and their affiliates are extensively regulated under federal and state law. As a result, our growth and earnings performance may be affected not only by management decisions and general economic conditions, but also by the requirements of federal and state statutes and by the regulations and policies of various bank regulatory agencies, including the IDFI, Federal Reserve, FDIC and CFPB. Furthermore, tax laws administered by the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities, accounting rules developed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, anti-money laundering laws enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the "Treasury") and mortgage related rules, including with respect to loan securitization and servicing by HUD and agencies such as Ginnie Mae and Freddie Mac, have an impact on our business. The effect of these statutes, regulations, regulatory policies and rules are significant to our operations and results, and the nature and extent of future legislative, regulatory or other changes affecting financial institutions are impossible to predict with any certainty.

        Federal and state banking laws impose a comprehensive system of supervision, regulation and enforcement on the operations of financial institutions, their holding companies and affiliates that is intended primarily for the protection of the FDIC-insured deposits and depositors of banks, rather than their shareholders. These federal and state laws, and the regulations of the bank regulatory agencies issued under them, affect, among other things, the scope of business, the kinds and amounts of investments banks may make, reserve requirements, capital levels relative to operations, the nature and amount of collateral for loans, the establishment of branches, the ability to merge, consolidate and acquire, dealings with insiders and affiliates and the payment of dividends.

        This supervisory and regulatory framework subjects banks and bank holding companies to regular examination by their respective regulatory agencies, which results in examination reports and ratings that, while not publicly available, can impact the conduct and growth of their businesses. These examinations consider not only compliance with applicable laws and regulations, but also capital levels, asset quality and risk, management ability and performance, earnings, liquidity, and various other factors. The regulatory agencies generally have broad discretion to impose restrictions and limitations on the operations of a regulated entity where the agencies determine, among other things, that such operations are unsafe or unsound, fail to comply with applicable law or are otherwise inconsistent with laws and regulations or with the supervisory policies of these agencies.

        The following is a summary of the material elements of the supervisory and regulatory framework applicable to us. It does not describe all of the statutes, regulations and regulatory policies that apply, nor does it restate all of the requirements of those that are described. The descriptions are qualified in their entirety by reference to the particular statutory and regulatory provision.

Merchants Bancorp

    Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended

        We, as the sole shareholder of Merchants Bank, are a bank holding company ("BHC") within the meaning of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended ("BHC Act"). As a BHC, we are subject to the supervision, examination and reporting requirements of the BHC Act and the regulations of Federal Reserve. The BHC Act requires a BHC to file an annual report of its operations and such additional information as the Federal Reserve may require.

    Acquisition of Banks

        Generally, the BHC Act governs the acquisition and control of banks and nonbanking companies by BHCs.

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        A BHC's acquisition of 5% or more of the voting shares of any other bank or BHC generally requires the prior approval of the Federal Reserve and is subject to applicable federal and state law. The Federal Reserve evaluates acquisition applications based on, among other things, competitive factors, supervisory factors, adequacy of financial and managerial resources, and banking and community needs considerations.

        The BHC Act also prohibits, with certain exceptions, a BHC from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any "nonbanking" company unless the FRB finds the nonbanking activities be "so closely related to banking . . . as to be a proper incident thereto" or another exception applies. The current regulations of the FRB permit a BHC and its nonbank subsidiaries, among other activities, to engage in such banking-related business ventures as consumer finance, equipment leasing, data processing, mortgage banking, financial and investment advice, and securities brokerage services. The BHC Act does not place territorial restrictions on the activities of a BHC or its nonbank subsidiaries.

        The BHC Act and Change in Bank Control Act, together with related regulations, prohibit acquisition of "control" of a bank or BHC without prior notice to certain federal bank regulators. The BHC Act defines "control," in certain cases, as the acquisition of as little as 10% of the outstanding shares of any class of voting stock. Furthermore, under certain circumstances, a BHC may not be able to purchase its own shares where the gross consideration will equal 10% or more of the company's net worth, without obtaining approval of the FRB.

        The Federal Reserve Act subjects banks and their affiliates to certain requirements and restrictions when dealing with each other (affiliate transactions include transactions between a bank and its BHC).

    Permitted Activities

        Under the BHC Act, a bank holding company is generally permitted to engage in, or acquire direct or indirect control of the voting shares of companies engaged in, a wider range of nonbanking activities that the Federal Reserve determines to be so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident to the business of banking, including:

    factoring accounts receivable;

    making, acquiring, brokering or servicing loans and usual related activities in connection with the foregoing;

    leasing personal or real property under certain conditions;

    operating a non-bank depository institution, such as a savings association;

    engaging in trust company functions in a manner authorized by state law;

    financial and investment advisory activities;

    discount securities brokerage activities;

    underwriting and dealing in government obligations and money market instruments;

    providing specified management consulting and counseling activities;

    performing selected data processing services and support services;

    acting as an agent or broker in selling credit life insurance and other types of insurance in connection with credit transactions; and

    performing selected insurance underwriting activities.

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        The Federal Reserve may order a bank holding company or its subsidiaries to terminate any of these activities or to terminate its ownership or control of any subsidiary when it has reasonable cause to believe that the bank holding company's continued ownership, activity or control constitutes a serious risk to the financial safety, soundness, or stability of it or any of its bank subsidiaries. A qualifying bank holding company that elects to be treated as a financial holding company may also engage in, or acquire direct or indirect control of the voting shares of companies engaged in activities that are financial in nature or incidental to such financial activity or are complementary to a financial activity and do not pose a substantial risk to the safety and soundness of the institution or the financial system generally. We have not elected, and presently do not intend to elect, to be treated as a financial holding company.

    Support of Subsidiary Institutions

        The FRB has issued regulations under the BHC Act requiring a BHC to serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to its subsidiary banks. Pursuant to such regulations a BHC should stand ready to use its resources to provide adequate capital funds to its subsidiary banks during periods of financial stress or adversity.

    Repurchase or Redemption of Shares

        A bank holding company is generally required to give the Federal Reserve prior written notice of any purchase or redemption of its own then outstanding equity securities if the gross consideration for the purchase or redemption, when combined with the net consideration paid for all such purchases or redemptions during the preceding 12 months, is equal to 10% or more of the company's consolidated net worth. The Federal Reserve may disapprove such a purchase or redemption if it determines that the proposal would constitute an unsafe and unsound practice, or would violate any law, regulation, Federal Reserve order or directive, or any condition imposed by, or written agreement with, the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve has adopted an exception to this approval requirement for well-capitalized bank holding companies that meet certain conditions.

Merchants Bank

        Merchants Bank is an Indiana chartered bank subject to supervision and regulation by the FDIC and IDFI.

    Bank Secrecy Act and USA Patriot Act

        The Bank Secrecy Act ("BSA"), enacted as the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, requires financial institutions to maintain records of certain customers and currency transactions and to report certain domestic and foreign currency transactions, which may have a high degree of usefulness in criminal, tax, or regulatory investigations or proceedings. This law requires financial institutions to develop a BSA compliance program.

        The Patriot Act, enacted as the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, is comprehensive anti-terrorism legislation. Title III of the Patriot Act requires financial institutions to help prevent and detect international money laundering and the financing of terrorism and prosecute those involved in such activities. The Department of the Treasury has adopted additional requirements to further implement Title III.

        These regulations have established a mechanism for law enforcement officials to communicate names of suspected terrorists and money launderers to financial institutions, enabling financial institutions to promptly locate accounts and transactions involving those suspects. Financial institutions receiving names of suspects must search their account and transaction records for potential matches

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and report positive results to the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network ("FinCEN"). Each financial institution must designate a point of contact to receive information requests. These regulations outline how financial institutions can share information concerning suspected terrorist and money laundering activity with other financial institutions under the protection of a statutory safe harbor if each financial institution notifies FinCEN of its intent to share information. The Department of the Treasury has also adopted regulations to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing through correspondent accounts that U.S. financial institutions maintain on behalf of foreign banks. These regulations also require financial institutions to take reasonable steps to ensure that they are not providing banking services directly or indirectly to foreign shell banks. In addition, banks must have procedures to verify the identity of their customers.

        Merchants Bank has established an anti-money laundering program pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act and a customer identification program pursuant to the USA Patriot Act. Merchants Bank also maintains records of cash purchases of negotiable instruments, files reports of certain cash transactions exceeding $10,000 (daily aggregate amount), and reports suspicious activity that might signify money laundering, tax evasion, or other criminal activities pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act. Merchants Bank otherwise has implemented policies and procedures to comply with the foregoing requirements.

    FDIC Improvement Act of 1991

        The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 ("FDICIA") amended the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to require, among other things, federal bank regulatory authorities to take "prompt corrective action" with respect to banks which do not meet minimum capital requirements. The FDICIA established five capital tiers: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized. The FDIC has adopted regulations to implement the prompt corrective action provisions of FDICIA.

        "Undercapitalized" banks are subject to growth limitations and are required to submit a capital restoration plan. The bank's BHC is required to guarantee that the bank will comply with the plan and provide appropriate assurances of performance. If an "undercapitalized" bank fails to submit an acceptable plan, it is treated as if it is significantly undercapitalized. "Significantly undercapitalized" banks are subject to one or more restrictions, including an order by the FDIC to sell sufficient voting stock to become adequately capitalized, requirements to reduce total assets and cease receipt of deposits from correspondent banks, and restrictions on compensation of executive officers. "Critically undercapitalized" institutions may not, beginning 60 days after becoming "critically undercapitalized," make any payment of principal or interest on certain subordinated debt or extend credit for a highly leveraged transaction or enter into any transaction outside the ordinary course of business. In addition, "critically undercapitalized" institutions are subject to appointment of a receiver or conservator.

        Currently, a "well capitalized" institution is one that has a total risk-based capital ratio of at least 10%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 8%, a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 5%, a common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 6.5%, and is not subject to regulatory direction to maintain a specific level for any capital measure. An "adequately capitalized" institution is one that has ratios of at least 8%, 6%, 4% and 4.5%, respectively. An institution is "undercapitalized" if any of its respective ratios is less than 8%, 6%, 4% and 4.5%, as applicable. "Significantly undercapitalized" institutions have ratios of less than 6%, 4%, 3% and 3%, respectively. An institution is deemed to be "critically undercapitalized" if it has a ratio of tangible equity to total assets that is 2% or less.

        At June 30, 2017, Merchants Bank qualified for the well-capitalized category.

    Deposit Insurance Fund and Financing Corporation Assessments

        The Deposit Insurance Fund ("DIF") of the FDIC insures the deposits of Merchants Bank up to $250,000 per depositor, qualifying joint accounts, and certain other accounts. The FDIC maintains the

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DIF by assessing depository institutions an insurance premium. The Dodd-Frank Act requires the FDIC to set a DIF reserve ratio of 1.35% of estimated insured deposits and to achieve this ratio by September 30, 2020.

        The FDIC's risk-based assessment system requires insured institutions to pay deposit insurance premiums based on the risk that each institution poses to the DIF. The FDIC recently changed the methodology for determining assessment rates. Through the second quarter of 2016, the FDIC assigned each insured depository institution to one of four risk categories based on the institution's regulatory capital levels, supervisory evaluations, and certain other factors. The institution's risk category determines its assessment rate. Certain factors, such as brokered deposits in excess of a certain ceiling, could result in adjustments to an assessment rate. The rate is applied to the institution's total average consolidated assets during the assessment period less average tangible equity (i.e., Tier 1 capital).

        Beginning in the third quarter of 2016, the first quarter after the quarter in which the DIF reserve ratio exceeded 1.15%, a new assessment regulation took effect for banks with less than $10.0 billion in assets and that have been FDIC-insured for at least five years, such as Merchants Bank. The rule replaces the four risk categories with a financial ratios method based on a statistical model estimating the insured depository institution's probability of failure over three years. The rule eliminates the adjustment factor for brokered deposits; lowers the range of assessment rates authorized to 0.015% per annum for an institution posing the least risk, to 0.40% per annum for an institution posing the most risk; and will further lower the range of assessment rates if the reserve ratio of the Deposit Insurance Fund increases to 2% or more.

        In addition to its risk-based insurance assessments, the FDIC also imposes, assessments to help make $780 million in annual interest payments on approximately $8 billion of bonds issued in the late 1980s by a government corporation, the Financing Corporation ("FICO"), to help finance the recovery of the thrift industry from the savings and loan crisis. For the first quarter of 2017, Merchants Bank's FICO assessment was equal to 0.00135%, or 0.0054% annually, per $100 of assessment base. FICO assessments will continue until all outstanding bonds mature in 2019.

    Dividends

        We are a legal entity separate and distinct from Merchants Bank. There are various legal limitations on the extent to which Merchants Bank can supply funds to us. Our principal source of funds consists of dividends from Merchants Bank. State and federal law restrict the amount of dividends that banks may pay to its shareholders or BHC. The specific limits depend on a number of factors, including the bank's type of charter, recent earnings, recent dividends, level of capital and regulatory status. The regulators are authorized, and under certain circumstances are required, to prohibit the payment of dividends or other distributions if the regulators determine that making such payments would be an unsafe or unsound practice. For example, the FDICIA generally prohibits an insured depository institution from making any capital distribution (including payment of a dividend) or paying any management fee to its BHC if the distribution would cause the bank to become undercapitalized.

        In addition, under Indiana law, Merchants Bank must obtain the approval of the IDFI prior to the payment of any dividend if the total of all dividends declared by Merchants Bank during the calendar year, including any proposed dividend, would exceed the sum of its net income for the year to date combined with its retained net income for the previous two (2) years.

        As of 2016, the capital regulations began to limit a depository institution's ability to make capital distributions if it does not hold a specified capital conservation buffer above the required minimum risk-based capital ratios. There is a phase-in period that began in 2016 and concludes in 2019 with a buffer requirement of 2.5%. For 2017, the requirement is 1.25%. Regulators also review and limit proposed dividend payments as part of the supervisory process and review of an institution's capital

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planning. In addition to dividend limitations, Merchants Bank is subject to certain restrictions on extensions of credit to us, on investments in our shares or other securities and in taking such shares or securities as collateral for loans.

    Community Reinvestment Act

        The CRA requires that the federal banking regulators evaluate the record of a financial institution in meeting the credit needs of its local community, including low and moderate income neighborhoods. Regulators also consider these factors in evaluating mergers, acquisitions, and applications to open a branch or facility. Failure to adequately meet these criteria could result in the imposition of additional requirements and limitations on Merchants Bank.

    Capital Requirements and Basel III

        Apart from the capital levels for insured depository institutions that were established by the FDIC Improvements Act of 1991 for the prompt corrective action regime discussed above, the federal regulators have issued rules that impose minimum capital requirements on both insured depository institutions and their holding companies (with the exception of bank holding companies with less than $1 billion in pro forma consolidated assets and that meet other prerequisites). Although the rules contain certain standards applicable only to large, internationally active banks, many of them apply to all banking organizations, including us and Merchants Bank. The institutions and companies subject to the rules are referred to collectively herein as "covered" banking organizations. By virtue of a provision in the Dodd-Frank Act known as the Collins Amendment, the requirements must be the same at both the institution level and the holding company level. The minimum capital rules have undergone several revisions over the years. The current requirements, which began to take effect in 2015, are based on the international Basel III capital framework. These requirements apply to all covered banking organizations (including us) with some requirements phasing in over time. All requirements will be fully effective by January 1, 2019, however, certain requirements may not become fully effective if an August 25, 2017 joint proposal of the Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and FDIC (the "Transitions NPR") becomes final that would indefinitely extend the current regulatory capital treatment under the capital rules for certain items that are noted below, including MSRs, in anticipation of a subsequent notice of proposed rulemaking by such regulators to simplify the regulatory capital treatment of such items (the "Simplification NPR").

        The minimum capital requirements for all covered banking organizations (including holding companies) are the same as the "adequately capitalized" standards in the prompt corrective action regime: a common equity tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 4.5%, a tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6%, a total risk-based capital ratio of 8%, and a leverage ratio of 4%. Other requirements that apply to us and the Bank are phasing in, including the following provisions that:

    limit to 10% of a bank's common equity Tier 1 capital each of the MSRs, certain temporary difference deferred tax assets, and significant investments in the common stock of certain unconsolidated banking, financial and insurance entities ("unconsolidated financial institutions"). If any of these components exceeds the 10% threshold, the excess amount must be deducted from common equity;

    set a cumulative limit on MSRs, certain temporary difference deferred tax assets, and significant investments in the common stock of certain unconsolidated financial institutions of 15% of a bank's common equity Tier 1 capital. If these combined components exceed the 15% threshold, the surplus amount must be deducted from common equity;

    increase the percentage of additional deductions from common equity Tier 1 capital (currently at 80% and increasing to 100% starting January 1, 2018 unless delayed) for the amount of investments in capital instruments and MSRs, certain temporary difference deferred tax assets, and significant investments in the common stock of certain unconsolidated financial institutions above the 10% or 15% thresholds;

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    increase the risk-weighting from 100% to 250% (starting January 1, 2018, unless delayed) for any portion of a bank's MSRs, certain deferred tax assets, and significant investments in the common stock of certain non-consolidated banking, financial and insurance entities that are not deducted from the calculation of common equity Tier 1 capital;

    require that 80% of the amount of non-significant investments in the capital of an unconsolidated financial institution above the 10% threshold be deducted, and that significant investments in the capital stock of unconsolidated financial institutions not in the form of common stock be deducted from regulatory capital in their entirety by applying the corresponding deduction approach;

    set a new additional capital conservation buffer discussed above under Dividends of 2.5% of risk-weighted assets over each of the required risk-based capital ratios that must be met to avoid limitations in the ability of a bank to pay dividends, repurchase shares or pay discretionary bonuses; and

    raise the risk-weights of certain assets for purposes of calculating the risk-based capital ratios for high volatility commercial real estate ("HVCRE") acquisition, development and construction ("ADC") loans, certain past due non-residential mortgage loans and certain mortgage-backed and other securities exposures.

        The Simplification NPR would change the capital treatment of MSRs, temporary difference deferred tax assets, and investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions by (i) lifting the threshold at which any amount of these asset classes individually must be deducted from common equity Tier 1 capital from 10% to 25% of such capital and (ii) for investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions that are not deducted from common equity Tier 1 capital, replacing the 250% risk weight with the relevant risk weight for the exposure category of the investment. The 250% risk weight would continue to apply to non-deducted MSRs and temporary difference deferred tax assets. The Simplification NPR would eliminate (i) the aggregate 15% deduction threshold that applies collectively to MSRs, temporary difference deferred tax assets, and significant investments in the common stock of unconsolidated financial institutions; (ii) the 10% common equity Tier 1 capital deduction threshold for non-significant investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions; (iii) the deduction treatment for significant investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions not in the form of common stock; and (iv) the distinct treatments for significant and non-significant investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions.

        The Simplification NPR also would revise the standardized risk-based capital rules by replacing the exposure category of HVCRE loans, which are risk-weighted at 150%, with a new category of high volatility acquisition, development or construction ("HVADC") loans, which would be risk-weighted at 130%. The definition of HVADC is intended to simplify and clarify the current definition of HVCRE loans. The regulators expect that, in the aggregate, the new definition would capture more loans than does the current definition.

        In addition to modifications of the new capital rules, the Simplification NPR also would replace the current rules for the inclusion of minority interests in capital with a rule that would allow a non-advance approaches banking organization to include common equity Tier 1, Tier 1, and total capital minority interests in consolidated subsidiaries up to and including 10% of the organization's common equity Tier 1, Tier 1, and total capital (before the inclusion of any minority interest), respectively.

        If the Transition NPR is finalized as substantially proposed, the capital treatment it proposes would remain in effect until the Simplification NPR is finalized and becomes effective or until the Transitions NPR is otherwise superseded.

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    The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

        On July 21, 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") was signed into law. The Dodd-Frank Act represented a sweeping reform of the U.S. supervisory and regulatory framework applicable to financial institutions and capital markets in the wake of the global financial crisis, certain aspects of which are described below in more detail. In particular, and among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act: (i) created a Financial Stability Oversight Council as part of a regulatory structure for identifying emerging systemic risks and improving interagency cooperation; (ii) created the CFPB, which is authorized to regulate providers of consumer credit, savings, payment and other consumer financial products and services; (iii) narrowed the scope of federal preemption of state consumer laws enjoyed by national banks and federal savings associations and expanded the authority of state attorneys general to bring actions to enforce federal consumer protection legislation; (iv) imposed more stringent capital requirements on bank holding companies and subjected certain activities, including interstate mergers and acquisitions, to heightened capital conditions; (v) with respect to mortgage lending, (a) significantly expanded requirements applicable to loans secured by 1-4 family residential real property, (b) imposed strict rules on mortgage servicing, and (c) required the originator of a securitized loan, or the sponsor of a securitization, to retain at least 5% of the credit risk of securitized exposures unless the underlying exposures are qualified residential mortgages or meet certain underwriting standards; (vi) repealed the prohibition on the payment of interest on business checking accounts; (vii) restricted the interchange fees payable on debit card transactions for issuers with $10 billion in assets or greater; (viii) in the so-called "Volcker Rule," subject to numerous exceptions, prohibited depository institutions and affiliates from certain investments in, and sponsorship of, hedge funds and private equity funds and from engaging in proprietary trading; (ix) provided for enhanced regulation of advisers to private funds and of the derivatives markets; (x) enhanced oversight of credit rating agencies; and (xi) prohibited banking agency requirements tied to credit ratings. These statutory changes shifted the regulatory framework for financial institutions, impacted the way in which they do business and have the potential to constrain revenues.

        Numerous provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act were required to be implemented through rulemaking by the appropriate federal regulatory agencies. Many of the required regulations have been issued and others have been released for public comment, but are not final. Although the reforms primarily targeted systemically important financial service providers, their influence is expected to filter down in varying degrees to smaller institutions over time.

Consumer Financial Services

        The structure of federal consumer protection regulation applicable to all providers of consumer financial products and services changed significantly on July 21, 2011, when the CFPB commenced operations to oversee and enforce consumer protection laws. The CFPB has broad rulemaking authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that apply to all providers of consumer products and services, including Merchants Bank, as well as the authority to prohibit "unfair, deceptive or abusive" acts and practices. The CFPB has examination and enforcement authority over insured depository institutions and their holding companies with more than $10 billion in assets. (The CFPB has similar authority over certain nonbanking organizations.) Banks and savings institutions with $10 billion or less in assets, like Merchants Bank, will continue to be examined by their primary federal regulators, which can be expected to nonetheless look to the rulings and enforcements actions of the CFPB as they carry out their supervision of larger institutions.

        Because abuses in connection with residential mortgages were a significant factor contributing to the financial crisis, many new rules issued by the CFPB and required by the Dodd-Frank Act address mortgage and mortgage-related products, their underwriting, origination, servicing and sales. The Dodd-Frank Act significantly expanded underwriting requirements applicable to loans secured by

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1-4 family residential real property and augmented federal law combating predatory lending practices. In addition to numerous disclosure requirements, the Dodd-Frank Act imposed new standards for mortgage loan originations on all lenders, including banks and savings associations, in an effort to strongly encourage lenders to verify a borrower's ability to repay, while also establishing a presumption of compliance for certain "qualified mortgages." In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act generally required lenders or securitizers to retain an economic interest in the credit risk relating to loans that the lender sells, and other asset-backed securities that the securitizer issues, if the loans do not comply with the ability-to-repay standards described below. The risk retention requirement generally is 5%, but could be increased or decreased by regulation. Merchants Bank does not currently expect the CFPB's rules to have a significant impact on its operations, except for higher compliance costs.

    S.A.F.E. Act

        Regulations issued under the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 (the "S.A.F.E. Act") require residential mortgage loan originators who are employees of institutions regulated by the foregoing agencies, including national banks, to meet the registration requirements of the S.A.F.E. Act. The S.A.F.E. Act requires residential mortgage loan originators who are employees of regulated financial institutions to register with the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry, a database created by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors and the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators to support the licensing of mortgage loan originators by the states. The S.A.F.E. Act generally prohibits employees of regulated financial institutions from originating residential mortgage loans unless they obtain and annually maintain registration as a registered mortgage loan originator.

    Mortgage Origination

        On January 10, 2013, the CFPB issued a final rule implementing the "ability to repay" requirement in the Dodd-Frank Act. This rule, among other things, requires lenders to consider a consumer's ability to repay a mortgage loan before extending credit to the consumer, and limits prepayment penalties. The rule also establishes certain protections from liability for mortgage lenders with regard to the "qualified mortgages" they originate. This rule includes within the definition of a "qualified mortgage" a loan with a borrower debt-to-income ratio of less than or equal to 43% or, alternatively, a loan eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac while they operate under federal conservatorship or receivership, and loans eligible for insurance or guarantee by the FHA, VA or USDA. Additionally, a qualified mortgage may not: (i) contain excess upfront points and fees; (ii) have a term greater than 30 years; or (iii) include interest–only or negative amortization payments. This rule became effective January 10, 2014, and it has not had a significant impact on its mortgage production operations since most of the loans Merchants Bank currently originates would constitute "qualified mortgages" under the rule.

    Mortgage Servicing

        On January 17, 2013, the CFPB issued a series of final rules as part of an ongoing effort to address mortgage servicing reforms and create uniform standards for the mortgage servicing industry. The rules increase requirements for communications with borrowers, address requirements around the maintenance of customer account records, govern procedural requirements for responding to written borrower requests and complaints of errors, and provide guidance around servicing of delinquent loans, foreclosure proceedings and loss mitigation efforts, among other measures. These rules became effective on January 10, 2014, and have increased the costs to service loans across the mortgage industry, including our mortgage servicing operations.

        Several state agencies overseeing the mortgage industry have entered into settlements and enforcement consent orders with mortgage servicers regarding certain foreclosure practices. These

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settlements and orders generally require servicers, among other things, to: (i) modify their servicing and foreclosure practices, for example, by improving communications with borrowers and prohibiting dual-tracking, which occurs when servicers continue to pursue foreclosure during the loan modification process; (ii) establish a single point of contact for borrowers throughout the loan modification and foreclosure processes; and (iii) establish robust oversight and controls of third party vendors, including outside legal counsel, that provide default management or foreclosure services. Although we are not a party to any of these settlements or consent orders, we, like many mortgage servicers, have voluntarily adopted these servicing and foreclosure standards due to competitive pressures.

    Loan Originator Compensation

        On January 20, 2013 the CFPB issued a final rule under the Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z) which imposed several requirements and restrictions on the compensation of mortgage loan originators. These compensation rules are intended to prevent originators from steering consumers into higher cost mortgages.

    Consumer Laws

        Merchants Bank must comply with a number of federal consumer protection laws, including, among others:

    the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which requires Merchants Bank to maintain privacy with respect to certain consumer data in Merchants Bank's possession and to periodically communicate with consumers on privacy matters;

    the Right to Financial Privacy Act, which imposed a duty to maintain confidentiality of consumer financial records and prescribes procedures for complying with administrative subpoenas of financial records;

    the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which regulates the timing and content of debt collection communications;

    the Truth in Lending Act and Regulation Z thereunder, which requires certain disclosures to consumer borrowers regarding the terms of their loans;

    the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which regulates the use and reporting of information related to the credit history of consumers;

    the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and Regulation B thereunder, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, race and certain other characteristics, in the extension of credit;

    the Homeowners Equity Protection Act, which requires, among other things, the cancellation of mortgage insurance once certain equity levels are reached;

    the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and Regulation C thereunder, which require mortgage lenders to report certain public loan data;

    the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, sex, national origin, and certain other characteristics;

    the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and Regulation X thereunder, which imposes conditions on the consummation and servicing of mortgage loans;

    the Truth in Savings Act and Regulation DD thereunder, which requires certain disclosures to depositors concerning the terms of their deposit accounts; and

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    the Electronic Funds Transfer Act and Regulation E thereunder, which governs various forms of electronic banking. This statute and regulation often interact with Regulation CC of the Federal Reserve Board, which governs the settlement of checks and other payment system issues.

Future Legislation

        In addition to the specific legislation described above, the current administration has signed a number of executive orders and memoranda that could directly impact the regulation of the banking industry. Congress is also considering legislation. The orders and legislation may change banking statutes and our operating environment in substantial and unpredictable ways by increasing or decreasing the cost of doing business, limiting or expanding permissible activities, or affecting the competitive balance among banks, savings associations, credit unions, and other financial institutions.

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MANAGEMENT

Board of Directors

        Our board of directors currently consists of nine (9) members, all of whom are elected annually at the annual meeting of shareholders and serve one-year terms, until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Section 23-1-33-6 of the IBCL requires that any Indiana corporation that has a class of voting shares registered with the SEC provide for staggering the terms of the directors, unless within 30 days after such voting shares are registered the corporation opts out of this requirement. We intend to opt out of this requirement. Pursuant to our Bylaws, our board of directors is authorized to have nine (9) directors, unless changed by resolution of our board of directors. Our directors are not required to be a shareholder of Merchants in order to qualify to serve as a director. All directors of the Company also serve as directors of Merchants Bank.

        The following table sets forth certain summary information about our current directors, including their names, ages, and year in which they began serving as a director. No current director has any family relationship, as defined in Item 401 of Regulation S-K, with any other director or with any of our executive officers.

Name
  Age   Position   Director Since  

Michael F. Petrie

    63   Chairman and Chief Executive Officer     2006  

Randall D. Rogers

    71   Director, President and Chief Operating Officer     2006  

Michael J. Dunlap

    51   Director     2014  

Scott A. Evans

    52   Director     2006  

Sue Anne Gilroy

    69   Director     2017  

Patrick D. O'Brien

    59   Director     2013  

John W. Perry

    73   Director     2011  

Anne E. Sellers

    56   Director     2017  

David N. Shane

    69   Director     2013  

        Michael F. Petrie.     Mr. Petrie has served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Merchants and Merchants Bank since October 2006 and March 2002, respectively, and President of P/RMIC since it was founded by Mr. Petrie and Mr. Rogers in August 1990. In addition to Mr. Petrie's positions at Merchants and its subsidiaries, Mr. Petrie serves as the trustee of the Michael F. Petrie & Jody J. Petrie Foundation, a director and the President of Merchants Affordable Housing Corp., not-for-profit affordable housing provider, and as a director of Petrie Investment, LLC, Joy State Bank, the Indiana Affordable Housing Council, The Community Investment Fund of Indiana, Inc., and The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Additionally, Mr. Petrie serves on the National Board for the Indiana University Varsity Club and the Advisory Board for the Indiana University Center for Real Estate Studies. In 2005, Mr. Petrie served as Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association Board of Directors, Washington, D.C. Mr. Petrie is a graduate of Indiana University with both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration in finance.

        Randall D. Rogers.     Mr. Rogers has served as a director of Merchants and the Vice Chairman of Merchants Bank since October 2006 and March 2002, respectively, President and Chief Operating Officer of Merchants since 2011, and Chairman of P/RMIC since it was founded by Mr. Petrie and Mr. Rogers in August 1990. In addition to Mr. Rogers' positions at Merchants and its subsidiaries, Mr. Rogers is also directly involved with the Rogers Family Foundation, which is administered by Central Indiana Community Foundation, which annually directs gifts to various 501(c) organizations supporting causes such as children's arts, the environment, animal welfare, poverty, healthcare, childhood education, and re-employment support. Mr. Rogers is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in economics and of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University.

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        Michael J. Dunlap.     Mr. Dunlap has served as a director of Merchants since May 2014 and has been President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Merchants Bank since May 2014. Mr. Dunlap has over 25 years of mortgage banking experience and joined Merchants Bank as Senior Vice President of Mortgage Banking in August 2009 and has been primarily responsible for establishing our warehouse lending platform and Merchants Mortgage. Prior to joining Merchants Bank, Mr. Dunlap served as Chief Financial Officer of National City Mortgage, which is now part of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. and prior to that held similar finance positions at Bank One, which is now part of JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Waterfield Mortgage Co., which is now part of Huntington Bancshares, Inc. In addition to Mr. Dunlap's positions at Merchants and Merchants Bank, Mr. Dunlap also serves as a director of Joy State Bank. Mr. Dunlap is a graduate of Indiana University with a degree in accounting and is a former licensed Certified Public Accountant.

        Scott A. Evans.     Mr. Evans has served as a director of Merchants and President and Chief Operating Officer of Merchants Bank Lynn Market since March 2004. Mr. Evans has over 28 years of community banking and related experience. Prior to joining Merchants, Mr. Evans was Assistant Vice President, Agriculture Lending at Bath State Bank, Bath, Indiana from 2002 to 2004. Also, Mr. Evans served Vice President of The Farmers State Bank, New Madison, Ohio from 1989 to 2000 where he performed a variety management functions, including with respect to compliance, human resources, information technology, information security, and accounting. In addition to Mr. Evans' positions at Merchants and Merchants Bank, Mr. Evans also serves as a director and chairman of Joy State Bank and chairman of the finance committee of Saint Vincent Randolph Hospital Foundation, and is a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau and Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association. Mr. Evans is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture, with an emphasis in agriculture economics and finance.

        Sue Anne Gilroy.     Ms. Gilroy has served as a director of Merchants since June 2017. Ms. Gilroy has served as Executive Director and Vice President of Development for the St. Vincent Foundation, Indianapolis, Indiana, since 2005. Ms. Gilroy has held a number of offices in public service and previously served as Indiana's first female Secretary of State from 1994 to 2002, the first female director of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana's consolidated city-county government as Director of Indianapolis Parks and Recreation from 1974 to 1976, Senator Richard G. Lugar's Indiana State Director from 1990 to 1993, and on Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels' Blue Ribbon Commission on Local Government Reform in 2007. In addition, Ms. Gilroy also serves on the board of directors of University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Oasis, and University High School, Indianapolis, Indiana, on the advisory boards of the Richard G. Lugar Center for Tomorrow's Leaders at University of Indianapolis and True Brothers Initiative of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, and as trustee of the Endowment Fund Board of Tabernacle Presbyterian Church. Ms. Gilroy is a graduate of DePauw University with a degree in speech and secondary education and holds a master's degree in public administration from Indiana University, Indianapolis.

        John W. Perry.     Mr. Perry has served as a director of Merchants since November 2011. Since December 2004, Mr. Perry has been Senior Vice President and Trust Officer of Terre Haute Savings Bank, Terre Haute, Indiana. From 1974 to 2000 Mr. Perry served in various capacities in community banking at First Financial Corporation, Terre Haute, Indiana, and its subsidiary Terre Haute First National Bank, now known as First Financial Bank, National Association, including as Cashier, Trust Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Board Secretary. From 2001 to 2004 Mr. Perry served as the First Vice President and Trust Officer for Union Federal Bank of Indianapolis. In addition, since 2014 Mr. Perry has also been a director of THSB Investment Company. Mr. Perry also served on the Accounting Committee of the American Bankers Association from 1988 to 1992 and is currently the Chairman of the Congregation Finance Committee for Sisters of Providence. Mr. Perry is holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration from Indiana State University and is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University.

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        Patrick D. O'Brien.     Mr. O'Brien has served as a director of Merchants since November 2013. Since 1990 Mr. O'Brien has been President of O'Brien Toyota, a Toyota dealership serving Indianapolis, Indiana. In addition, Mr. O'Brien is on the executive committee of K&P Property Development, LLC, a real estate holding company, and co-owner and managing member of Pinheads, a family entertainment center in Fishers, Indiana. Mr. O'Brien has previously served as chairman of Toyota's Regional Dealer Council, which serves a four state area including Indiana, chairman of the Chicago Region Toyota Dealer Advertising Association, and President of the Auto Dealers Association of Indiana. Mr. O'Brien is a graduate of Indiana University with a bachelor's degree in business management.

        Anne E. Sellers.     Ms. Sellers has served as a director of Merchants since June 2017. Since 2006 Ms. Sellers has served as Managing Principal and majority owner of Sensory Technologies, LLC, an Indianapolis based company that specializes in audiovisual integration technologies, including videoconferencing system design, web streaming and distribution, and sound and acoustic design. Ms. Sellers' has also previously served in a variety of accounting and finance roles, including with Ernst & Young. In addition, Ms. Sellers is also a member of the board of directors of the National Systems Contractors Association and The Alliance Group, a member of the executive committee of The Gathering, and a past member of the board of directors of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Indianapolis Chapter. Ms. Sellers is a graduate of DePauw University with a degree in economics.

        David N. Shane.     Mr. Shane has served as a director of Merchants since November 2013. Mr. Shane previously served as member of the board of managers of LDI Ltd., LLC, an Indianapolis based diversified holding company that focuses on funding and operating middle-market companies, and as its President and Chief Executive Officer from 2007 to 2012 and its Vice-President and Executive Vice-President from 1997 to 2006. From 1981 to 1995 Mr. Shane was a partner at the law firm of Baker & Daniels LLP, now part of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP. In addition, Mr. Shane is also a director at Our Health, Inc. and Syndicate Sales, Inc., and serves as a member of the board of directors of Lilly Endowment, Inc., The Mind Trust and Wabash College. Mr. Shane is an emeritus member of the board of directors of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and the Economic Club of Indiana. Mr. Shane is a graduate of Wabash College with a degree in English and received his juris doctor degree from Duke University School of Law.

Board and Committee Matters

Director Independence

        Under the rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq") and the SEC, our board of directors has affirmatively determined that five (5) of the nine (9) directors qualify as independent directors: Sue Anne Gilroy, Patrick D. O'Brien, John W. Perry, Anne E. Sellers and David N. Shane. Michael F. Petrie, Randall D. Rogers, Michael J. Dunlap, and Scott A. Evans do not qualify as independent directors because each individual is an executive officer of Merchants, Merchants Bank, and/or P/RMIC.

        In addition, our board of directors has adopted a written charter to govern in the event the Chairman of the board of directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Merchants are held by the same individual. This "Lead Independent Director Charter" was developed to appoint a Lead Independent Director in the event the offices mentioned above are held by the same individual, and the Lead Independent Director will be a member of the Board who satisfies the requirements for independent directors under the Nasdaq rules. The Lead Independent Director is currently John W. Perry.

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        As described in the charter, the Lead Independent Director has responsibility for, among other things:

Board Committees

        Our board of directors currently has three (3) standing committees: an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each committee is comprised solely of directors that meet the definition of "independent director" under the Nasdaq rules. Each of the committees of the board of directors meets at such times as determined to be necessary.

        Our board of directors also may establish such other committees as it deems appropriate, in accordance with applicable law and regulations and our articles and bylaws.

        We are not considered a "controlled company" within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of Nasdaq. Messrs. Petrie and Rogers and their families comprise two separate "groups" under SEC beneficial ownership rules with one group representing the Petrie family interests and the other group representing the Rogers family interests. Each of these groups controls less than 50% of our voting power. Therefore, we do not expect to be able to utilize the "controlled company" exemption. However, if Messrs. Petrie and Rogers were to form a single "group" with combined voting power exceeding 50%, we would become a "controlled company" and would be able to avail ourselves of the exemptions from the requirement to have a majority of independent directors and independent compensation and nomination committees. We currently have no intention to utilize the "controlled company" exemptions even if they are available in the future.

Audit Committee

        Our Audit Committee currently consists of John W. Perry (Chairperson), Sue Anne Gilroy, Patrick D. O'Brien, Anne E. Sellers and David N. Shane. Our board of directors has affirmatively determined that each member of the Audit Committee also satisfies the additional independence standards under the Nasdaq rules and applicable SEC rules for audit committee service and has the ability to read and understand fundamental financial statements. In addition, our board has determined that each of John W. Perry, Anne E. Seller and David N. Shane qualify as an "audit committee financial expert," as that term is defined under the applicable SEC rules.

        Our Audit Committee has adopted a written charter, which sets forth the committee's duties and responsibilities. The current charter of the Audit Committee will be available on our website at www.merchantsbankofindiana.com upon completion of this offering. As described in its charter, our Audit Committee has responsibility for, among other things:

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Compensation Committee.

        Our Compensation Committee currently consists of Patrick D. O'Brien (Chairperson), Sue Anne Gilroy, John W. Perry, Anne E. Sellers and David N. Shane.

        Our Compensation Committee has adopted a written charter, which sets forth the committee's duties and responsibilities. The current charter of the Compensation Committee will be available on our website at www.merchantsbankofindiana.com upon completion of this offering. As described in its charter, our Compensation Committee has responsibility for, among other things:

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

        Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee currently consists of David N. Shane (Chairperson), Sue Anne Gilroy, Patrick D. O'Brien, John W. Perry and Anne E. Sellers.

        Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has adopted a written charter, which sets forth the committee's duties and responsibilities. The current charter of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will be available on our website at www.merchantsbankofindiana.com upon

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completion of this offering. As described in its charter, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has responsibility for, among other things:

        The information contained on our website is not a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

        No member of our Compensation Committee (i) is or has ever been an employee of ours, (ii) was, during the last completed fiscal year, a participant in any related party transaction requiring disclosure under "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions," except with respects to loans made to such committee members in the ordinary course of business on substantially the same terms as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with unrelated parties or (iii) had, during the last completed fiscal year, any other interlocking relationship requiring disclosure under applicable SEC rules.

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Executive Officers

        The following table sets forth certain summary information regarding our executive officers, including their names, ages and positions.

Name
  Age   Position
Michael F. Petrie     63   Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Merchants and Merchants Bank
Randall D. Rogers     71   President and Chief Operating Officer of Merchants, Vice Chairman of Merchants Bank
Michael J. Dunlap     51   President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Merchants Bank
John F. Macke     52   Chief Financial Officer of Merchants and Merchants Bank
Michael R. Dury     32   Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of P/RMIC
Scott A. Evans     52   Lynn Market President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Merchants Bank
Susan D. Kucer     62   Indianapolis Market President of Merchants Bank
Jerry F. Koors     53   President of Merchants Mortgage
Richard L. Belser     66   Senior Vice President and Senior Credit Officer of Merchants Bank
Bill D. Buchanan     59   Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of Merchants and Merchants Bank
Kevin T. Langford     49   Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Merchants Bank

        The business experience of each of the executive officers documented in the table above is set forth below, except for Michael Petrie, Randall Rogers, Michael Dunlap, and Scott Evans, as the business experiences are described in the above Board of Directors section. No executive officer has any family relationship, as defined in Item 401 of Regulation S-K, with any other executive officer or any of our current directors. There are no arrangements or understandings between any of the officers and any other person pursuant to which he or she was selected as an officer.

        John F. Macke.     Mr. Macke joined Merchants in July 2017 as the Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Merchants, Mr. Macke served as Executive Vice President of Capital Markets at Stonegate Mortgage Corporation where he also served as Chief Financial Officer from April 2013 to May 2014 after joining in January 2012. Mr. Macke also held executive positions with Freedom Mortgage and Irwin Mortgage and has over 25 years of mortgage banking experience. Mr. Macke holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Dayton and an MBA from Indiana University.

        Michael R. Dury.     Mr. Dury has been with P/RMIC since July 2007 in various capacities, starting as a Real Estate Investment Officer and currently in the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of P/RMIC. During his employment with P/RMIC, Mr. Dury has also served as the Assistant Vice President, Vice President, and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In addition to his professional employment, Mr. Dury serves as the President of the Board of Directors of The Notre Dame Club of Indiana.

        Susan D. Kucer.     Ms. Kucer joined Merchants Bank in February 2016 as the President of the Indianapolis Market. Prior to joining Merchants Bank, Ms. Kucer served as Senior Vice President and the Business Banking Market Manager for PNC Bank from November 1982 through December 2016. At PNC Bank Ms. Kucer led a team of sales and relationship managers to provide deposit, lending,

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treasury management and merchant services to business customers throughout four Midwest states. Ms. Kucer is currently on the board of Visitors for Butler University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and on the Board of Trustees for Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School.

        Jerry F. Koors.     Mr. Koors joined Merchants Mortgage in October 2013 as the President. Prior to joining Merchants Mortgage, Mr. Koors had served as the Regional Vice President for PNC Mortgage since February 1995. Mr. Koors has spent over 20 years in lending and bank-related management roles, including managing up to 120 loan officers in up to five states in the origination of investment quality loans sold to various agencies.

        Richard L. Belser.     Mr. Belser joined Merchants Bank in July 2007 as Senior Vice President and Senior Credit Officer for the Indianapolis market. Having graduated with a finance degree from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and an MBA degree from Butler University, his banking career expands over 40 years holding executive management positions in Retail, Business, and Corporate Banking. Mr. Belser's responsibilities include Loan Administration and Chairman of the Bank's Discount Committee.

        Bill D. Buchanan.     Mr. Buchanan joined Merchants in August 2014 as Senior Vice President and CFO. Since passing the CPA examination in 1984, Mr. Buchanan has spent the majority of his career in senior finance/accounting managerial roles in the financial services industry, most recently as the CFO of Lafayette Community Bank, a mid-sized Indiana community bank, from September 2006 to August 2014.

        Kevin T. Langford.     Mr. Langford is currently the SVP and Chief Administrative Officer of Merchants Bank and his responsibilities include management of human resources, information technology, compliance and marketing. He joined Merchants Bank in January 2017. Prior to joining Merchants Bank, Mr. Langford served in various executive and management capacities with First Financial Bank, including President of Community Banking, President of Consumer Banking, CIO, and CAO.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

        As an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act, we have opted to comply with the executive compensation disclosure rules applicable to "smaller reporting companies" as such term is defined in the rules promulgated under the Securities Act, which permit us to limit reporting of executive compensation to our principal executive officer and our two other most highly compensated executive officers, which are referred to as our "named executive officers."

        The compensation reported in the Summary Compensation Table below is not necessarily indicative of how we will compensate our named executive officers in the future. We will continue to review, evaluate and modify our compensation framework to maintain a competitive total compensation package. As such, and as a result of our becoming a publicly traded company, the compensation program following this offering could vary from our historical practices.

        Our named executive officers for 2016, which consist of our principal executive officer and two other most highly compensated executive officers, are:

Summary Compensation Table

        The following table sets forth information regarding the compensation paid, awarded to, or earned for our fiscal years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 for each of our named executive officers.

Name and Principal Position
  Year   Salary
($)
  Bonus
($)
  Stock
Awards (1)
($)
  All Other
Compensation (2)
($)
  Total
($)
 

Michael F. Petrie

    2016   $ 575,000   $   $   $ 17,540   $ 592,540  

Chairman of the Board and Chief

    2015     300,000             23,700     323,700  

Executive Officer

                                     

Michael J. Dunlap

   
2016
   
225,000
   
200,000
   
56,280
   
7,950
   
489,230
 

President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Merchants Bank

    2015     201,042     175,000     55,985     7,950     439,977  

Michael R. Dury

   
2016
   
75,000
   
919,106 (3)
   
26,225
   
4,228
   
1,024,559
 

Executive Vice President and Chief

    2015     68,000     739,777 (3)     26,519     2,040     836,336  

Operating Officer of P/R Mortgage & Investments Corp .

                                     

(1)
The amounts set forth in the "Stock Awards" column reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of stock awards for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. The stock award amounts are based on a fair market value per share for awards granted on March 15, 2016.

(2)
"All Other Compensation" for the named executive officers during fiscal 2016 includes our match under the terms of our 401(k) Plan and for Mr. Petrie includes monthly country club dues and assessments.

(3)
Mr. Dury's bonuses earned in 2016 and 2015 consist solely of the commissions calculated according to the commission schedule set forth in his employment agreement. See "Executive Compensation—Employment Agreement." Mr. Dury did not receive any discretionary bonuses.

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General

        We compensate our named executive officers (other than Mr. Petrie) through a combination of base salary, annual bonuses, equity awards, and other benefits. Our Compensation Committee believes the executive compensation packages that we provide to our executives, including the named executive officers (other than Mr. Petrie), should include both cash and equity compensation that reward performance as measured against established corporate goals. Each element of compensation is designed to achieve a specific purpose and to contribute to a total package that is competitive with similar packages provided by other institutions that compete for the services of individuals like our named executive officers.

Base Salary

        The Compensation Committee reviews and approves base salaries of our named executive officers and sets the compensation of our Chief Executive Officer. In setting the base salary of each named executive officer, the Committee relied on market data provided by our internal human resources department and survey data from industry resources. The Compensation Committee also retains independent consultants as it deems appropriate. Salary levels are typically considered annually as part of our performance review process and upon a promotion or other change in job responsibility.

Bonus

        Annual bonuses for Mr. Dunlap and Mr. Dury are approved by the Compensation Committee subject to the terms of their respective incentive arrangements.

Equity Awards

        The equity awards we have issued historically consist of restricted stock awards issued pursuant to the Prior Incentive Plan, which, as described more fully below, allows the Compensation Committee to establish the terms and conditions of the awards, subject to the plan terms.

Benefits

        401(k) Plan.     The 401(k) Plan is designed to provide retirement benefits to all eligible full-time and part-time employees (including those of our subsidiaries). The 401(k) Plan provides employees with the opportunity to save for retirement on a tax-favored basis. Named executive officers, all of whom were eligible during 2016, may elect to participate in the 401(k) Plan on the same basis as all other employees. Employees may defer between 1% and 100% of their compensation to the 401(k) Plan, up to the applicable IRS limit. We currently match, dollar for dollar, the first 3% of an employee's contribution to the 401(k) Plan. Our match is contributed in the form of cash and is invested according to the employee's current investment allocation.

        Health and Welfare Benefits.     Our named executive officers are eligible to participate in our standard health and welfare benefits program, which offers medical, dental, vision, life, accident, and disability coverage to all of our eligible employees. We do not provide the named executive officers with any health and welfare benefits that are not generally available to our other employees.

        Perquisites.     We pay monthly dues and assessments for a country club membership for Mr. Petrie which he uses primarly to entertain current and prospective customers. We do not provide any other prequisities to our named executive officers.

Employment Agreements

        Mr. Petrie does not have an employment agreement.

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        Mr. Dunlap does not have an employment agreement. We entered into a bonus arrangement with Mr. Dunlap which provides an opportunity for him to earn 50% of his base salary if the Bank's warehouse pretax income is 100% of the annual target and an additional $5,000 for each additional $100,000 of the Bank's warehouse pretax income in excess of the target up to a maximum of base salary.

        We entered into an "at will" employment agreement dated December 29, 2010, as amended effective January 1, 2017, with Mr. Dury which provides for a base salary of $53,500, which we have increased from time to time in our discretion, and the opportunity to earn commissions on loan fees received by us on loans originated by Mr. Dury. The loan fees on which Mr. Dury earns commissions are determined in our sole discretion and do not include fees paid prior to or after closing, or fees paid by any party other than the borrower.

        Under the employment agreement, Mr. Dury had the opportunity to earn commissions for 2015 and 2016 on the basis below:

Fees on Loans Originated by Mr. Dury
  Commissions Earned by Mr. Dury

Under $107,000

  None

Exceeds $107,000 but less than $250,000

 

20% of fees in excess of $107,000

Exceeds $250,000

 

$14,300 plus 20% of fees in excess of $250,000

        Under the amended employment agreement, Mr. Dury has the opportunity to earn commissions for 2017 on the basis below:

Fees on Loans Originated by Mr. Dury
  Commissions Earned by Mr. Dury

Under $107,000

  None

Exceeds $107,000 but less than $250,000

 

20% of fees in excess of $107,000

Exceeds $250,000 but less than $500,000

 

$14,300 plus 20% of fees in excess of $250,000

Exceeds $500,000 but less than $750,000

 

$64,300 plus 25% of fees in excess of $500,000

Exceeds $750,000

 

$126,000 plus 30% of fees in excess of $750,000

        Mr. Dury's employment agreement includes certain restrictive covenants, including a 12-month non-competition period.

Long-Term Incentive Plans

        Equity based incentive awards are currently made though our 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2017 Incentive Plan"). We also maintain the Incentive Plan for Merchants Bank of Indiana Executive Officers (the "Prior Incentive Plan"). As of the effective date of the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, no further awards shall be granted under the Prior Incentive Plan. However, any previously outstanding incentive award granted under the Prior Incentive Plan remains subject to the terms of such plans until the time it is no longer outstanding.

Merchants Bancorp 2017 Equity Incentive Plan

        General.     The 2017 Equity Incentive Plan was adopted by our Board on June 22, 2017 and approved by our shareholders on July 5, 2017. The 2017 Equity Incentive Plan was designed to ensure availability of equity awards that will assist us in attracting, retaining and rewarding key employees, directors and other service providers. Pursuant to the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, a committee of the Board (the "Committee") is allowed to grant awards to eligible persons in the form of qualified and non- qualified stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights and other

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incentive awards. Up to 1,500,000 shares of common stock are available for issuance under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan.

        Awards vest, become exercisable and contain such other terms and conditions as determined by the Committee and set forth in individual agreements with the participants receiving the awards. Awards to our Chief Executive Officer must have a vesting period of at least three (3) years. The plan enables the Committee to set specific performance criteria, in compliance with the United States Treasury Department's final "Guidance on Sound Incentive Compensation Policies," that must be met before an award vests under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan. In establishing criteria, the Committee must attempt to balance risk and financial results in a manner that does not encourage participants to expose us to unnecessary or excess risks. At least 50% of any award to the Chief Executive Officer must be performance-based. An award agreement with the Chief Executive Officer also must stipulate that the Chief Executive Officer will hold shares of stock received for at least a 12-month period after vesting requirements are satisfied, unless the Chief Executive Officer incurs a termination of service, in which case the holding period ends on the termination date.

        The 2017 Equity Incentive Plan allows for acceleration of vesting and exercise privileges of grants if a change in control occurs and a participant incurs a termination of service without cause following the change in control or in the event of a participant's death or total disability. If a participant's job is terminated for cause, then all unvested awards expire at the date of termination.

        Eligibility.     All employees and directors of, and service providers to, us and our subsidiaries are eligible to become participants in the Plan, except that non-employees may not be granted incentive stock options. The Committee will determine the specific individuals who will be granted awards under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan and the type and amount of any such awards.

        Options.     The Committee may grant incentive stock options and non-qualified stock options to purchase Company common stock at an exercise price determined under the award. Each stock option must be granted pursuant to an award agreement setting forth the terms and conditions of the individual award. Awards of stock options may expire no later than 10 years from the date of grant (and no later than five years from the date of grant in the case of a 10% shareholder with respect to an incentive stock option).

        The exercise price of an option generally may not be less than the fair market value of Company common stock on the date the option is granted (or, if greater, the book value of a share of stock). The exercise price of an incentive stock option awarded to a 10% shareholder may not be less than 110% of the fair market value of the stock on the date the option is granted. The exercise price of an option may, however, be higher or lower than the grant date fair market value for an option granted in replacement of an existing award held by an employee, director or service provider of a third party that is acquired by us or one of our subsidiaries. The exercise price of an option may not be decreased after the date of grant nor may an option be surrendered to us as consideration for the grant of a replacement option with a lower exercise price, except as approved by our shareholders, or as adjusted for corporate transactions described above.

        Options awarded under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan will be exercisable in accordance with the terms established by the Committee. Any incentive stock option granted under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan that does not qualify as an incentive stock option will be deemed to be a non-qualified stock option and the Committee may unilaterally modify any incentive stock option to disqualify it as an incentive stock option. The full purchase price of each share of stock purchased upon the exercise of any option must be paid at the time of exercise of an option. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, the purchase price of an option may be paid in cash, by personal, certified or cashiers' check, in shares of Company common stock (valued at fair market value as of the day of exercise) either via attestation or actual delivery, by net exercise such that, without the payment of any funds, the net number of shares of stock received will be equal in value to the number of shares of stock as to

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which the option is being exercised, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the fair market value less the exercise price, and the denominator of which is such fair market value, by other property deemed acceptable by the Committee, by irrevocably authorizing a third party to sell shares of Company common stock and remit a sufficient portion of the proceeds to us, or by other property deemed acceptable or a combination thereof.

        Stock Appreciation Rights.     Stock appreciation rights entitle the participant to receive cash and/or stock equal in value to, or based on the value of, the amount by which the fair market value of a specified number of shares on the exercise date exceeds an exercise price established by the Committee. The exercise price for a stock appreciation right generally may not be less than the fair market value of the stock on the date the stock appreciation right is granted, provided, however, that the exercise price may be higher or lower for a stock appreciation right granted in replacement of an existing award held by an employee, director or service provider of a third party that is acquired by us or one of our subsidiaries. Stock appreciation rights will be exercisable in accordance with the terms established by the Committee.

        Stock Awards.     A stock award is a grant of shares of Company common stock or a right to receive shares of Company common stock (or an equivalent amount of cash or a combination of both) in the future. Such awards may include, but are not limited to, bonus shares, stock units, performance shares, performance units, restricted stock or restricted stock units or any other equity based award as determined by the Committee.

        The specific conditions, including the performance measures, performance objectives or period of service requirements that may apply to stock awards are set by the Committee in its discretion.

        Cash Incentive Awards.     A cash incentive award is the grant of a right to receive a payment of cash (or Company common stock having a value equivalent to the cash otherwise payable), determined on an individual basis or as an allocation of an incentive pool that is contingent on the achievement of performance objectives established by the Committee. The Committee may grant cash incentive awards that may be contingent on achievement of a participant's performance objectives over a specified period established by the Committee. The grant of cash incentive awards may also be subject to such other conditions, restrictions and contingencies, as determined by the Committee.

        Dividends.     If an award provides a participant with the right to receive dividend payments or dividend equivalent payments with respect to the shares of Company common stock subject to the award, the participant may receive such dividend payments or dividend equivalent payments only upon satisfaction of all vesting requirements under the award. In such an event, dividend payments may be made currently or credited to an account for the participant and may be settled in cash or Company common stock and be subject to restrictions similar to the underlying award.

        Forfeiture.     Unless specifically provided to the contrary in an award agreement, upon notification of termination of employment for cause, in the case of employees, and termination of service for cause, in the case of non-employee directors or other service providers, any outstanding award held by such employee, non-employee director or service provider will terminate immediately, the award will be forfeited and the participant will have no further rights thereunder.

        No Reuse of Shares.     Shares of Company common stock underlying an award (including stock awards) under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan that are forfeited or not delivered to a participant or beneficiary for any reason are deemed to have been delivered for purposes of determining the maximum number of shares available under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan. Those forfeited or undelivered shares are ineligible for issuance in subsequent awards. If a participant satisfies the payment of the exercise price of an option by net exercise, no offset is made against the number of

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shares issued for purposes of determining the number of shares counted toward the maximum available under the plan.

        Section 162(m) of the Code.     Under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, the deduction for a publicly held corporation for otherwise deductible compensation to a "covered employee" (the chief executive officer and the next three most highly compensated executive officers (other than the chief financial officer)) is limited to $1 million per year. However, in the case of a corporation that becomes a publicly held corporation in connection with an initial public offering, the $1 million per year deduction limit does not apply during a limited "transition period" to any remuneration paid pursuant to a compensation plan that existed during the period in which the corporation was not publicly held, if the prospectus accompanying the initial public offering disclosed information concerning those plans that satisfied all applicable securities laws then in effect.

        We intend to rely on the transition relief described in the immediately preceding paragraph in connection with awards under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan until the earliest of the four following events: (i) the expiration of the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan; (ii) the material modification of the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan; (iii) the issuance of all stock and other compensation that has been allocated under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan; or (iv) the first meeting of our shareholders at which directors are to be elected that occurs after the close of the third calendar year following the calendar year in which the initial public offering of our common stock occurs.

        Change in Control.     Unless otherwise provided in an award agreement, upon the occurrence of a change in control of the Company (as defined in the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan) and a participant's termination of service without cause following the change in control, all outstanding stock options and stock appreciation rights held by the participant will become fully exercisable and all stock awards or cash incentive awards held by the participant will become fully earned and vested. If the vesting of an award is conditioned on achievement of performance measures that are less than 50 percent attained at the time of the change in control, then a portion of the award becomes vested and exercisable. If achievement of performance measures are 50 percent or more attained, then the award becomes fully earned and vested immediately upon the change in control. In the event an award constitutes "deferred compensation" for purposes of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, and the settlement or distribution of benefits under such award are triggered by a change in control followed by termination without cause, such settlement or distribution will be subject to the change in control also constituting a "change in control event" under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code.

        Amendment and Termination.     The 2017 Equity Incentive Plan will remain in effect as long as any awards under it are outstanding; provided, however, that no awards may be granted after the 10 year anniversary of the effective date of the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan. We generally reserve the right to amend or terminate the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan at any time, except that, once our shares have been listed on Nasdaq, the Plan may not be amended without the approval of our shareholders to permit:

    a material increase of the benefits accruing to participants;

    a material increase of the number of shares of stock that may be issued; or

    a material modification of the requirements for participation;

provided, however, that the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan may be amended at any time to conform to any present or future law, including but not limited to amendments to the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan or outstanding awards in order to comply with, or to avoid the application of, Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, and related regulations and guidance.

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        U.S. Federal Income Tax Treatment.     Under present U.S. federal income tax laws, awards granted under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan generally should have the following tax consequences:

        Non-Qualified Stock Options.     The grant of a non-qualified option generally will not result in taxable income to the participant. The participant generally will realize ordinary income at the time of exercise in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares acquired over the exercise price for those shares and we will be entitled to a corresponding income tax deduction. Gains or losses realized by the participant upon disposition of such shares generally will be treated as capital gains and losses, with the basis in such shares equal to the fair market value of the shares at the time of exercise.

        Incentive Stock Options.     The grant of an incentive stock option generally will not result in taxable income to the participant. The exercise of an incentive stock option generally will not result in taxable income to the participant provided that the participant was (without a break in service) an employee during the period beginning on the date of the grant of the option and ending on the date three months prior to the date of exercise (one year prior to the date of exercise if the participant is "disabled," as that term is defined in the Internal Revenue Code).

        The excess of the fair market value of the shares at the time of the exercise of an incentive stock option over the exercise price generally will be an adjustment that is included in the calculation of the participant's alternative minimum taxable income for the tax year in which the incentive stock option is exercised. For purposes of determining the participant's alternative minimum income tax liability for the year of disposition of the shares acquired pursuant to the incentive stock option exercise, the participant will have a basis in those shares equal to the fair market value of the shares at the time of exercise.

        If the participant does not sell or otherwise dispose of the shares within two years from the date of the grant of the incentive stock option or within one year after the transfer of such stock to the participant, then, upon disposition of such shares, any amount realized in excess of the exercise price generally will be taxed to the participant as capital gain. A capital loss will be recognized to the extent that the amount realized is less than the exercise price.

        If the foregoing holding period requirements are not met, the participant generally will realize ordinary income at the time of the disposition of the shares, in an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the excess of the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise over the exercise price, or (ii) the excess, if any, of the amount realized upon disposition of the shares over the exercise price and we generally will be entitled to a corresponding deduction. If the amount realized exceeds the value of the shares on the date of exercise, any additional amount generally will be capital gain. If the amount realized is less than the exercise price, the participant generally will recognize no income, and a capital loss will be recognized equal to the excess of the exercise price over the amount realized upon the disposition of the shares.

        Stock Appreciation Rights.     The grant of a stock appreciation right generally will not result in taxable income to the participant. Upon exercise of a stock appreciation right, the fair market value of shares received generally will be taxable to the participant as ordinary income and we will be entitled to a corresponding income tax deduction. Gains and losses realized by the participant upon disposition of any such shares generally will be treated as capital gains and losses, with the basis in such shares equal to the fair market value of the shares at the time of exercise.

        Stock Awards.     A participant who has been granted a stock award generally will not realize taxable income at the time of grant, provided that the stock subject to the award is not delivered at the time of grant, or if the stock is delivered, it is subject to restrictions that constitute a "substantial risk of forfeiture" for U.S. federal income tax purposes and the participant has not filed an Internal Revenue Code Section 83(b) election to be taxed at the time of grant. Upon the later of delivery or vesting of

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shares subject to an award (or the filing of a Code Section 83(b) election), the participant generally will realize ordinary income in an amount equal to the then fair market value of those shares and we will be entitled to a corresponding deduction. Gains or losses realized by the participant upon disposition of such shares generally will be treated as capital gains and losses, with the basis in such shares equal to the fair market value of the shares at the time of delivery or vesting (or the filing of an Internal Revenue Code Section 83(b) election). In the case of stock awards settled in cash, the participant generally will realize taxable income at the time the cash is distributed and we will be entitled to a corresponding income tax deduction.

        Cash Incentive Awards.     A participant generally will realize taxable income at the time the cash incentive award is distributed and we will be entitled to a corresponding deduction.

        Withholding of Taxes.     All distributions under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan are subject to withholding of all applicable taxes and the Committee may condition the delivery of any shares or other benefits under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan on satisfaction of the applicable withholding obligations. Except as otherwise provided by the Committee, such withholding obligations generally may be satisfied through cash payment by the participant, through the surrender of shares of our common stock that the participant already owns or through the surrender of shares of our common stock to which the participant is otherwise entitled under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan.

        Clawback.     All awards, amounts or benefits received under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan are subject to potential cancellation and/or payback to us based on any applicable Company clawback policy or applicable law.

    Incentive Plan for Merchants Bank of Indiana Executive Officers

        We adopted the Prior Incentive Plan effective January 1, 2016, to align performance objectives for executive officers with our long-term objectives, attract the highest quality executive officers by providing competitive compensation levels, and to retain high-performing executive officers. Under the Prior Incentive Plan, we granted awards to eligible persons in the form of restricted stock or a combination of restricted stock and cash. Following shareholder approval of the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, no additional grants shall be available to be made under the Prior Incentive Plan. Awards that were granted under Prior Incentive Plan vest, become exercisable and contain such other terms and conditions determined by the Committee and set forth in individual agreements with the executives who received the awards. The Prior Incentive Plan allows for acceleration of vesting and exercise privileges of grants prior to the consummation of a change in control transaction, or the death or total disability of the participant. If a participant's job is terminated for cause, then all unvested awards expire at the date of termination.

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End

        The following table provides information for each of our named executive officers regarding outstanding unvested stock awards held by the officers as of December 31, 2016, as adjusted for stock splits.

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        None of our named executive officers had outstanding stock options as of December 31, 2016. Market values are presented as of the end of 2016 (based on the assumed per share fair market value of our common stock of $15.60 on December 31, 2016).

 
  Stock Awards  
Name
  Number of Shares or
Units of Stock That
Have Not Vested (1)
(#)
  Market Value of Shares
or Units of Stock That
Have Not Vested
($)
 

Michael F. Petrie

         

Michael J. Dunlap

    7,147.50   $ 111,501  

Michael R. Dury

    3,352.50     52,299  

(1)
All awards in this column vest in one-third increments on the first, second and third anniversary of the date of grant. These equity awards are accelerated and vest in full upon a change in control. For any increment of an award that vests and would result in a fractional share (due to our 2.5 for 1 stock split), the recipient will be paid cash in lieu of such fractional share as of date that such increment vests.

Director Compensation

        The following table sets forth information regarding 2016 compensation for each of our nonemployee directors.

Name
  Fees
Earned
or Paid
in Cash
($)
  Total
($)
 

Thomas W. Dinwiddie

  $ 16,500   $ 16,500  

Patrick D. O'Brien

    21,500     21,500  

John W. Perry

    23,500     23,500  

David N. Shane

    14,000     14,000  

        Non-executive Director fees for 2016 were based upon meeting fees for service on the Company and Bank boards of directors. Non-executive directors were paid $3,000 per meeting for service on the Company board. Members of the Boards' committees, as well as the chairpersons thereof were paid an additional fee of $1,000 and $1,500 per meeting, respectively. No additional compensation was paid to our directors for service as a director of the Bank.

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

        In addition to the compensation arrangements with directors and executive officers described in "Executive Compensation" above, the following is a description of transactions since January 1, 2014, to which we have been a party in which the amount involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000, and in which any of our directors, executive officers or beneficial holders of more than five percent of our capital stock, or their immediate family members or entities affiliated with them, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest.

Pending Acquisition of Joy State Bank

        On October 31, 2016, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger to acquire Joy State Bank, an Illinois chartered bank located in Joy, Illinois. Since the timing and approval of the transaction was uncertain due to our capital position at September 30, 2016, on December 22, 2016 the Agreement and Plan of Merger was amended and the parties agreed that Michael Petrie and Randall Rogers, two of our directors, would acquire Joy State Bank. The acquisition of Joy State Bank by Messrs. Petrie and Rogers received appropriate regulatory approvals and closed on April 3, 2017. On May 8, 2017, we entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with Messrs. Petrie and Rogers to acquire Joy State Bank. The Stock Purchase Agreement was approved by our board of directors, and the amendment to the Agreement and Plan of Merger was ratified by our board of directors, with Messrs. Petrie and Rogers abstaining from the vote and were excused from the meeting at the time of the vote. These votes were not considered by the Audit Committee or a special committee. The acquisition is expected to provide access to the Mortgage Partnership Finance (MPF) Program, an attractive program offered through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago which Merchants Bank, as an Indiana chartered state bank, cannot access. We have agreed to pay a purchase price of approximately $5.4 million plus $16,403 for each 30 days after June 30, 2017, prorated to the closing date. The purchase price is equal to the price paid by Messrs. Petrie and Rogers, plus expenses and a cost of funds equal to 3.75%. The acquisition has been approved by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, but remains subject to the approval of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Banking. We expect to close this acquisition in the first quarter of 2018.

Preferred Stock Issuance

        In connection with the private placement of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock which we commenced in December 2015, the following directors and executive officers purchased shares of our preferred stock for $1,000 per share: Michael F. Petrie, a director and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Merchants, 5,000 shares; Randall D. Rogers, a director and President and Chief Operating Officer of Merchants, 5,000 shares; Patrick D. O'Brien, a director, 1,000 shares; Susan Kucer, Indianapolis Market President of Merchants Bank, 250 shares; and Michael Dury, Execitive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of P/RMIC 300 shares. We received and aggregate of $11.6 million from such directors and executive officers for such preferred stock. All of these directors and executive officers paid the same purchase price per share as paid by the other investors in our preferred stock offering.

Common Stock Issuance

        In connection with our private placement of common stock which we commenced in December 2014, our director, Patrick D. O'Brien, and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of P/RMIC, Michael Dury, purchased $250,000 and $200,000, respectively, of our common stock. Messrs. O'Brien and Dury paid the same purchase price per share as paid by the other investors in our common stock offering.

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Employment Relationships with Related Parties

        We employ Matt Kaercher, the son-in-law of our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Michael F. Petrie, as SVP, Originations of P/RMIC, and Mr. Petrie's brother, John Petrie, as SVP, Chief Underwriter of P/RMIC. Mr. Kaercher's base salary for 2017 is $71,700 and his compensation and benefits for 2016, 2015 and 2014 totaled $413,912, $308,498 and $83,395, respectively, which amounts consisted of a base salary, production bonus and benefits. John Petrie's base salary for 2017 is $114,500 and his compensation and benefits for 2016, 2015 and 2014 totaled $149,991, $144,676 and $138,671, respectively, which amounts consisted of a base salary, a bonus and benefits.

        We employ Randall Rogers, Jr., the son of our President and Chief Operating Officer, Randall D. Rogers, as VP, Originator of P/RMIC. Mr. Rogers's base salary for 2017 is $90,400 and his compensation and benefits for 2016, 2015 and 2014 totaled $112,906, $137,811 and $95,961, respectively, which amounts consisted of a base salary, production bonus and benefits.

Legal Services from Related Party

        Our former director, Thomas W. Dinwiddie, is a partner with the law firm of Wooden & McLaughlin LLP in Indianapolis, Indiana. Wooden & McLaughlin LLP performs various legal services on our behalf and we paid them $1,362,915 for the six months ended June 30 2017 while Mr. Dinwiddie was a director and $2,084,423, $1,890,458 and $1,813,874 in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Ordinary Banking Relationships

        Our directors, officers, beneficial owners of more than 5% of our voting securities and their associates were customers of and had transactions with us in the past, and additional transactions with these persons are expected to take place in the future. All outstanding loans and commitments to loan with these persons were made in the ordinary course of business, were made on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing at the time for comparable loans with persons not related to us or the Bank and did not involve more than the normal risk of collectability or present other unfavorable features. All such loans are approved by the Bank's board of directors in accordance with the bank regulatory requirements. Similarly, all certificates of deposit and depository relationships with these persons were made in the ordinary course of business and involved substantially the same terms, including interest rates, as those prevailing at the time for comparable depository relationships with persons not related to us or the Bank.

Policies and Procedures Regarding Related Party Transactions

        Transactions by us or the Bank with related parties are subject to certain regulatory requirements and restrictions, including Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act (which govern certain transactions by the Bank with its affiliates) and the Federal Reserve's Regulation O (which governs certain loans by the Bank to its executive officers, directors and principal shareholders).

        Under applicable SEC and Nasdaq rules, related party transactions are transactions in which we are a participant, the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and a related party has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. Our related parties include directors (including nominees for election as directors), executive officers, five percent shareholders and the immediate family members of these persons. In accordance with the Audit Committee Charter, related party transactions are evaluated in accordance with our Code of Conduct. Related party transactions are referred to Audit Committee for approval. In determining whether to approve a related party transaction, the Audit Committee will consider, among other factors, the fairness of the proposed transaction, the direct or indirect nature of the related party's interest in the transaction, the appearance of an improper conflict of interests for any director or executive officer taking into account the size of the transaction and the financial position of the related party, whether the transaction would impair an outside director's independence, the acceptability of the transaction to our regulators and the potential violations of other corporate policies.

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

        The following table sets forth information as of October 12, 2017 regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock, and as adjusted to reflect the completion of this offering:

        We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the SEC. These rules generally provide that a person is the beneficial owner of securities if such person has or shares the power to vote or direct the voting of securities, or to dispose or direct the disposition of securities, or has the right to acquire such powers within 60 days. Except as disclosed in the footnotes to this table, we believe that each person identified in the table has sole voting and investment power over all of the shares shown opposite such person's name.

        The percentage of beneficial ownership is based on 21,497,667 shares of our common stock outstanding as of October 12, 2017 and 27,053,222 shares to be outstanding after the completion of this offering (or 27,886,555 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full). The table does not reflect any shares of common stock that may be purchased in this offering, including through the directed share program described under "Underwriting." Because certain shares may have deemed beneficial ownership, such shares are included in the table with ownership by more than one person.

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        The address for each person listed in the table below is: c/o Merchants Bancorp, 11555 North Meridian Street, Suite 400, Carmel, Indiana, 46032.

 
   
   
  Shares Beneficially Owned After the Offering  
 
  Shares Beneficially
Owned Prior to the
Offering
   
  If Underwriters'
Option Not
Exercised
  If Underwriters'
Option
Exercised in Full
 
Name
  Number   %   Number   %   %  

5% shareholders:

                               

Jody J. Petrie (1)

    10,003,050     46.53 %   10,003,050     36.98 %   35.87 %

Mary H. Rogers (2)

    9,639,999     44.84 %   9,639,999     35.63 %   34.57 %

Directors and named executive officers:

                               

Michael J. Dunlap

    11,425     *     11,425     *     *  

Michael R. Dury

    20,675     *     20,675     *     *  

Scott A. Evans

    575     *     575     *     *  

Sue Anne Gilroy

                     

Patrick D. O'Brien

    25,000     *     25,000     *     *  

John W. Perry

    10,000     *     10,000     *     *  

Michael F. Petrie (3)

    10,003,050     46.53 %   10,003,050     36.98 %   35.87 %

Randall D. Rogers (4)

    9,639,999     44.84 %   9,639,999     35.63 %   34.57 %

Anne E. Sellers

                     

David N. Shane

    5,000     *     5,000     *     *  

All directors and executive officers as a group (16 persons)

    19,726,248     91.76 %   19,726,248     72.92 %   70.74 %

*
denotes less than 1%

(1)
Jody J. Petrie is the wife of Michael F. Petrie and is the sole trustee of the following trusts: The Michael F. Petrie Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (4,957,250 shares); The Julia L. Petrie Irrevocable GST Trust 2010 (950,000 shares); and The Emily J. Petrie Irrevocable GST Trust 2010 (950,000 shares). Mrs. Petrie individually holds 1,436,000 shares and her beneficial ownership also includes 1,709,800 shares held individually by Mr. Petrie as to which Mrs. Petrie may be deemed to have beneficial ownership. Mrs. Petrie disclaims beneficial ownership of shares held individually by Mr. Petrie.

(2)
Mary H. Rogers is the wife of Randall D. Rogers and is the sole trustee of the following trusts: The Randall D. Rogers Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (7,624,812 shares); The Katherine H. Rogers Irrevocable GST Trust 2011 (582,000 shares); The Carey Rogers Kulongoski Irrevocable GST Trust 2010 (582,000 shares); and The Randall D. Rogers, Jr. Irrevocable GST Trust 2011 (582,000 shares). Mrs. Rogers' beneficial ownership also includes 269,187 shares held individually by Mr. Rogers as to which Mrs. Rogers may be deemed to have beneficial ownership. Mrs. Rogers disclaims beneficial ownership of shares held individually by Mr. Rogers.

(3)
Includes (i) 1,709,800 shares held individually by Mr. Petrie, (ii) 4,957,250 shares held by The Michael F. Petrie Grantor Retained Annuity Trust of which Jody J. Petrie is the sole trustee and Mr. Petrie is the sole annuitant as to which Mr. Petrie may be deemed to have beneficial ownership, and (iii) an additional 3,336,000 shares held individually by Mrs. Petrie. Mr. Petrie disclaims beneficial ownership of all shares that he does not hold individually.

(4)
Includes (i) 269,187 shares held individually by Mr. Rogers, (ii) 7,624,812 shares held by The Randall D. Rogers Grantor Retained Annuity Trust of which Mary H. Rogers is the sole trustee and Mr. Rogers is the sole annuitant as to which Mr. Rogers may be deemed to have beneficial ownership, and (iii) an additional 1,746,000 shares held individually by Mrs. Rogers. Mr. Rogers disclaims beneficial ownership of all shares that he does not hold individually.

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

        The following is a summary of the material rights of our capital stock and related provisions of our articles of incorporation, or articles, and bylaws. The following description of our capital stock does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, our articles and bylaws, which we have included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. We urge you to read these documents for a more complete understanding of shareholder rights.

        Our articles authorize the issuance of up to 50,000,000 shares of common stock, without par value, and up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, without par value. At October 12, 2017, we had issued and outstanding 21,497,667 shares of our common stock and 41,625 shares of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock. We have reserved an additional 1,500,000 shares for issuance in connection with awards that remain available for issuance under our 2017 Equity Incentive Plan.

Common Stock

        Governing Documents.     Holders of shares of our common stock have the rights set forth in our articles, our bylaws and the IBCL.

        Dividends and Distributions.     The holders of our common stock are entitled to share equally in any dividends that our board of directors may declare from time to time out of funds legally available for dividends, subject to limitations under Indiana law and any preferential rights of holders of our then outstanding preferred stock.

        Ranking.     Our common stock ranks junior with respect to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up to all our other securities and indebtedness.

        Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of our common stock are entitled to share equally, on a per share basis, in all of our assets available for distribution, after payment to creditors and subject to any prior distribution rights granted to holders of any then outstanding shares of preferred stock.

        Conversion Rights.     Our common stock is not convertible into any other shares of our capital stock.

        Preemptive Rights.     Holders of our common stock do not have any preemptive rights.

        Voting Rights.     The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share on any matter to be voted on by the shareholders. The holders of our common stock are not entitled to cumulative voting rights with respect to the election of directors. A plurality of the shares voted shall elect all of the directors then standing for election at a meeting of shareholders at which a quorum is present.

        Redemption.     We have no obligation or right to redeem our common stock.

        Stock Exchange Listing.     We have applied to list our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the trading symbol "MBIN."

Preferred Stock

        General.     Upon authorization of our board of directors, we may issue shares of one or more series of our preferred stock from time to time. Our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock is currently the only designated series of preferred stock. As of October 12, 2017, 50,000 shares of preferred stock had been designated as 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock and 41,625 shares of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding. Our articles of incorporation may be amended in accordance with the IBCL to increase the number of authorized shares of preferred stock that we may issue. Our Board of directors may, without any action by holders of common stock and except as may be otherwise provided in the terms of any series of

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preferred stock of which there are shares outstanding, adopt resolutions to designate and establish a new series of preferred stock. Upon establishing such a series of preferred stock, the Board will determine the number of shares of preferred stock of that series that may be issued and the rights and preferences of that series of preferred stock. The rights of any series of preferred stock may include, among others:

        We may issue shares of, or rights to purchase shares of, one or more series of our preferred stock that have been designated from time to time, the terms of which might:

        Any of these actions could have an anti-takeover effect and discourage a transaction that some or a majority of our shareholders might believe to be in their best interests or in which our shareholders might receive a premium for their stock over our then market price.

        Governing Documents.     Holders of shares of 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock have the rights set forth in our articles, our bylaws and the IBCL.

        Ranking.     Our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock, with respect to dividend rights ranks on a parity with, and with respect to rights upon a liquidation, dissolution and winding up ranks senior to, our common stock.

        Dividends and Other Distributions.     Subject to certain regulatory restrictions discussed in "Dividend Policy," holders of shares of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock are entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the board of directors, out of funds legally available for the payment of dividends, cash dividends to the same extent and on the same basis as cash dividends as declared by the board of directors with respect to shares of our common stock. Such dividends on shares of 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock are payable on the same dates as dividends on shares of common stock but prior to the payment of any dividends on shares of common stock.

        Voting.     Holders of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock do not have voting rights, except as provided below or as otherwise required by the IBCL. When voting rights are applicable, each holder of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock has one vote per share.

        So long as any shares of 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock are outstanding, we may not, without the written consent or affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock (i) amend or alter any provision of our articles so as to create or increase materially adversely affect the preferences, rights or powers of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock, provided that any such amendment that changes any dividend payable on or liquidation preference of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock, (ii) amend or alter any provision of our articles so as to create or increase any class or series of our capital stock ranking senior to our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock or (iii) exchange or reclassify any shares of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock, or a merger or

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consolidation with another company, except if the shares of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock remain outstanding or exchanged into shares of the surviving or resulting entity in case of a merger or consolidation, or such shares remain outstanding and the preferences, rights and powers are not materially less favorable to the holders.

        Liquidation Rights.     In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, whether voluntary or involuntary, and before any payment or distribution of our assets (whether capital or surplus) may be made to holders of securities ranking junior to the 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock, the holders of shares of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock are entitled to receive $1,000 per share of 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock plus any unpaid dividends whether or not declared.

        Conversion Rights.     Holders of shares of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock do not have conversion rights.

        Preemptive Rights.     Holders of shares of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock do not have any preemptive rights.

        Redemption.     We have no obligation redeem shares of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock. Commencing in December 2020, we may redeem in whole or in part, shares of our 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock for a price equal to $1,000 per share of 8% Non-Cumulative, Perpetual Preferred Stock plus any unpaid dividends whether or not declared.

        Stock Exchange Listing.     Our preferred stock has not been approved for listing on any stock exchange.

Anti-Takeover Considerations and Special Provisions of Our Articles, Bylaws and Indiana Law

        Indiana law and certain provisions of our articles and bylaws could have the effect of delaying or deferring the removal of incumbent directors or delaying, deferring or discouraging another party from acquiring control of us, even if such removal or acquisition would be viewed by our shareholders to be in their best interests. These provisions, summarized below, are intended to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. These provisions also serve to discourage hostile takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. We believe that these provisions are beneficial because the negotiation they encourage could result in improved terms of any unsolicited proposal.

        Removal of Directors.     Our articles specify that, as permitted by the IBCL, directors may be removed with or without cause by the affirmative votes of a majority of the actual and then in office and by the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on the election of directors.

        Noncumulative Voting for Directors.     Our directors are elected by plurality and not cumulative voting, which may make it more difficult for a non-company nominee to be elected to our board of directors.

        Authorized But Unissued Capital Stock.     We have authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock, and our board of directors may authorize the issuance of one or more series of preferred stock without shareholder approval. These shares could be used by our board of directors to make it more difficult or to discourage an attempt to obtain control of us through a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise.

        Limitation on Right to Call a Special Meeting of Shareholders.     Our bylaws provide that special meetings of shareholders may only be called by our Board, Chairman, or Chief Executive Officer, or by

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the holders of not less than 25% of our outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote for the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is being called.

        Advance Notice Provisions.     Our bylaws include a provision that permits shareholders of record to make nominations for the election of directors and proposals for any business or matter to be presented at any annual or special meeting of shareholders only if notice of such proposal is given to us not less than 90 days and no more than 120 days prior to the date of the meeting. The advance notice provision gives the board adequate time to respond to the shareholder proposal. If the shareholder fails to provide the notice within the time prescribed under the bylaws, our management can exclude the proposal at the shareholders meeting

        Action By Unanimous Written Consent of Shareholders.     Our bylaws provide that any action required or permitted to be taken by the holders at a duly called annual or special meeting of the holders of our capital stock may be effected by any consent in writing by all our shareholders.

        Filling of Board Vacancies.     Our bylaws permit our board of directors to increase, by resolution, the number of persons serving as directors and to fill the vacancies created as a result of the increase by a majority vote of the directors present at the meeting.

        Amendment of the Bylaws.     Our bylaws provide that our bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed by the affirmative vote of a majority of our actual number of directors without prior notice to or approval by our shareholders. Accordingly, our board could take action to amend our bylaws in a manner that could have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another party from acquiring control of us.

        Limits on Acquisition of Additional Shares.     Our articles provide that any person who acquires an aggregate of 10% of our then outstanding common stock in connection with a tender or exchange offer, open market purchase or business combination, is required to offer and pay for such additional shares an amount which is at least equal to the highest price paid to acquire shares of our common stock then held by such person unless such subsequent acquisition has been approved by a majority of the board of directors.

        Indiana Law Takeover Protections.     Indiana's control share acquisitions statute, IBCL Section 23-1-42-1 et seq., provides that unless otherwise indicated in the corporation's articles of incorporation or bylaws, if a shareholder acquires shares of a corporation's voting stock (referred to as control shares) within one of several specified ranges (one-fifth or more but less than one-third, one-third or more but less than a majority, or a majority or more), approval of a majority of the disinterested shareholders must be obtained before the acquiring shareholder may vote the control shares. Under certain circumstances, including in the event that shareholder approval is not obtained, the shares held by the acquirer may be redeemed by the corporation at the fair value of the shares as determined by the control share acquisition provision. The control share acquisition provision does not apply to a plan of merger or share exchange, if the corporation complies with the applicable merger provisions and is a party to the plan of merger or plan of share exchange. Merchants has opted out of the control share acquisition provision.

        Indiana's business combination statute, IBCL Section 23-1-43-1 et seq., restricts a business combination between the target corporation and an interested shareholder absent certain statutory exceptions. Under the business combinations provision of the IBCL, any shareholder who acquires a 10%-or-greater ownership position in an Indiana corporation with a class of voting shares registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act (and that has not opted-out of this provision) is prohibited for a period of five years from completing a business combination (generally a merger, significant asset sale or disposition or significant issuance of additional shares) with the corporation unless, prior to the acquisition of such 10% interest, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the

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acquisition of such interest or the proposed business combination. If such board approval is not obtained, then five years after a 10% shareholder has become such, a business combination with the 10% shareholder is permitted if all provisions of the articles of the corporation are complied with and either a majority of disinterested shareholders approves the transaction or all shareholders receive a price per share determined in accordance with the fair price criteria of the business combinations provision of the IBCL. An Indiana corporation may elect to remove itself from the protection provided by the Indiana business combinations provision, but such an election remains ineffective for 18 months and does not apply to a combination with a shareholder who acquired a 10% ownership position prior to the election. Merchants has not elected to remove itself from the protections of this provision.

        The IBCL and our articles permit directors, in discharging their duties, to consider the best interests of a corporation, to consider the effects of any action on shareholders, employees, suppliers, and customers of the corporation, and communities in which offices or other facilities of the corporation are located, and any other factors the directors consider pertinent. Constituency statutes and our articles give a target's board the discretion to favor a deal that is better for the corporation's employees, the community and local economy over a deal with a higher price, but more detrimental effects to the community.

Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors

        Under the IBCL, an Indiana corporation may indemnify an individual made a party to a proceeding because the individual is or was a director against liability incurred in the proceeding if (i) the individual's conduct was in good faith, (ii) the individual reasonably believed, in the case of conduct in the individual's official capacity with the corporation, that the individual's conduct was in the best interests of the corporation, and in all other cases, that the individual's conduct was at least not opposed to the corporation's best interests, and (iii) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the individual either had reasonable cause to believe that the individual's conduct was lawful, or the individual had no reasonable cause to believe that the individual's conduct was unlawful.

        Unless limited by its articles of incorporation, a corporation must indemnify a director who was wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which the director was a party because the director is or was a director of the corporation against reasonable expenses incurred by the director in defense of the proceeding. In addition, unless limited by its articles of incorporation, an officer of a corporation, whether or not a director, is entitled to mandatory indemnification to the same extent as a director, and a corporation may also indemnify and advance expenses to an officer, employee or agent to the same extent as to a director.

        Our articles provide that, to the extent not inconsistent with applicable law, we shall indemnify each of our directors, officers, employees and agents against all liability and reasonable expense that may be incurred by him or her in connection with or resulting from any claim in which he or she may become involved by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of us or by reason of any action taken or not taken by him or her in any such capacity, if such person is wholly successful with respect to the claim or, if not wholly successful, then if such person is determined to have acted in good faith, in what he or she reasonably believed to be the best interests of us (or at least not opposed to its best interests) and, in addition, with respect to a criminal claim, is determined to have had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was lawful or had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. Our indemnification extends to attorney fees, disbursements, judgments, fines, penalties or settlements. We may also advance expenses or undertake the defense of a director, officer or employee upon receipt of an undertaking by such person to repay such expenses if it should ultimately be determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification.

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        In order for a director, officer or employee to be entitled to indemnification, the person must be wholly successful with respect to such claim or either our board of directors acting by a quorum consisting of directors who are not parties to, or who have been wholly successful with respect to such claim, action, suit or proceeding, or independent legal counsel must determine that the director, officer or employee has met the standards of conduct required by our articles.

        The IBCL permits us to purchase insurance on behalf of our directors, officers, employees and agents against liabilities arising out of their positions with us, whether or not such liabilities would be within the above indemnification provisions. Pursuant to this authority, we maintain such insurance for the directors, officers and employees of Merchants and its subsidiaries.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

        The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare, Inc. The transfer agent and registrar's address is 462 South 4th Street, Suite 1600, Louisville, Kentucky 40202 and the telephone number is (800) 962-4284.

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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

        Prior to this offering, there has been no established public market for our common stock. Future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales may occur, could adversely affect market prices prevailing from time to time. Furthermore, because only a limited number of shares will be available for sale shortly after this offering due to existing contractual and legal restrictions on resale as described below, there may be sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market after the restrictions lapse. This may adversely affect the prevailing market price and our ability to raise equity capital in the future.

        Upon completion of this offering, we will have 27,053,222 shares of common stock outstanding. Of these shares, 5,555,555 shares of our common stock (or 6,388,888 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full) sold in this offering will be freely transferable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by our "affiliates," as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. The remaining 21,497,667 shares of our common stock outstanding are "restricted shares" as defined in Rule 144. Restricted shares may be sold in the public market only if registered under the Securities Act or if they qualify for an exemption from registration under Rule 144. As a result of the contractual 180-day lock-up period described below, 20,094,396 of these shares will be available for sale in the public market only after 180 days from the date of this prospectus (generally subject to volume and other offering limitations).

Rule 144

        In general, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock for at least six months would be entitled to sell such securities, provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the 90 days preceding, the sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least 90 days before the sale. Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or any time during the 90 days preceding, the sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of the following:

provided, in each case, that we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least 90 days before the sale. Such sales both by affiliates and by non-affiliates must also comply with the manner of sale and notice provisions of Rule 144 to the extent applicable.

Registration Statement on Form S-8

        In connection with or as soon as practicable following the completion of this offering, we intend to file a registration statement with the SEC on Form S-8 to register an aggregate of approximately 1,500,000 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, as described further under "Executive Compensation—2017 Equity Incentive Plan." That registration statement will become effective upon filing and shares of common stock covered by such registration statement will be eligible for sale in the public market immediately after the effective date of such registration statement (unless held by affiliates) subject to the lock-up agreements described below.

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Lock-up Agreements

        Each of our directors, executive officers, and significant shareholders have agreed, and participants in the directed share program will agree, subject to certain exceptions, not to offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of our common stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for common stock for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, without the prior written consent of Sandler O'Neill & Partners, L.P. and Stephens Inc. on behalf of the underwriters. See "Underwriting." The underwriters do not have any present intention or arrangement to release any shares of our common stock subject to lock-up agreements prior to the expiration of the 180-day lock-up period.

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MATERIAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS FOR NON-U.S. HOLDERS

        The following describes the material United States federal income tax consequences relevant to non-U.S. holders, as defined below, of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock. This discussion is based on current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), Treasury regulations and judicial and administrative authority, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. This section does not consider the Medicare contribution tax, net investment tax, state, local, estate, gift, sales, use, excise or foreign tax consequences, nor does it address tax consequences to special classes of investors, including, but not limited to:

        Tax consequences may vary depending upon the particular status of an investor. The summary is limited to non-U.S. holders who will hold our common stock as "capital assets" as defined in Code Section 1221 (generally, property held for investment). Each potential non-U.S. investor should consult its own tax advisor as to the United States federal, state, local, estate, gift, sales, use, excise, foreign and any other tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock.

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        You are a "non-U.S. holder" if you are a beneficial owner of our common stock for United States federal income tax purposes that is:

        If an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes holds our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are an entity taxable as a partnership or a partner in such an entity holding our common stock, you should consult your tax advisor as to the United States federal income tax consequences applicable to you.

Distributions

        Distributions with respect to our common stock will be treated as dividends when paid to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits as determined for United States federal income tax purposes. Amounts not treated as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes will constitute a return of capital and will first be applied against and reduce a holder's tax basis in our common stock, but not below zero. Any excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of our common stock and will be treated as described under the section of this prospectus supplement titled "—Sale or Redemption" below.

        Except as described below as income effectively connected with a trade or business and subject to the discussion below regarding backup withholding and FATCA, if you are a non-U.S. holder of our shares, dividends paid to you are subject to withholding of United States federal income tax at a 30% rate or at a lower rate if you are eligible for the benefits of an income tax treaty that provides for a lower rate. Even if you are eligible for a lower treaty rate, we and other payors will generally be required to withhold at a 30% rate (rather than the lower treaty rate) on dividends paid to you, unless you have furnished to us or another payor:

        If you are eligible for a reduced rate of United States withholding tax under a tax treaty, you may obtain a refund of any amounts withheld in excess of that rate by timely filing an appropriate refund claim with the IRS.

        If dividends paid to you are "effectively connected" with your conduct of a trade or business within the United States, and, if required by a tax treaty, the dividends are attributable to a permanent establishment that you maintain in the United States, we and other payors generally are not required to

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withhold tax from the dividends, provided that you have furnished to us or another payor a properly completed IRS Form W-8ECI or an acceptable substitute form upon which you represent, under penalties of perjury, that:

        "Effectively connected" dividends are generally subject to United States federal income tax on a net income basis at applicable U.S. individual or corporate rates. If you are a corporate non-U.S. holder, "effectively connected" dividends that you receive may, under certain circumstances, also be subject to a "branch profits tax" at a 30% rate, or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty.

Sale or Redemption

        Subject to the discussion below regarding backup withholding and FATCA, as a non-U.S. holder, you generally will not be subject to United States federal income or withholding tax on gain realized on the sale, exchange (including a redemption that is treated as an exchange) or other disposition of our common stock unless as a nonresident alien individual (i) you hold our shares as a capital asset and are present in the United States for 183 or more days in the taxable year of the sale or disposition and certain other conditions exist, (ii) the gain is "effectively connected" with your conduct of a trade or business in the United States, and the gain is attributable to a permanent establishment that you maintained in the United States, if required by an applicable income tax treaty as a condition for taxation on a net income basis in the United States, or (iii) our common stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest by reason of our becoming a "United States real property holding corporation," or USRPHC, for United States federal income tax purposes at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding your disposition of, or your holding period for, our common stock.

        We believe that we are not currently and will not become a USRPHC. However, because the determination of whether we are a USRPHC depends on the fair market value of our U.S. real property relative to the fair market value of our other business assets, there can be no assurance that we will not become a USRPHC in the future. Even if we become a USRPHC, however, as long as our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market, such common stock will be treated as U.S. real property interests only if you actually or constructively hold more than 5% of such regularly traded common stock at any time during the shorter of the five-year period preceding your disposition of, or your holding period for, our common stock. Net gain from the sale of a U.S. real property interest is taxed as "effectively connected" with a trade or business in the United States and thus subject to taxation at U.S. graduated rates on such income. In the event your common stock is subject to treatment as a U.S. real property interest, if you are a non-U.S. holder, you will be required to pay a flat 15% tax through withholding on the amount realized from the sale, which may be reduced by applicable beneficial treaty provisions.

        If you are a holder of common stock that is not treated as a U.S. real property interest and are an individual non-U.S. holder described in (i) above, you will be required to pay a flat 30% tax on the gain derived from the sale, which tax may be offset by U.S.-source capital losses for the taxable year. If you are a non-U.S. holder described in (ii) above, you will be required to pay tax on the net gain derived from the sale under regular graduated United States federal income tax rates. If you are a corporate non-U.S. holder, "effectively connected" gains that you recognize may also, under certain circumstances, be subject to a "branch profits tax" at a 30% rate or at a lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty.

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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

        If you are a non-U.S. holder, you are generally exempt from backup withholding and information reporting requirements (other than certain information reporting required for distribution payments on IRS Form 1042-S) with respect to:

as long as the income is otherwise exempt from United States federal income tax, and:

        Payment of the proceeds from the sale of common shares effected at a foreign office of a broker generally will not be subject to information reporting or backup withholding. However, a sale of shares effected at a foreign office of a broker will be subject to information reporting and backup withholding if:

unless the broker does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that you are a United States person and the documentation requirements described above are met or you otherwise establish an exemption.

        In addition, a sale of common stock will be subject to information reporting (but not backup withholding) if it is effected at a foreign office of a broker that is:

unless the broker does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that you are a United States person and the documentation requirements described above are met or you otherwise establish an exemption. Backup withholding will apply if the sale is subject to information reporting and the broker has actual knowledge that you are a United States person.

        Payment of dividends (including any redemption treated as a dividend for U.S. income tax purposes) or the payment of proceeds of a sale of our common stock within the United States or

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conducted through certain United States-related financial intermediaries and any tax withheld on those payments are subject to information reporting requirements. These information reporting requirements apply regardless of whether withholding was reduced or eliminated by an applicable income tax treaty. Under the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty or agreement, copies of the information returns reporting such dividends and withholding may also be made available to the tax authorities in the resident country of the non-U.S. holder. Any amount withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a non-U.S. holder is allowable as a credit against the non-U.S. holder's United States federal income tax liability for the year in which the withholding occurred, which may entitle the non-U.S. holder to a refund, provided that the non-U.S. holder files a claim for refund on a timely basis with the IRS. Moreover, certain penalties may be imposed by the IRS on a non-U.S. holder who is required to furnish information but does not do so in the proper manner. Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of backup withholding in their particular circumstances and the availability of and procedure for obtaining an exemption from backup withholding under current Treasury regulations.

Withholding on Payments to Foreign Financial Entities and Other Foreign Entities

        Withholding taxes may be imposed under Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code (commonly referred to as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA) on certain types of payments made to non-U.S. financial institutions and certain other non-U.S. entities. Specifically, a 30% withholding tax may be imposed on dividends paid on, or gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, our common stock paid to a "foreign financial institution" or a "non-financial foreign entity" (each as defined in the Code), unless (1) the foreign financial institution is subject to certain due diligence and reporting obligations, (2) the non-financial foreign entity either certifies it does not have any "substantial United States owners" (as defined in the Code) or furnishes identifying information regarding each substantial United States owner, or (3) the foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity otherwise complies with, or qualifies for an exemption from, these rules. If the payee is a foreign financial institution and is subject to the due diligence and reporting requirements in (1) above, it must either (i) enter into an agreement with the United States Department of the Treasury (a "FATCA Agreement"), or (ii) be subject to and comply with applicable foreign law enacted in connection with an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and a foreign jurisdiction (an "IGA"), in either case, requiring, among other things, that it identify accounts held by certain "specified United States persons" or United States owned foreign entities, and annually report certain information about such accounts. If our common stock is held by a foreign financial institution that enters into (or is otherwise subject to) a FATCA Agreement, such foreign financial institution (or, in certain cases, a person paying amounts to such foreign financial institution) generally will be required, subject to certain exceptions, to withhold tax on payments of dividends and proceeds described above made to (1) a person (including an individual) that fails to comply with certain information requests, (2) a foreign financial institution that has not entered into (and is not otherwise subject to), and is not in compliance with a FATCA Agreement and is not in compliance with FATCA pursuant to applicable foreign law enacted in connection with an IGA, or (3) a person who is not otherwise exempt from FATCA requirements.

        Withholding under FATCA generally applies to (i) current payments of dividends on our common stock and (ii) payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of such stock on or after January 1, 2019.

        If withholding is required under FATCA on a payment related to our common stock, investors that otherwise would not be subject to withholding (or that otherwise would be entitled to a reduced rate of withholding) generally will be required to seek a refund or credit from the IRS on a timely basis in order to obtain the benefit of such exemption or reduction.

        Each non-U.S. holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the potential application of withholding under FATCA to its investment in our common stock.

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UNDERWRITING

        We are offering the shares of our common stock described in this prospectus in an underwritten offering in which we and Sandler O'Neill & Partners, L.P. and Stephens Inc., as representatives of the underwriters named below, will enter into an underwriting agreement with respect to the shares of our common stock being offered. Subject to the terms and conditions contained in the underwriting agreement, the underwriters named below have agreed, severally and not jointly, to purchase the respective number of shares of our common stock set forth opposite their respective names below:

Underwriter
  Number of
Shares
 

Sandler O'Neill & Partners, L.P. 

       

Stephens Inc. 

       

Raymond James & Associates, Inc. 

       

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. 

       

Total

    5,555,555  

        The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters' obligation to purchase shares of our common stock depends on the satisfaction of the conditions contained in the underwriting agreement, including, among others:

        Subject to these conditions, the underwriters are committed to purchase and pay for all of the shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus, if any such shares are purchased. However, the underwriters are not obligated to take or pay for the shares of our common stock covered by the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares described below, unless and until that option is exercised. The underwriting agreement also provides that if an underwriter defaults, the purchase commitments of non-defaulting underwriters may be increased or this offering may be terminated.

Commission and Discounts

        Shares of our common stock sold by the underwriters to the public will be offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any shares of our common stock sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $            per share from the initial public offering price. Any of these securities dealers may resell any shares of our common stock purchased from the underwriters to other brokers or dealers at a discount of up to $            per share from the initial public offering price. If all of the shares of our common stock are not sold at the initial public offering price, the representative may change the offering price and the other selling terms. Sales of shares of our common stock made outside of the United States may be made by affiliates of the underwriters. The underwriters reserve the right to reject an order for the purchase of shares, in whole or in part.

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        The following table shows the initial public offering price, underwriting discount and proceeds before expenses to us. The information assumes either no exercise or full exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares:

 
  Per Share   No Exercise   Full Exercise  

Public offering price

  $     $     $    

Underwriting discount

                   

Proceeds to us, before expenses

                   

        In addition to the underwriting discounts, we estimate the expenses of this offering to be approximately $1.43 million and are payable by us.

Option to Purchase Additional Shares

        We have granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to 833,333 additional shares of our common stock, on the same terms set forth above. The underwriters may exercise this option, in whole or from time to time in part, made in connection with this offering. The underwriters have 30 days from the date of this prospectus to exercise this option. If the underwriters exercise this option, each underwriter will be obligated, subject to the conditions in the underwriting agreement, to purchase a number of additional shares of our common stock proportionate to such underwriter's initial amount relative to the total amount reflected next to their name in the table above. We will be obligated to sell these shares of common stock to the underwriters to the extent the option to purchase additional shares is exercised.

Indemnification and Contribution

        We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters, and persons who control the underwriters, against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make in respect of these liabilities.

Lock-up Agreements

        Our directors, our executive officers, and certain other current shareholders have entered, and participants in the directed share program will enter, into lock-up agreements with the underwriters. Under these agreements, we and each of these persons will not, without the prior written approval of the representative, subject to limited exceptions,

        These restrictions will be in effect for a period of 180 days after the date of the underwriting agreement. At any time and without public notice, the representatives may, in their sole discretion, waive or release all or some of the securities from these lock-up agreements. In addition, the

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restrictions described above will not apply to certain transfers of the locked-up shares, so long as the transferee agrees, among other things, to be bound by the terms of the lock-up agreement. Such transfers permitted under the lock-up agreement include, but are not limited to transfers of shares of our common stock:

        These restrictions will apply to common stock owned now or acquired later by the person executing the agreement or for which the person executing the agreement later acquires the power of disposition.

Pricing of the Offering

        This is the initial public offering of our common stock and no public market currently exists for our shares. The initial public offering price will be determined by negotiations among us and the representative of the underwriters. In addition to prevailing market conditions, among the factors to be considered in determining the initial public offering price of our common stock will be our historical performance, estimates of our business potential and our earnings prospects, an assessment of our management and the consideration of the above factors in relation to market valuation of companies in related businesses. The estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this preliminary prospectus is subject to change as a result of market conditions and other factors. An active trading market for the shares of our common stock may not develop. It is also possible that the shares will not trade in the public market at or above the initial public offering price following the completion of this offering.

Exchange Listing

        We have applied to list our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "MBIN."

Directed Share Program

        At our request, the underwriters have reserved for sale, at the initial public offering price, up to 277,777 shares of the common stock being offered by this prospectus, to our directors, officers, employees and other individuals that have a business relationship with us, including current shareholders and customers, and their family members who have expressed an interest in purchasing our common stock in this offering. The number of shares available for sale to the general public in the offering will be reduced to the extent these persons purchase the reserved shares. Any reserved shares not so purchased will be offered by the underwriters to the general public on the same terms as the other shares. Any shares sold in the directed share program will be subject to the 180-day lock-up agreements described above.

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Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids

        To facilitate this offering and in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act, or Regulation M, the underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain, or otherwise affect the price of our common stock, including:

        Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or purchases made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock while this offering is in progress. These transactions may also include making short sales of our common stock, which involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of shares of common stock than they are required to purchase in this offering. Short sales may be "covered short sales," which are short positions in an amount not greater than the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares referred to above, or may be "naked short sales," which are short positions in excess of that amount.

        The underwriters may close out any covered short position either by exercising their option to purchase additional shares, in whole or in part, or by purchasing shares in the open market. In making this determination, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through their option to purchase additional shares. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of our common stock in the open market that could adversely affect investors who purchased in this offering.

        As an additional means of facilitating our initial public offering, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, shares of our common stock in the open market. The underwriting syndicate also may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing shares of our common stock in this offering, if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed shares of our common stock to cover syndicate short positions or to stabilize the price of our common stock.

        As a result of these activities, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. If these activities are commenced, they may be discontinued by the underwriters at any time without notice. The underwriters may carry out these transactions on the Nasdaq Capital Market, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.

Passive Market Making

        In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in passive market making transactions in our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of our common stock and extending through the completion of the distribution of this offering. A passive market maker must generally display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid of that security. However, if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker's bid, the passive market maker may continue to bid and effect purchases at a price exceeding the then highest independent bid until specified purchase limits are exceeded, at which time such bid must be lowered to an amount no higher than the then highest independent bid. Passive market making may cause the price of our common stock to be higher than the price that otherwise would exist in the open market in the absence of those transactions. The underwriters and selling shareholders engaged in passive market making are not required to engage in passive market making and may end passive market making activities at any time.

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Electronic Distribution

        This prospectus may be made available in electronic format on websites or through other online services maintained by one or more of the underwriters, or their affiliates. Other than this prospectus in electronic format, information on such websites and any information contained in any other website maintained by the underwriters or any of their affiliates is not part of this prospectus or registration statement of which the prospectus forms a part, has not been approved or endorsed by us or the underwriters, in their capacities as underwriters and should not be relied on by investors.

Affiliations

        The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment advisory, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing, loan referrals, valuation and brokerage activities. From time to time, the underwriters and/or their respective affiliates have directly and indirectly engaged, and may in the future engage, in various financial advisory, investment banking loan referrals and commercial banking services with us and our affiliates, for which they received or paid, or may receive or pay, customary compensation, fees and expense reimbursement. In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and those investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of those securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in those securities and instruments.

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LEGAL MATTERS

        The validity of the shares of common stock being offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Krieg DeVault LLP, Indianapolis, Indiana. Covington & Burling, LLP, Washington D.C., is acting as counsel for the underwriters in connection with this offering.


EXPERTS

        The consolidated financial statements of Merchants Bancorp and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 and for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2016 have been included herein in reliance upon the report of BKD LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, appearing elsewhere herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.


WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

        We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to our common stock offered hereby. This prospectus, which constitutes part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits or schedules filed therewith. Some items are omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information about us and our common stock that we propose to sell in this offering, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed as a part of the registration statement. Statements or summaries in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to in this prospectus are not necessarily complete and, where that contract or document is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, each statement or summary is qualified in all respects by reference to the exhibit to which the reference relates. You may read and copy the registration statement, including the exhibits and schedules to the registration statement, at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the Public Reference Room. Our filings with the SEC, including the registration statement, are also available to you for free on the SEC's internet website at www.sec.gov.

        Following the offering, we will become subject to the informational and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and, in accordance with those requirements, will file reports and proxy and information statements and other information with the SEC. You will be able to inspect and copy these reports and proxy and information statements and other information at the addresses set forth above. We intend to furnish to our shareholders our annual reports containing our audited consolidated financial statements certified by an independent public accounting firm.

        We also maintain an internet site at www.merchantsbankofindiana.com. Information on, or accessible through, our website is not part of this prospectus.

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Index to Consolidated Financial Statements of
Merchants Bancorp

Contents

Independent Auditors' Report

   
F-2
 

Consolidated Financial Statements

   
 
 

Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2017 (unaudited) and December 31, 2016 and 2015

   
F-3
 

Statements of Income for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

   
F-4
 

Statements of Comprehensive Income for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

   
F-5
 

Statements of Shareholders' Equity for the six months ended June 30, 2017 (unaudited) and the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

   
F-6
 

Statements of Cash Flows for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

   
F-7
 

Notes to Financial Statements

   
F-8
 

***

        All financial statement schedules have been omitted as the required information either is not applicable or is included in the financial statements or related notes.

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Board of Directors and Shareholders
Merchants Bancorp
Carmel, Indiana

        We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Merchants Bancorp (the "Company") as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, shareholders' equity and cash flows for each of the years then ended. The Company's management is responsible for these financial statements. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

        We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing auditing procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. Our audits also included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

        In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2016, and 2015, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

/s/ BKD, LLP
BKD, LLP

Indianapolis, Indiana
July 25, 2017

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Merchants Bancorp

Consolidated Balance Sheets

June 30, 2017 (unaudited) and December 31, 2016 and 2015

(In thousands, except share data)

 
   
  December 31,  
 
  June 30,
2017
 
 
  2016   2015  

Assets

                   

Cash and due from banks

  $ 17,373   $ 10,036   $ 11,673  

Interest-earning demand accounts

    399,181     435,665     435,128  

Cash and cash equivalents

    416,554     445,701     446,801  

Securities purchased under agreements to resell

   
5,335
   
5,392
   
5,514
 

Trading securities

    145,056     137,675     107,869  

Available for sale securities

    378,295     325,874     254,456  

Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) stock

    7,539     7,539     7,539  

Loans held for sale

    983,420     764,503     620,583  

Loans receivable, net of allowance for losses of $6,865, $6,250 and $5,422, respectively

    1,064,001     935,546     756,790  

Premises and equipment, net

    4,795     4,851     3,972  

Mortgage servicing rights

    57,557     53,670     55,553  

Interest receivable

    6,059     5,368     4,600  

Goodwill

    523     523     523  

Other assets and receivables

    22,366     31,870     5,242  

Total assets

  $ 3,091,500   $ 2,718,512   $ 2,269,442  

Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity

                   

Liabilities

   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Deposits

                   

Noninterest bearing

  $ 633,083   $ 566,631   $ 664,540  

Interest bearing

    2,138,418     1,861,990     1,374,980  

Total deposits

    2,771,501     2,428,621     2,039,520  

Borrowings

    56,633     57,006     57,490  

Interest payable

    2,097     1,791     1,843  

Deferred and current tax liabilities, net

    18,615     17,363     18,195  

Other liabilities

    16,141     7,443     4,194  

Total liabilities

    2,864,987     2,512,224     2,121,242  

Commitments and Contingencies

                   

Shareholders' Equity

   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Common stock, without par value

                   

Authorized—50,000,000 shares

                   

Issued and outstanding—21,114,400 shares at June 30, 2017 and 21,111,200 shares at December 31, 2016 and 2015

    20,103     20,061     20,061  

Preferred stock—$1,000 per share, without par value

                   

Authorized—5,000,000 shares

                   

Issued and outstanding—41,625 shares at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 10,000 shares at December 31, 2015

    41,581     41,581     10,000  

Retained earnings

    165,386     145,274     118,371  

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

    (557 )   (628 )   (232 )

Total shareholders' equity

    226,513     206,288     148,200  

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

  $ 3,091,500   $ 2,718,512   $ 2,269,442  

   

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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Merchants Bancorp

Consolidated Statements of Income

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

 
  Six Months Ended
June 30,
  Years Ended
December 31,
 
 
  2017   2016   2016   2015  

Interest Income

                         

Loans

  $ 34,805   $ 28,066   $ 62,563   $ 49,006  

Investment securities:

                         

Trading

    2,824     1,499     4,516     3,579  

Available for sale

    1,916     1,568     3,249     2,361  

Federal Home Loan Bank stock

    160     160     320     308  

Other

    1,766     1,128     2,291     1,091  

Total interest income

    41,471     32,421     72,939     56,345  

Interest Expense

                         

Deposits

    8,511     4,960     11,663     7,346  

Borrowed funds

    3,705     3,642     7,305     6,944  

Total interest expense

    12,216     8,602     18,968     14,290  

Net interest income

    29,255     23,819     53,971     42,055  

Provision for loan losses

    480     480     960     960  

Net Interest Income After Provision for Loan Losses

    28,775     23,339     53,011     41,095  

Noninterest Income

                         

Gain on sale of loans

    20,609     6,610     24,755     24,803  

Loan servicing fees

    2,384     2,091     280     836  

Mortgage warehouse fees

    1,258     1,178     3,015     1,193  

Gains on sale of investments available for sale (includes $0, $0, $24 and $0, respectively, related to accumulated other comprehensive earnings reclasifications)

            24      

Other income

    466     72     430     176  

Total noninterest income

    24,717     9,951     28,504     27,008  

Noninterest Expense

                         

Salaries and employee benefits

    9,067     6,271     14,313     11,962  

Loan expenses

    1,953     1,906     4,251     2,735  

Occupancy and equipment

    754     672     1,344     1,248  

Professional fees

    530     739     1,298     675  

Deposit insurance expense

    474     590     1,149     1,077  

Technology expense

    506     421     985     702  

Other expense

    1,618     1,564     3,380     2,523  

Total noninterest expense

    14,902     12,163     26,720     20,922  

Income Before Income Taxes

    38,590     21,127     54,795     47,181  

Provision for Income Taxes (includes $0, $0, $10 and $0, respectively, related to income tax expense for reclassification items)

    14,702     8,353     21,668     18,798  

Net Income

  $ 23,888   $ 12,774   $ 33,127   $ 28,383  

Basic earnings per share

  $ 1.05   $ 0.59   $ 1.47   $ 1.35  

Diluted earnings per share

  $ 1.05   $ 0.59   $ 1.47   $ 1.35  

Weighted-average shares outstanding

                         

Basic

    21,114,400     21,111,200     21,111,208     21,075,475  

Diluted

    21,119,411     21,112,283     21,113,435     21,075,475  

Dividends per share

  $ 0.10   $ 0.10   $ 0.20   $ 0.20  

   

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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Merchants Bancorp

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

(In thousands)

 
  Six Months
Ended June 30,
  Years Ended
December 31,
 
 
  2017   2016   2016   2015  

Net Income

  $ 23,888   $ 12,774   $ 33,127   $ 28,383  

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss):

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Net change in unrealized losses on investment securities available for sale, net of (taxes) benefits of $(50), $(196), $262 and $25, respectively

   
71
   
293
   
(382

)
 
(39

)

Less: Reclassification adjustment for gains included in net income, net of tax expense of $10

   
   
   
14
   
 

Other comprehensive income (loss) for the period

    71     293     (396 )   (39 )

Comprehensive Income

  $ 23,959   $ 13,067   $ 32,731   $ 28,344  

   

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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Merchants Bancorp

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

 
  Common Stock   Preferred Stock    
  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
   
 
 
  Retained
Earnings
   
 
 
  Shares   Amount   Shares   Amount   Total  

Balance, January 1, 2015

    20,703,700   $ 16,120       $   $ 94,210   $ (193 ) $ 110,137  

Net income

                    28,383         28,383  

Issuance of preferred stock

            10,000     10,000             10,000  

Issuance of common stock, net of offering expenses of $134

    407,500     3,941                     3,941  

Dividends on common stock, $0.20 per share

                    (4,222 )       (4,222 )

Other comprehensive loss

                        (39 )   (39 )

Balance, December 31, 2015

    21,111,200     20,061     10,000     10,000     118,371     (232 )   148,200  

Net income

                    33,127         33,127  

Issuance of preferred stock, net of offering expenses of $44

            31,625     31,581             31,581  

Dividends on preferred stock

                    (2,002 )       (2,002 )

Dividends on common stock, $0.20 per share

                    (4,222 )       (4,222 )

Other comprehensive loss

                        (396 )   (396 )

Balance, December 31, 2016

    21,111,200     20,061     41,625     41,581     145,274     (628 )   206,288  

Net income

                    23,888         23,888  

Shares issued for stock compensation plan

    3,200     42                     42  

Dividends on preferred stock

                    (1,665 )       (1,665 )

Dividends on common stock, $0.10 per share

                    (2,111 )       (2,111 )

Other comprehensive income

                        71     71  

Balance, June 30, 2017

    21,114,400   $ 20,103     41,625   $ 41,581   $ 165,386   $ (557 ) $ 226,513  

   

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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Merchants Bancorp

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

(In thousands)

 
  Six Months Ended
June 30,
  Years Ended
December 31,
 
 
  2017   2016   2016   2015  

Operating activities:

                         

Net income

  $ 23,888   $ 12,774   $ 33,127   $ 28,383  

Items not requiring cash:

                         

Depreciation

    131     138     278     301  

Provision for loan losses

    480     480     960     960  

Deferred tax, net

    1,837     (528 )   (1,436 )   482  

Gain on sale of securities

            (24 )    

Gain on sale of loans

    (20,609 )   (6,610 )   (24,755 )   (24,803 )

Proceeds from sales of loans

    9,343,295     8,266,467     20,022,010     15,773,893  

Loans originated and purchased for sale

    (9,546,607 )   (8,458,649 )   (20,145,855 )   (15,639,872 )

Change in mortgage servicing rights for paydowns and fair value adjustments

    2,082     1,420     7,628     5,361  

Net change in:

                         

Trading securities

    (7,381 )   (14,585 )   (29,806 )   (24,912 )

Interest receivable and other assets

    10,890     (3,895 )   (16,170 )   (1,360 )

Interest payable and and other liabilities

    8,371     1,149     4,073     (519 )

Other

    50     26     199     414  

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

    (183,573 )   (201,813 )   (149,771 )   118,328  

Investing activities:

                         

Net change in securities purchased under agreements to resell

    57     65     122     (933 )

Purchases of available-for-sale securities

    (94,988 )   (184,918 )   (290,396 )   (361,139 )

Proceeds from sales of available-for-sale securities

            7,371      

Proceeds from calls, maturities and paydowns of available-for-sale securities

    42,679     135,999     210,967     328,833  

Purchases of loans

    (69,970 )   (30,864 )   (75,249 )   (70,396 )

Net change in loans receivable

    (58,965 )   (79,216 )   (119,075 )   (244,199 )

Proceeds from sale of home equity loans held for investment            

            14,900      

Purchase of Federal Home Loan Bank stock

                (2,250 )

Proceeds from sale of Federal Home Loan Bank stock

                2,208  

Proceeds from sale of assets

            40      

Purchases of premises and equipment

    (218 )   (117 )   (1,204 )   (322 )

Purchases of mortgage servicing rights

    (1,134 )   (319 )   (1,357 )   (1,135 )

Purchase of limited partnership interests

    (1,829 )       (11,126 )    

Other investing activities

    63     (429 )   (295 )    

Net cash used in investing activities

    (184,305 )   (159,799 )   (265,302 )   (349,333 )

Financing activities:

                         

Net change in deposits

    342,880     208,101     389,101     428,801  

Proceeds from line of credit borrowing

                10,000  

Proceeds from Federal Home Loan Bank advances

    239,250     100,000     220,000     288,619  

Repayment of Federal Home Loan Bank advances

    (239,623 )   (100,460 )   (220,485 )   (288,988 )

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

                3,941  

Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock

        18,525     31,581     10,000  

Dividends

    (3,776 )   (2,518 )   (6,224 )   (4,222 )

Net cash provided by financing activities

    338,731     223,648     413,973     448,151  

Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents

    (29,147 )   (137,946 )   (1,100 )   217,146  

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Period

    445,701     446,801     446,801     229,655  

Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Period

  $ 416,554   $ 308,837   $ 445,701   $ 446,801  

Additional Cash Flows Information:

                         

Interest paid

  $ 11,910   $ 8,678   $ 17,799   $ 14,234  

Income taxes paid

    13,499     8,516     22,230     19,474  

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 1: Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Operations and Principles of Consolidation

        The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Merchants Bancorp, a registered bank holding company (the "Company") and its wholly owned subsidiary, Merchants Bank of Indiana (the "Bank") and the Bank's subsidiaries, P/R Mortgage and Investment Corp. ("P/RMIC"), Ash Realty Holdings, LLC ("Ash Realty"), Natty Mac Funding, Inc. ("NMF"), and MBI Midtown West, LLC ("MMW") (collectively referred to as "Company"). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

        The Bank operates under an Indiana state bank charter and provides full banking services. As a state bank, the Bank is subject to the regulation of the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The Company is further subject to regulations of the Federal Reserve Board governing bank holding companies.

        The Bank operates from four locations in Indiana, including Lynn, Spartanburg, Carmel and Indianapolis. The Bank generates commercial, mortgage and consumer loans and receives deposits from customers located primarily in Hamilton, Randolph and surrounding counties in Indiana. The Bank's loans are generally secured by specific items of collateral including real property, consumer assets and business assets. The Bank's Mortgage Warehousing segment funds and participates in single family and multi-family, agency eligible loans across the nation.

        P/RMIC was formed on August 3, 1990, in the state of Indiana. P/RMIC is primarily engaged in mortgage banking, specializing in lending for multi-family rental properties and healthcare facilities. It is an FHA approved mortgagee and Ginnie Mae issuer.

        Effective August 3, 2012, the Bank established a qualifying subsidiary, Ash Realty, for the purpose of acquiring, holding and liquidating real estate acquired by the Bank as a result of various foreclosures.

        NMF was formed on April 15, 2014, in the state of Indiana. NMF provides loan participations and participation warehouse financing to Stonegate Mortgage Corporation ("Stonegate"), its subsidiaries, and customers. Stonegate was acquired by Home Point Financial Corporation ("Home Point") effective May 31, 2017.

        MMW was formed in 2016 to hold land and improvements for a proposed new headquarters building.

Use of Estimates

        The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

        Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, loan servicing rights and fair values of financial instruments.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 1: Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Interim Financial Statements

        The interim financial statements at June 30, 2017, and for the six month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, are unaudited and reflect all normal recurring adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations for the interim periods presented. The results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2017, are not necessarily indicative of the results to be achieved for the remainder of the year ending December 31, 2017, or any other period.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

        The Company considers all liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist primarily of cash amounts due from depository institutions, interest-bearing deposits in other banks, money market accounts, and federal funds sold.

        At June 30, 2017, the Company's cash accounts exceeded federally insured limits by approximately $408.1 million. Included in this amount is approximately $387.5 million with the Federal Reserve Bank and $4.0 million with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis.

        At December 31, 2016, the Company's cash accounts exceeded federally insured limits by approximately $437.5 million. Included in this amount is approximately $426.1 million with the Federal Reserve Bank and $2.8 million with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis.

Securities purchased under agreements to resell

        Securities purchased pursuant to a simultaneous agreement (RRA) to resell the same securities at a specified price and date generally have maturity dates of 90 days or less and are carried at cost. Every 90 days the RRAs rollover.

Trading Activities

        The Company engages in trading activities. Securities that are held principally for resale in the near term are recorded in the trading assets account at fair value with changes in fair value recorded in earnings. Trading securities include FHA participation certificates. Interest is included in net interest income. The unrealized gains included in trading securities totaled $1.9 million, $1.7 million and $1.7 million at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Securities

        Certain debt securities that management has the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are classified as "held to maturity" and recorded at amortized cost. Trading securities are recorded at fair value with changes in fair value included in earnings. Securities not classified as held to maturity or trading, including equity securities with readily determinable fair values, are classified as "available for sale" and recorded at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported in other comprehensive income. Purchase premiums and discounts are recognized in interest income

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 1: Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

using the interest method over the terms of the securities. Gains and losses on the sale of securities are recorded on the trade date and are determined using the specific identification method.

        For debt securities with fair value below amortized cost when the Company does not intend to sell a debt security, and it is more likely than not the Company will not have to sell the security before recovery of its cost basis, it recognizes the credit component of an other-than-temporary impairment of a debt security in earnings and the remaining portion in other comprehensive income. For held-to-maturity debt securities, the amount of other-than-temporary impairment recorded in other comprehensive income for the noncredit portion of a previous other-than-temporary impairment is amortized prospectively over the remaining life of the security on the basis of the timing of future estimated cash flows of the security.

Loans Held for Sale under Mortgage Banking Activities

        The Company uses participation agreements to fund mortgage loans held for sale from closing or purchase until sale to an investor. Under a participation agreement the Company elects to purchase a participation interest of up to 100% in individual loans. The Company shares proportionately in the interest income and the credit risk until the loan is sold to an investor. The Company holds the collateral until it is sent under a bailee arrangement to the investor. Typical investors are large financial institutions or government agencies.

        Interest earned from the time of funding to the time of sale is recognized as interest income as accrued. Fees earned agreements are recognized when collected as noninterest income.

        Mortgage loans originated and intended for sale in the secondary market are carried at the lower of cost or fair value in the aggregate. Net unrealized losses, if any, are recognized through a valuation allowance and included in noninterest income. Gains and losses on loan sales are recorded in noninterest income, and generally direct loan origination costs and fees are deferred at origination of the loan and are recognized in noninterest income upon sale of the loan.

        The gain on sale of loans in the income statement includes placement and origination fees, capitalized mortgage servicing rights, trading gains and losses and other related income.

Loans

        Loans that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity or payoff are reported at their outstanding principal balances adjusted for unearned income, charge-offs, the allowance for loan losses, any unamortized deferred fees or costs on originated loans and unamortized premiums or discounts on purchased loans.

        For loans amortized at cost, interest income is accrued based on the unpaid principal balance.

        The accrual of interest on loans is discontinued at the time the loan is 90 days past due unless the credit is well-secured and in process of collection. Past-due status is based on contractual terms of the loan. In all cases, loans are placed on nonaccrual or charged off at an earlier date if collection of principal or interest is considered doubtful.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 1: Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

        All interest accrued but not collected for loans that are placed on nonaccrual or charged off is reversed against interest income. The interest on these loans is applied to the principal balance until the loan can be returned to an accrual status. Loans are returned to accrual status when all the principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured.

        For all loan portfolio segments, the Company promptly charges off loans, or portions thereof, when available information confirms that specific loans are uncollectable based on information that includes, but is not limited to, (1) the deteriorating financial condition of the borrower, (2) declining collateral values, and/or (3) legal action, including bankruptcy, that impairs the borrower's ability to adequately meet its obligations. For impaired loans that are considered to be solely collateral dependent, a partial charge-off is recorded when a loss has been confirmed by an updated appraisal or other appropriate valuation of the collateral.

        When cash payments are received on impaired loans in each loan class, the Company records the payment as interest income unless collection of the remaining recorded principal amount is doubtful, at which time payments are used to reduce the principal balance of the loan. Troubled debt restructured loans recognize interest income on an accrual basis at the renegotiated rate if the loan is in compliance with the modified terms.

        The Company uses warehouse loans or credit to fund mortgage loans held for sale from closing until sale to an investor. Under a warehousing arrangement the Company funds a mortgage loan as secured financing. The warehousing arrangement is secured by the underlying mortgages and a combination of deposits, personal guarantees and advance rates.

        The Company holds the collateral until it is sent under a bailee arrangement instructing the investor to send proceeds to the Company. Typical investors are large financial institutions or government agencies.

        Interest earned from the time of funding to the time of sale is recognized as interest income as accrued. Fees earned agreements are recognized when collected as noninterest income.

Allowance for Loan Losses

        The allowance for loan losses is established as losses are estimated to have occurred through a provision for loan losses charged to income. Loan losses are charged against the allowance when management believes the uncollectability of a loan balance is confirmed. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance.

        The allowance for loan losses is evaluated on a regular basis by management and is based upon management's periodic review of the collectability of the loans in light of historical experience, the nature and volume of the loan portfolio, adverse situations that may affect the borrower's ability to repay, estimated value of any underlying collateral and prevailing economic conditions. This evaluation is inherently subjective as it requires estimates that are susceptible to significant revision as more information becomes available.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 1: Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

        The allowance consists of allocated and general components. The allocated component relates to loans that are classified as impaired. For those loans that are classified as impaired, an allowance is established when the discounted cash flows (or collateral value or observable market price) of the impaired loan is lower than the carrying value of that loan. The general component covers non-classified loans and is based on historical charge-off experience and expected loss given default derived from the Company's internal risk rating process. Other adjustments may be made to the allowance for pools of loans after an assessment of internal or external influences on credit quality that are not fully reflected in the historical loss or risk rating data.

        A loan is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect the scheduled payments of principal or interest when due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. Factors considered by management in determining impairment include payment status, collateral value and the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due. Loans that experience insignificant payment delays and payment shortfalls generally are not classified as impaired. Management determines the significance of payment delays and payment shortfalls on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all of the circumstances surrounding the loan and the borrower, including the length of the delay, the reasons for the delay, the borrower's prior payment record and the amount of the shortfall in relation to the principal and interest owed. Impairment is measured on a loan-by-loan basis for commercial and construction loans by either the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan's effective interest rate, the loan's obtainable market price or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent. For impaired loans where the Company utilizes discounted cash flows to determine the level of impairment, the Company includes the entire change in the present value of cash flows as bad debt expense.

        Groups of loans with similar risk characteristics are collectively evaluated for impairment based on the group's historical loss experience adjusted for changes in trends, conditions and other relevant factors that affect repayment of the loans. Accordingly, the Company does not separately identify individual consumer and residential loans for impairment measurements, unless such loans are the subject of a restructuring agreement due to financial difficulties of the borrower.

        In the course of working with borrowers, the Company may choose to restructure the contractual terms of certain loans. In restructuring the loan, the Company attempts to work out an alternative payment schedule with the borrower in order to optimize collectability of the loan. A troubled debt restructuring (TDR) occurs when, for economic or legal reasons related to a borrower's financial difficulties, the Company grants a concession to the borrower that it would not otherwise consider. Terms may be modified to fit the ability of the borrower to repay in line with its current financial status, and the restructuring of the loan may include the transfer of assets from the borrower to satisfy the debt, a modification of loan terms, or a combination of the two.

        Nonaccrual loans, including TDRs that have not met the six month minimum performance criterion, are reported as non-performing loans. For all loan classes, it is the Company's policy to have any restructured loans which are on nonaccrual status prior to being restructured remain on nonaccrual status until six months of satisfactory borrower performance, at which time management would consider its return to accrual status. A loan is generally classified as nonaccrual when the Company believes that

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 1: Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

receipt of principal and interest is questionable under the terms of the loan agreement. Most generally, this is at 90 or more days past due.

        With regard to determination of the amount of the allowance for credit losses, restructured loans are considered to be impaired. As a result, the determination of the amount of impaired loans for each portfolio segment within troubled debt restructurings is the same as detailed previously above.

Premises and Equipment

        Depreciable assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is charged to expense using the straight-line method for premises and the declining balance method for furniture, fixtures and equipment over the estimated useful lives of the assets.

        The estimated useful lives for premises and equipment are as follows:

Buildings

  10 to 40 years

Leasehold improvements

  5 to 39 years

Furniture, fixtures and equipment

  3 - 7 years

Vehicles

  5 years

        Expenditures for property and equipment and for renewals or betterments that extend the originally estimated economic life of the assets are capitalized. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense. When an asset is retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any gain or loss is included in the results of operations.

Federal Home Loan Bank Stock

        Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) stock is a required investment for institutions that are members of a FHLB. The required investment in the common stock is based on a predetermined formula, carried at cost and evaluated for impairment.

Other Real Estate Owned

        Assets acquired through, or in lieu of, loan foreclosure are held for sale and are initially recorded at fair value less cost to sell at the date of foreclosure, establishing a new cost basis. Subsequent to foreclosure, valuations are periodically performed by management and the assets are carried at the lower of carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell. Revenue and expenses from operations and changes in the valuation allowance are included in net income or expense from other real estate.

Mortgage Servicing Rights

        Mortgage servicing assets are recognized separately when rights are acquired through purchase or through sale of financial assets. Under the servicing assets and liabilities accounting guidance (ASC 860-50), servicing rights resulting from the sale or securitization of loans originated by the Company are initially measured at fair value at the date of transfer. The Company has elected to

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 1: Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

initially and subsequently measure the mortgage servicing rights for mortgage loans using the fair value method. Under the fair value method, the servicing rights are carried in the balance sheet at fair value and the changes in fair value are reported in earnings in the period in which the changes occur.

        Fair value is based on market prices for comparable mortgage servicing contracts, when available, or alternatively, is based on a valuation model that calculates the present value of estimated future net servicing income. The valuation model is from an independent third party and it incorporates assumptions that market participants would use in estimating future net servicing income, such as the cost to service, the discount rate, the custodial earnings rate, an inflation rate, ancillary income, prepayment speeds, prepayment penalties, and default rates and losses. These variables change from quarter to quarter as market conditions and projected interest rates change, and may have an adverse impact on the value of the mortgage-servicing right and may result in a reduction to noninterest income.

        Servicing fee income is recorded for fees earned for servicing loans. The fees are based on a contractual percentage of the outstanding principal or a fixed amount per loan and are recorded as income when earned. The change in the fair value of the mortgage-servicing rights is netted against loan servicing fee income.

Goodwill

        Goodwill is tested annually for impairment or more frequently if impairment indicators are present. If the implied fair value of goodwill is lower than its carrying amount, a goodwill impairment is indicated and goodwill is written down to its implied fair value. Subsequent increases in goodwill value are not recognized in the financial statements.

Investment in Qualified Affordable Housing Limited Partnerships

        The Company has elected to account for its investment in affordable housing tax credit limited partnerships using the proportional amortization method described in FASB ASU 2014-01, "Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Accounting for Investments in Qualified Affordable Housing Projects (A Consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force)." Under the proportional amortization method, an investor amortizes the initial cost of the investment to income tax expense in proportion to the tax credits and other tax benefits received and recognizes the net investment performance in the income statement as a component of income tax expense. The investment in the limited partnerships is included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets.

Income Taxes

        The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with income tax accounting guidance (ASC 740, Income Taxes ). The income tax accounting guidance results in two components of income tax expense: current and deferred. Current income tax expense reflects taxes to be paid or refunded for the current period by applying the provisions of the enacted tax law to the taxable income or excess of deductions over revenues. The Company determines deferred income taxes using the liability (or balance sheet) method. Under this method, the net deferred tax asset or liability is based on the tax

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 1: Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

effects of the differences between the book and tax bases of assets and liabilities, and enacted changes in tax rates and laws are recognized in the period in which they occur. Deferred income tax expense results from changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities between periods. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if, based on the weight of evidence available, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized.

        Uncertain tax positions are recognized if it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the tax position will be realized or sustained upon examination. The term more likely than not means a likelihood of more than 50 percent; the terms examined and upon examination also include resolution of the related appeals or litigation processes, if any. A tax position that meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. The determination of whether or not a tax position has met the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold considers the facts, circumstances and information available at the reporting date and is subject to management's judgment. With a few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state and local or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2014.

        The Company recognizes interest and penalties, if any, on income taxes as a component of income tax expense.

        The Company files consolidated income tax returns with its subsidiaries.

Earnings Per Share

        Basic earnings per share is the Company's net income available to common shareholders, which represents net income less dividends paid or payable to preferred stock shareholders, if any, divided by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Diluted earnings per share is calculated in the same manner as basic earnings per share, but also reflects the issuance of additional common shares that would have been diluted if such shares had been outstanding, as well as any adjustment to income that would result from the assumed issuance.

Share-based Compensation Plan

        The Company has a restricted stock plan that provides for annual awards of shares to certain members of senior management based upon the Company's performance and attainment of certain performance goals established by the Board of Directors. Share awards are valued at the estimated fair value on the date of the award and generally vest over three years. Compensation expense for the awards is recognized in the consolidated financial statements ratably over the vesting period.

Comprehensive Income

        Comprehensive income consists of net income and other comprehensive income (loss), net of applicable income taxes. Other comprehensive income (loss) and accumulated other comprehensive income consist entirely of unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on available-for-sale investment securities.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 1: Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Reclassifications

        Certain reclassifications have been made to the 2016 and 2015 financial statements to conform to the financial statement presentation as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2017. These reclassifications had no effect on net income.

Note 2: Restriction on Cash and Due From Banks

        The Company is required to maintain reserve funds in cash and/or on deposit with the Federal Reserve Bank. The reserve required at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 was $101.2 million and $109.5 million, respectively.

Note 3: Securities

        The amortized cost and approximate fair values, together with gross unrealized gains and losses, of securities are as follows:

 
  June 30, 2017  
 
  Amortized
Cost
  Gross
Unrealized
Gains
  Gross
Unrealized
Losses
  Approximate
Fair Value
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

Available-for-sale securities:

                         

Treasury notes

  $ 1,000   $   $   $ 1,000  

Federal agencies

    352,058         936     351,122  

Municipals

                         

Mortgage-backed—Government-sponsored entity (GSE)—residential

    26,173             26,173  

Total available-for-sale securities

  $ 379,231   $   $ 936   $ 378,295  

 

 
  December 31, 2016  
 
  Amortized
Cost
  Gross
Unrealized
Gains
  Gross
Unrealized
Losses
  Approximate
Fair Value
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

Available-for-sale securities:

                         

Treasury notes

  $ 999   $   $   $ 999  

Federal agencies

    290,050         1,057     288,993  

Municipals

    9,500             9,500  

Mortgage-backed—Government-sponsored entity (GSE)—residential

    26,382             26,382  

Total available-for-sale securities

  $ 326,931   $   $ 1,057   $ 325,874  

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 3: Securities (Continued)


 
  December 31, 2015  
 
  Amortized
Cost
  Gross
Unrealized
Gains
  Gross
Unrealized
Losses
  Approximate
Fair Value
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

Available-for-sale securities:

                         

Treasury notes

  $ 998   $   $ 6   $ 992  

Federal agencies

    208,601     33     556     208,078  

Municipals

    9,500             9,500  

Mortgage-backed—Government-sponsored entity (GSE)—residential

    35,746     140         35,886  

Total available-for-sale securities

  $ 254,845   $ 173   $ 562   $ 254,456  

        The amortized cost and fair value of available-for-sale securities at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 by contractual maturity, are shown below. Expected maturities will differ from contractual maturities because issuers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.

 
  June 30, 2017   December 31, 2016  
 
  Amortized
Cost
  Fair
Value
  Amortized
Cost
  Fair
Value
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

Within one year

  $ 104,773   $ 104,610   $ 68,482   $ 68,426  

After one through five years

    248,285     247,512     232,067     231,066  

After five through ten years

                 

After ten years

                 

    353,058     352,122     300,549     299,492  

Mortgage-backed—Government-sponsored entity (GSE)—residential

    26,173     26,173     26,382     26,382  

  $ 379,231   $ 378,295   $ 326,931   $ 325,874  

        Certain investments in debt securities are reported in the financial statements at an amount less than their historical cost. Total fair value of these investments at June 30, 2017 and at December 31, 2016 and 2015, was $351.1 million, $275.1 million and $125.8 million, respectively, which is approximately 93%, 85% and 49%, respectively, of the Company's available-for-sale investment portfolio.

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 3: Securities (Continued)

        The following tables show the Company's gross unrealized losses and fair value of the Company's investments with unrealized losses that are not deemed to be other-than-temporarily impaired, aggregated by investment class and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at June 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 
  June 30, 2017  
 
  Less than 12 Months   12 Months or
Longer
  Total  
 
  Fair
Value
  Gross
Unrealized
Losses
  Fair
Value
  Gross
Unrealized
Losses
  Fair
Value
  Gross
Unrealized
Losses
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

Available-for-sale securities:

                                     

Federal agencies

  $ 346,683   $ 924   $ 4,439   $ 12   $ 351,122   $ 936  

 

 
  December 31, 2016  
 
  Less than 12 Months   12 Months or
Longer
  Total  
 
  Fair
Value
  Gross
Unrealized
Losses
  Fair
Value
  Gross
Unrealized
Losses
  Fair
Value
  Gross
Unrealized
Losses
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

Available-for-sale securities:

                                     

Federal agencies

  $ 275,143   $ 1,057   $   $   $ 275,143   $ 1,057  

 

 
  December 31, 2015  
 
  Less than 12 Months   12 Months or
Longer
  Total  
 
  Fair
Value
  Gross
Unrealized
Losses
  Fair
Value
  Gross
Unrealized
Losses
  Fair
Value
  Gross
Unrealized
Losses
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

Available-for-sale securities:

                                     

Treasury notes

  $ 992   $ 6   $   $   $ 992   $ 6  

Federal agencies

    124,798     556             124,798     556  

  $ 125,790   $ 562   $   $   $ 125,790   $ 562  

        Unrealized losses on securities have not been recognized to income because the Company has the intent and ability to hold the securities for the foreseeable future, and the decline in fair value is primarily due to increased market interest rates. The fair value is expected to recover as the bonds approach the maturity date.

        Proceeds from the sale of securities available for sale during the year ended December 31, 2016 were $7.4 million. Gross gains of $24,000 were realized on 2016 sales. No securities available-for-sale were sold during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, or during the year ended December 31, 2015.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 4: Loans and Allowance for Loan Losses

        Classes of loans at June 30, 2017, and at December 31, 2016 and 2015, include:

 
   
  December 31,  
 
  June 30,
2017
 
 
  2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

  $ 245,876   $ 275,039   $ 281,746  

Residential real estate

    289,932     235,759     199,065  

Multi-family and healthcare financing

    315,076     261,031     145,082  

Commercial & commercial real estate

    162,138     113,812     83,688  

Agricultural production and real estate

    48,594     46,763     44,772  

Consumer & margin loans

    9,250     9,392     7,859  

    1,070,866     941,796     762,212  

Less

                   

Allowance for loan losses

    6,865     6,250     5,422  

Loans Receivable

  $ 1,064,001   $ 935,546   $ 756,790  

        Risk characteristics applicable to each segment of the loan portfolio are described as follows.

        Mortgage Warehouse Lines of Credit (MTG WHLOC):     Under its warehouse program, the Company provides warehouse financing arrangements to approved mortgage companies for the origination and sale of residential mortgage loans and to a lesser extent multi-family loans. Agency eligible, governmental and jumbo residential mortgage loans that are secured by mortgages placed on existing one to four family dwellings may be originated or purchased and placed on each mortgage warehouse line.

        As a secured line of credit, collateral pledged to the Company secures each individual mortgage until the lender sells the loan in the secondary market. A traditional secured warehouse line of credit typically carries a base interest rate of 30-day LIBOR or the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate plus a margin.

        Risk is evident if there is a change in the fair value of mortgage loans originated by mortgage bankers during the time in warehouse, the sale of which is the expected source of repayment of the borrowings under a warehouse line of credit.

        Residential Real Estate Loans (RES RE):     The real estate loans are secured by owner-occupied 1-4 family residences. Repayment of residential real estate loans is primarily dependent on the personal income and credit rating of the borrowers.

        Multi-Family and Healthcare Financing (MF RE):     The Company engages in multi-family and healthcare financing, including construction loans, specializing in originating and servicing loans for multi-family rental and senior living properties. In addition, the Company originates loans secured by an assignment of federal income tax credits by partnerships invested in multi-family real estate projects. Construction and land loans are generally based upon estimates of costs and estimated value of the completed project and include independent appraisal reviews and a financial analysis of the developers

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 4: Loans and Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

and property owners. Sources of repayment of these loans may include permanent loans, sales of developed property or an interim loan commitment from the Bank until permanent financing is obtained. These loans are considered to be higher risk than other real estate loans due to their ultimate repayment being sensitive to interest rate changes, general economic conditions and the availability of long-term financing. Credit risk in these loans may be impacted by the creditworthiness of a borrower, property values and the local economy in the Company's market area. Repayment of these loans depends on the successful operation of a business or property and the borrower's cash flows.

        Commercial Lending and Commercial Real Estate Loans (CML & CRE):     The commercial lending and commercial real estate portfolio includes loans to commercial customers for use in financing working capital needs, equipment purchases and expansions, as well as loans to commercial customers to finance land and improvements. The loans in this category are repaid primarily from the cash flow of a borrower's principal business operation. Credit risk in these loans is driven by creditworthiness of a borrower and the economic conditions that impact the cash flow stability from business operations.

        Agricultural Production and Real Estate Loans (AG & AGRE):     Agricultural production loans are generally comprised of seasonal operating lines of credit to grain farmers to plant and harvest corn and soybeans and term loans to fund the purchase of equipment. The Company also offers long-term financing to purchase agricultural real estate. Specific underwriting standards have been established for agricultural-related loans including the establishment of projections for each operating year based on industry-developed estimates of farm input costs and expected commodity yields and prices. Operating lines are typically written for one year and secured by the crop and other farm assets as considered necessary. The Company is approved to sell agricultural loans in the secondary market through the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation and uses this relationship to manage interest rate risk within the portfolio.

        Consumer and Margin Loans (CON & MAR):     Consumer loans are those loans secured by household goods. Margin loans are those loans secured by marketable securities. The term and maximum amount for these loans are determined by considering the purpose of the loan, the margin (advance percentage against value) in all collateral, the primary source of repayment, and the borrower's other related cash flow.

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 4: Loans and Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

        The following tables present by portfolio segment, the activity in the allowance for loan losses for the six month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, and the recorded investment in loans and impairment method as of June 30, 2017:

 
  At or For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2017  
 
  MTG
WHLOC
  RES RE   MF RE   CML &
CRE
  AG &
AGRE
  CON &
MAR
  TOTAL  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Allowance for loan losses

                                           

Balance, beginning of period

  $ 373   $ 2,170     1,962   $ 1,374   $ 269   $ 102   $ 6,250  

Provision for loan losses

    (92 )   (232 )   464     370     2     (32 )   480  

Loans charged to the allowance

                             

Recoveries of loans previously charged off

                101         34     135  

Balance, end of period

  $ 281   $ 1,938   $ 2,426   $ 1,845   $ 271   $ 104   $ 6,865  

Ending balance:individually evaluated for impairment

  $   $   $   $   $ 16   $   $ 16  

Ending balance:collectively evaluated for impairment

  $ 281   $ 1,938   $ 2,426   $ 1,845   $ 255   $ 104   $ 6,849  

Loans

                                           

Ending balance

  $ 245,876   $ 289,932     315,076   $ 162,138   $ 48,594   $ 9,250   $ 1,070,866  

Ending balance individually evaluated for impairment

  $   $ 301   $   $ 3,162   $ 282   $   $ 3,745  

Ending balance collectively evaluated for impairment

  $ 245,876   $ 289,631   $ 315,076   $ 158,976   $ 48,312   $ 9,250   $ 1,067,121  

 

 
  For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2016  
 
  MTG
WHLOC
  RES RE   MF RE   CML &
CRE
  AG &
AGRE
  CON &
MAR
  TOTAL  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Allowance for loan losses

                                           

Balance, beginning of period

  $ 704   $ 2,212     1,308   $ 908   $ 222   $ 68   $ 5,422  

Provision for loan losses

    66     (373 )   429     335     1     22     480  

Loans charged to the allowance

                             

Recoveries of loans previously charged off

                             

Balance, end of period

  $ 770   $ 1,839   $ 1,737   $ 1,243   $ 223   $ 90   $ 5,902  

F-21


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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 4: Loans and Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

        The following tables present by loan portfolio segment, the activity in the allowance for loan losses for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the recorded investment in loans and impairment method as of December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 
  At or For the Year Ended December 31, 2016  
 
  MTG
WHLOC
  RES RE   MF RE   CML &
CRE
  AG &
AGRE
  CON &
MAR
  TOTAL  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Allowance for loan losses

                                           

Balance, beginning of year

  $ 704   $ 2,212     1,308   $ 908   $ 222   $ 68   $ 5,422  

Provision for loan losses

    (331 )   90     654     466     47     34     960  

Transfer out

        (132 )                   (132 )

Loans charged to the allowance

                             

Recoveries of loans previously charged off

                             

Balance, end of year

  $ 373   $ 2,170   $ 1,962   $ 1,374   $ 269   $ 102   $ 6,250  

Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment

  $   $ 30   $   $   $ 11   $   $ 41  

Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment

  $ 373   $ 2,140   $ 1,962   $ 1,374   $ 258   $ 102   $ 6,209  

Loans

                                           

Ending balance

  $ 275,039   $ 235,759     261,031   $ 113,812   $ 46,763   $ 9,392   $ 941,796  

Ending balance individually evaluated for impairment

  $   $ 343   $   $ 5,022   $ 203   $   $ 5,568  

Ending balance collectively evaluated for impairment

  $ 275,039   $ 235,416   $ 261,031   $ 108,790   $ 46,560   $ 9,392   $ 936,228  

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 4: Loans and Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

 
  At or For the Year Ended December 31, 2015  
 
  MTG
WHLOC
  RES RE   MF RE   CML &
CRE
  AG &
AGRE
  CON &
MAR
  TOTAL  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Allowance for loan losses

                                           

Balance, beginning of year

  $ 475   $ 1,806     689   $ 1,163   $ 275   $ 50   $ 4,458  

Provision for loan losses

    229     405     619     (258 )   (53 )   18     960  

Loans charged to the allowance

                             

Recoveries of loans previously charged off

        1         3             4  

Balance, end of year

  $ 704   $ 2,212     1,308   $ 908   $ 222   $ 68   $ 5,422  

Ending balance: individually evaluated for impairment

  $   $ 30   $   $ 81   $   $   $ 111  

Ending balance: collectively evaluated for impairment

  $ 704   $ 2,182   $ 1,308   $ 827   $ 222   $ 68   $ 5,311  

Loans

                                           

Ending balance

  $ 281,746   $ 199,065   $ 145,082   $ 83,688   $ 44,772   $ 7,859   $ 762,212  

Ending balance individually evaluated for impairment

  $   $ 66   $   $ 181   $   $   $ 247  

Ending balance
collectively evaluated
for impairment

  $ 281,746   $ 198,999   $ 145,082   $ 83,507   $ 44,772   $ 7,859   $ 761,965  

Internal Risk Categories

        In adherence with policy, the Company uses the following internal risk grading categories and definitions for loans:

        Average or above —Loans to borrowers of satisfactory financial strength or better. Earnings performance is consistent with primary and secondary sources of repayment that are well defined and adequate to retire the debt in a timely and orderly fashion. These businesses would generally exhibit satisfactory asset quality and liquidity with moderate leverage, average performance to their peer group and experienced management in key positions. These loans are disclosed as "Acceptable and Above" in the following table.

        Acceptable —Loans to borrowers involving more than average risk and which contain certain characteristics that require some supervision and attention by the lender. Asset quality is acceptable,

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 4: Loans and Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

but debt capacity is modest and little excess liquidity is available. The borrower may be fully leveraged and unable to sustain major setbacks. Covenants are structured to ensure adequate protection. Borrower's management may have limited experience and depth. This category includes loans which are highly leveraged due to regulatory constraints, as well as loans involving reasonable exceptions to policy. These loans are disclosed as "Acceptable and Above" in the following table.

        Special Mention (Watch) —This is a loan that is sound and collectable but contains considerable risk. Loans classified as special mention have a potential weakness that deserves management's close attention. If left uncorrected, these potential weaknesses may result in deterioration of the repayment prospects for the loan or of the institution's credit position at some future date.

        Substandard —Loans classified as substandard are inadequately protected by the current net worth and paying capacity of the obligor or of the collateral pledged, if any. Loans so classified have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses that jeopardize the liquidation of the debt. They are characterized by the distinct possibility that the institution will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected.

        Doubtful —Loans classified as doubtful have all the weaknesses inherent in those classified as substandard, with the added characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or liquidation in full, on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions, and values, highly questionable and improbable.

        The following tables present the credit risk profile of the Bank's loan portfolio based on internal rating category and payment activity as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 
  June 30, 2017  
 
  MTG WHLOC   RES RE   MF RE   CML &
CRE
  AG &
AGRE
  CON &
MAR
  TOTAL  
 
  (in thousands)
 

Special Mention (Watch)

  $   $ 211   $   $ 9,444   $ 876   $ 1,887   $ 12,418  

Substandard

        341         4,682     282         5,305  

Doubtful

                             

Acceptable and Above

    245,876     289,380     315,076     148,012     47,436     7,363     1,053,143  

Total

  $ 245,876   $ 289,932   $ 315,076   $ 162,138   $ 48,594   $ 9,250   $ 1,070,866  

 

 
  December 31, 2016  
 
  MTG
WHLOC
  RES RE   MF RE   CML &
CRE
  AG &
AGRE
  CON &
MAR
  TOTAL  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Special Mention (Watch)

  $   $ 214   $   $ 7,150   $   $ 2,158   $ 9,522  

Substandard

        343         4,986     203         5,532  

Doubtful

                             

Acceptable and Above

    275,039     235,202     261,031     101,676     46,560     7,234     926,742  

Total

  $ 275,039   $ 235,759   $ 261,031   $ 113,812   $ 46,763   $ 9,392   $ 941,796  

F-24


Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 4: Loans and Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

 
  December 31, 2015  
 
  MTG
WHLOC
  RES RE   MF RE   CML &
CRE
  AG &
AGRE
  CON &
MAR
  TOTAL  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Special Mention (Watch)

  $   $ 1,088   $   $ 4,007   $   $ 2,332   $ 7,427  

Substandard

        106         2,820             2,926  

Doubtful

                             

Acceptable and Above

    281,746     197,871     145,082     76,861     44,772     5,527     751,859  

Total

  $ 281,746   $ 199,065   $ 145,082   $ 83,688   $ 44,772   $ 7,859   $ 762,212  

        The Bank evaluates the loan risk grading system definitions and allowance for loan loss methodology on an ongoing basis. No significant changes were made to either during the past year.

        The following tables present the Bank's loan portfolio aging analysis of the recorded investment in loans as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 
  June 30, 2017  
 
  30 - 59 Days
Past Due
  60 - 89 Days
Past Due
  Greater Than
90 Days
  Total
Past Due
  Current   Total
Loans
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

MTG WHLOC

  $   $   $   $   $ 245,876   $ 245,876  

RES RE

    40         301     341     289,591     289,932  

MF RE

        4,420         4,420     310,656     315,076  

CML & CRE

        78     2,636     2,714     159,424     162,138  

AG & AGRE

    79         236     315     48,279     48,594  

CON & MAR

                    9,250     9,250  

  $ 119   $ 4,498   $ 3,173   $ 7,790   $ 1,063,076   $ 1,070,866  

 

 
  December 31, 2016  
 
  30 - 59 Days
Past Due
  60 - 89 Days
Past Due
  Greater Than
90 Days
  Total
Past Due
  Current   Total
Loans
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

MTG WHLOC

  $   $   $   $   $ 275,039   $ 275,039  

RES RE

    40         881     921     234,838     235,759  

MF RE

                    261,031     261,031  

CML & CRE

    43     2,018     899     2,960     110,852     113,812  

AG & AGRE

    101     86     107     294     46,469     46,763  

CON & MAR

                    9,392     9,392  

  $ 184   $ 2,104   $ 1,887   $ 4,175   $ 937,621   $ 941,796  

F-25


Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 4: Loans and Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

 
  December 31, 2015  
 
  30 - 59 Days
Past Due
  60 - 89 Days
Past Due
  Greater Than
90 Days
  Total
Past Due
  Current   Total
Loans
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

MTG WHLOC

  $   $   $   $   $ 281,746   $ 281,746  

RES RE

    281         671     952     198,113     199,065  

MF RE

                    145,082     145,082  

CML & CRE

    726     45     181     952     82,736     83,688  

AG & AGRE

    363     100     35     498     44,274     44,772  

CON & MAR

                    7,859     7,859  

  $ 1,370   $ 145   $ 887   $ 2,402   $ 759,810   $ 762,212  

        A loan is considered impaired, in accordance with the impairment accounting guidance (ASC 310-10-35-16), when based on current information and events, it is probable the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due from the borrower in accordance with the contractual terms of the loan. Impaired loans include nonperforming commercial loans but also include loans modified in troubled debt restructurings.

        The following tables present impaired loans and specific valuation allowance information based on class level as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 
  June 30, 2017  
 
  MTG
WHLOC
  RES RE   MF RE   CML &
CRE
  AG &
AGRE
  CON &
MAR
  TOTAL  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Impaired loans without a specific allowance:

                                           

Recorded investment

  $   $ 301   $   $ 3,162   $   $   $ 3,463  

Unpaid principal balance

        301         3,162             3,463  

Impaired loans with a specific allowance:

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Recorded investment

                    282         282  

Unpaid principal balance

                    282         282  

Specific allowance

                    16         16  

Total impaired loans:

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Recorded investment

        301         3,162     282         3,745  

Unpaid principal balance

        301         3,162     282         3,745  

Specific allowance

                    16         16  

F-26


Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 4: Loans and Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)


 
  December 31, 2016  
 
  WHLOC   RES RE   MF RE   CRE   AGRE   MAR   TOTAL  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Impaired loans without a specific allowance:

                                           

Recorded investment

  $   $ 280   $   $ 5,022   $   $   $ 5,302  

Unpaid principal balance

        280         5,022             5,302  

Impaired loans with a specific allowance:

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Recorded investment

        63             203         266  

Unpaid principal balance

        63             203         266  

Specific allowance

        30             11         41  

Total impaired loans:

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Recorded investment

        343         5,022     203         5,568  

Unpaid principal balance

        343         5,022     203         5,568  

Specific allowance

        30             11         41  

 

 
  December 31, 2015  
 
  MTG
WHLOC
  RES RE   MF RE   CML &
CRE
  AG &
AGRE
  CON &
MAR
  TOTAL  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Impaired loans without a specific allowance:

                                           

Recorded investment

  $   $   $   $   $   $   $  

Unpaid principal balance

                             

Impaired loans with a specific allowance:

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Recorded investment

        66         181             247  

Unpaid principal balance

        66         181             247  

Specific allowance

        30         81             111  

Total impaired loans:

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Recorded investment

        66         181             247  

Unpaid principal balance

        66         181             247  

Specific allowance

        30         81             111  

F-27


Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 4: Loans and Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

        The following tables present by portfolio class, information related to the average recorded investment and interest income recognized on impaired loans for the six month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, and the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 
  June 30, 2017  
 
  MTG WHLOC   RES RE   MF RE   CML & CRE   AG & AGRE   CON & MAR   TOTAL  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Average recorded investment in impaired loans

  $   $ 308   $   $ 3,567   $ 282   $   $ 4,157  

Interest income recognized

                10             10  

 

 
  June 30, 2016  
 
  MTG WHLOC   RES RE   MF RE   CML & CRE   AG & AGRE   CON & MAR   TOTAL  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Average recorded investment in impaired loans

  $   $ 65   $   $ 486   $   $   $ 551  

Interest income recognized

                23             23  

 

 
  December 31, 2016  
 
  MTG
WHLOC
  RES RE   MF RE   CML &
CRE
  AG &
AGRE
  CON &
MAR
  TOTAL  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Average recorded investment in impaired loans

  $   $ 155   $   $ 2,222   $ 17   $   $ 2,394  

Interest income recognized

                39             39  

 

 
  December 31, 2015  
 
  MTG
WHLOC
  RES RE   MF RE   CML &
CRE
  AG &
AGRE
  CON &
MAR
  TOTAL  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Average recorded investment in impaired loans

  $   $ 68   $   $ 205       $   $ 273  

Interest income recognized

                             

F-28


Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 4: Loans and Allowance for Loan Losses (Continued)

        The following table presents the Company's nonaccrual loans and loans past due 90 days or more and still accruing at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015.

 
   
   
  December 31,  
 
  June 30, 2017   2016   2015  
 
  Nonaccrual   Total Loans
> 90 Days & Accruing
  Nonaccrual   Total Loans
> 90 Days &
Accruing
  Nonaccrual   Total Loans
> 90 Days &
Accruing
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

MTG WHLOC

  $   $   $   $   $   $  

RES RE

    301         303     578     66     605  

MF RE

                         

CML & CRE

    627     2,009     899         181      

AG & AGRE

    282             107         35  

CON & MAR

                         

  $ 1,210   $ 2,009   $ 1,202   $ 685   $ 247   $ 640  

        There were no troubled debt restructurings at or during the six month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, or during the years ended December 31, 2016 or 2015.

        There were no residential loans in process of foreclosure at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015.

Note 5: Premises and Equipment

        Major classifications of premises and equipment, stated at cost, are as follows:

 
   
  December 31,  
 
  June 30,
2017
 
 
  2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Land

  $ 2,260   $ 2,260   $ 1,370  

Buildings

    3,140     3,140     3,118  

Leasehold improvements

    71     71     71  

Furniture, fixtures and equipment

    1,970     1,895     2,360  

Total cost

    7,441     7,366     6,919  

Accumulated depreciation

    (2,646 )   (2,515 )   (2,947 )

Net premises and equipment

  $ 4,795   $ 4,851   $ 3,972  

F-29


Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 6: Loan Servicing

        Mortgage loans serviced for others are not included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and represent agency eligible multi-family loans. The risks inherent in mortgage servicing assets relate primarily to changes in prepayments that result from shifts in mortgage interest rates. Call protection is in place to deter from prepayments on a 10-year sliding scale. The unpaid principal balances of mortgage and other loans serviced for others were $4.4 billion, $4.0 billion and $3.8 billion at June 30, 2017, December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Mortgage loans sub-serviced for others are not included in the accompanying balance sheets. The unpaid principal balances of loans sub-serviced for others were $1.8 billion, $1.4 billion and $588.7 million at June 30, 2017, December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

        The following summarizes the activity in mortgage servicing rights measured using the fair value method for the six month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, and the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 
  For the Six
Months Ended
June 30,
  For the Year Ended
December 31,
 
 
  2017   2016   2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Balance, beginning of period

  $ 53,670   $ 55,553   $ 55,553   $ 52,913  

Additions

                         

Purchased servicing

    1,133     319     1,357     1,135  

Originated servicing

    4,836     970     4,388     6,866  

Subtractions

                         

Paydowns

    (2,730 )   (1,717 )   (4,230 )   (5,177 )

Changes in fair value due to changes in valuation inputs or assumptions used in the valuation model

    648     297     (3,398 )   (184 )

Balance, end of period

  $ 57,557   $ 55,422   $ 53,670   $ 55,553  

        Contractually specified servicing fees for retained, purchased and sub-serviced loans were $4.5 million and $3.5 million for the six month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively and $7.5 million and $6.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

        In connection with certain loan servicing and sub-servicing agreements, P/RMIC is to reconcile the payments received monthly on these loans, for principal and interest, taxes, insurance, and reserves for replacements. The funds are required to be maintained in separate trust accounts and not commingled with P/RMIC's general operating funds. At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015, P/RMIC held restricted escrow funds for these loans, amounting to $457.9 million, $378.5 million and $336.8 million, respectively.

F-30


Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 7: Goodwill

        There were no changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, or the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015. The carrying amount of goodwill for these periods was as follows:

 
  June 30,   December 31,  
 
  2017   2016   2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Balance, beginning of period

  $ 523   $ 523   $ 523   $ 523  

Goodwill acquired during the period

                 

Impairment losses

                 

Balance, end of the period

  $ 523   $ 523   $ 523   $ 523  

        Goodwill is tested for impairment as of year-end, or more frequently if events and circumstances exist, that indicate a goodwill impairment test should be performed. Goodwill is attributed to the Banking segment. Based upon management's assessment and evaluation of goodwill at year-end, the likelihood that an impairment of the current carrying amount of goodwill has occurred is considered remote.

Note 8: Other Assets and Receivables

        The following items are included in other assets and receivables in the consolidated balance sheets.

    Investment in Qualified Affordable Housing Limited Partnerships

        The Company invests in qualified affordable housing limited partnerships. At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015, the balance of the investments for qualified affordable housing limited partnerships was $14.7 million, $12.9 million and $1.7 million, respectively. The Company expects to contribute an additional $4.1 million related to the partnerships outstanding at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016; however, the Company is not obligated to contribute additional capital at those dates, as such payments are based on certain development, operational and/or tax credit benchmarks. During the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company did not record amortization expense, tax credits or other benefits related to these investments. The Company expects to receive tax credits and other benefits beginning in 2017 and will begin amortization based on the proportional amortization method.

    Other Receivables

        At June 30, 2017, the Company had short-term receivables of $1.4 million, consisting primarily of prepaid escrow amounts. These receivables were collected in July and August 2017. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company had short-term receivables of $14.1 million and $2.5 million, respectively. These receivables primarily represented prepaid trading and settlement fees paid to a third-party broker that were collected at the time of applicable GNMA security settlements with the remaining amounts collected in the normal course of business.

        Other items included in other assets and receivables on the balance sheet are not significant.

F-31


Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 9: Deposits

        Deposits were comprised of the following at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 
   
  December 31,  
 
  June 30,
2017
 
 
  2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Demand deposits

  $ 1,206,450   $ 1,067,771   $ 773,234  

Savings deposits

    1,248,023     1,194,607     862,839  

Certificates of deposit

    317,028     166,243     403,447  

Total deposits

  $ 2,771,501   $ 2,428,621   $ 2,039,520  

        At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the scheduled maturities of time deposits are as follows:

 
  June 30,
2017
  December 31, 2016  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Due within one year

  $ 315,029   $ 164,467  

Due in one year to two years

    664     627  

Due in two years to three years

    536     365  

Due in three years to four years

    104     10  

Due in four years to five years

    695     774  

  $ 317,028   $ 166,243  

        Certificates of deposit of $250,000 or more totaled $56.0 million at June 30, 2017, $27.8 million at December 31, 2016 and $22.9 million at December 31, 2015.

        Brokered deposit amounts at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015, were as follows:

 
   
  December 31,  
 
  June 30,
2017
 
 
  2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Brokered certificates of deposit

  $ 254,704   $ 127,000   $ 367,198  

Brokered savings deposits

    411,960     450,570     170,806  

Brokered deposit on demand accounts

    20,646     60,509      

  $ 687,310   $ 638,079   $ 538,004  

Note 10: Borrowings

        Borrowings were comprised of the following at June 30, 2017, December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 
   
  December 31,  
 
  June 30,
2017
 
 
  2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Line of credit

  $ 25,000   $ 25,000   $ 25,000  

Short-term subordinated debt

    30,000     30,000     30,000  

FHLB advances

    1,633     2,006     2,490  

Total borrowings

  $ 56,633   $ 57,006   $ 57,490  

F-32


Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 10: Borrowings (Continued)

        The Company has a revolving line of credit ("LOC") with a bank for up to $25.0 million with an outstanding balance at both June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 of $25.0 million. The interest rate on the note is LIBOR Rate plus 1.85%, or 3.07% at June 30, 2017 and 2.485% at December 31, 2016. The LOC is collateralized by a pledge and first lien security interest in and to all of the issued and outstanding common stock of Merchants Bank of Indiana, the 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The agreement also requires the Bank to maintain at all times a Tier 1 Leverage Ratio of not less than 8% and is tested on a quarterly basis. The LOC was amended effective June 2, 2017, which extended the maturity date to June 1, 2018.

        The Company entered into an agreement with Stonegate (a significant customer of the Bank) on April 15, 2014 and amended on September 25, 2014. Stonegate agreed to invest up to $30.0 million in the Company's subordinated debt. The Company, in turn, agreed to form and fund NMF, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank, and the Bank pledged 100% of the shares of NMF stock to Stonegate in consideration for Stonegate's investment in the Company's subordinated debt, with the shares serving as the sole collateral for such debt. The subordinated debt balance as of both June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 was $30.0 million, with a maturity date of March 31, 2018. Interest on the debt is paid quarterly at a rate equal to one-month LIBOR, plus 350 basis points, plus additional interest equal to 49% of the earnings of NMF. Stonegate was acquired by Home Point Financial Corporation effective May 31, 2017.

        FHLB advances are secured by mortgage loans totaling $62.2 million, $64.3 million and $62.0 million at June 30, 2017, December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. In addition, available for sale securities and securities purchased under agreements to resell with a carrying value of $382.6 million, $320.1 million and $249.5 million were pledged as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. At June 30, 2017, the FHLB advances had interest rates ranging from 2.27% to 4.74%, and at December 31, 2016, the FHLB advances had interest rates ranging from 2.00% to 4.74%, and were subject to restrictions or penalties in the event of prepayment.

        Maturities of FHLB advances were as follows at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016:

 
  June 30,
2017
  December 31,
2016
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

Due within one year

  $ 412   $ 394  

Due in one year to two years

    304     417  

Due in two years to three years

    54     305  

Due in three years to four years

    56     55  

Due in four years to five years

    58      

Thereafter

    749     835  

  $ 1,633   $ 2,006  

F-33


Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 11: Income Taxes

        The provision for income taxes includes these components for the six month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 and the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 
  Six Months
Ended June 30,
  Year Ended
December 31,
 
 
  2017   2016   2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Income tax expense

                         

Current tax payable

                         

Federal

  $ 11,231   $ 7,043   $ 18,627   $ 15,022  

State

    1,634     1,838     4,477     3,293  

Deferred tax payable

                         

Federal

    1,628     (19 )   (441 )   604  

State

    209     (509 )   (995 )   (121 )

Income tax expense

  $ 14,702   $ 8,353   $ 21,668   $ 18,798  

Effective tax rate

    38.1 %   39.5 %   39.5 %   39.8 %

        A reconciliation of income tax expense at the statutory rate to the Company's actual income tax expense for the six month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, and the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, is shown below:

 
  Six Months
Ended June 30,
  Year Ended
December 31,
 
 
  2017   2016   2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Computed at the statutory rate (35%)

  $ 13,507   $ 7,394   $ 19,178   $ 16,513  

Increase resulting from

                         

State income taxes

    1,195     864     2,264     2,062  

Other

        95     226     223  

Actual tax expense

  $ 14,702   $ 8,353   $ 21,668   $ 18,798  

F-34


Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 11: Income Taxes (Continued)

        The tax effects of temporary differences related to deferred taxes shown on the balance sheet were:

 
   
  December 31,  
 
  June 30,
2017
 
 
  2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Deferred tax assets

                   

Allowance for loan losses

  $ 2,701   $ 2,482   $ 2,287  

Unrealized loss on available-for-sale securities

    379     429     157  

State tax

    290     330     907  

Other

    210     470     368  

Total assets

    3,580     3,711     3,719  

Deferred tax liabilities

                   

Depreciation

    (304 )   (272 )   (247 )

Mortgage-servicing rights

    (20,610 )   (19,009 )   (20,736 )

Other

    (160 )   (37 )   (51 )

Total liabilities

    (21,074 )   (19,318 )   (21,034 )

Net deferred tax liability

  $ (17,494 ) $ (15,607 ) $ (17,315 )

Note 12: Regulatory Matters

        The Company and Bank are subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by the federal banking agencies. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory, and possibly additional discretionary, actions by federal and state banking regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material effect on the Company's financial statements. Under capital adequacy guidelines and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, the Company and Bank must meet specific capital guidelines that involve quantitative measures of the Company's and Bank's assets, liabilities and certain off-balance-sheet items as calculated under regulatory accounting practices. The Company's and Bank's capital amounts and classification are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components, risk weightings and other factors. Furthermore, the Company's and Bank's regulators could require adjustments to regulatory capital not reflected in these financial statements.

        Quantitative measures established by regulation to ensure capital adequacy require the Company and Bank to maintain minimum amounts and ratios (set forth in the table below). Management believes, as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015, that the Company and Bank met all capital adequacy requirements to which they were subject.

        As of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the most recent notifications from the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation categorized the Company as well capitalized and Bank as well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, respectively. To be categorized as well capitalized, the Company must maintain minimum total risk-based, Tier I risk-based and Tier I leverage ratios as set forth in the table. There are no conditions

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 12: Regulatory Matters (Continued)

or events since that notification that management believes have changed the Company's and Bank's category.

        The Company's and Bank's actual capital amounts and ratios are also presented in the following tables.

 
  Actual   Minimum Amount
Required for
Adequately
Capitalized (1)
  Minimum Amount
To Be Well
Capitalized (1)
 
 
  Amount   Ratio   Amount   Ratio   Amount   Ratio  
 
  (Dollars in thousands)
 

June 30, 2017

                                     

Total capital (1) (to risk-weighted assets)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Company

  $ 217,887     9.6 % $ 182,382     8.0 % $     N/A  

Bank

    273,944     12.0 %   182,304     8.0 %   227,880     10.0 %

Tier 1 capital (1) (to risk-weighted assets)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Company

    210,964     9.3 %   136,787     6.0 %       N/A  

Bank

    267,021     11.7 %   136,728     6.0 %   182,304     8.0 %

Common Equity Tier 1 capital (1)
(to risk-weighted assets)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Company

    169,383     7.4 %   102,590     4.5 %       N/A  

Bank

    267,021     11.7 %   102,546     4.5 %   148,122     6.5 %

Tier 1 capital (1) (to average assets)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Company

    210,964     7.4 %   114,085     4.0 %       N/A  

Bank

    267,021     9.3 %   114,376     4.0 %   142,970     5.0 %

(1)
As defined by regulatory agencies.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 12: Regulatory Matters (Continued)


 
  Actual   Minimum
Amount Required
for Adequately
Capitalized (1)
  Minimum
Amount To Be
Well
Capitalized (1)
 
 
  Amount   Ratio   Amount   Ratio   Amount   Ratio  
 
  (Dollars in thousands)
 

December 31, 2016

                                     

Total capital (1) (to risk-weighted assets)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Company

  $ 201,496     10.6 % $ 151,459     8.0 % $     N/A  

Bank

    255,539     13.5 %   151,332     8.0 %   189,165     10.0 %

Tier I capital (1) (to risk-weighted assets)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Company

    195,188     10.3 %   113,594     6.0 %       N/A  

Bank

    249,231     13.2 %   113,499     6.0 %   151,332     8.0 %

Common Equity Tier I capital (1)
(to risk-weighted assets)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Company

    153,607     8.1 %   85,196     4.5 %       N/A  

Bank

    249,231     13.2 %   85,124     4.5 %   122,957     6.5 %

Tier I capital (1) (to average assets)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Company

    195,188     6.6 %   118,082     4.0 %       N/A  

Bank

    249,231     8.4 %   118,258     4.0 %   147,822     5.0 %

(1)
As defined by regulatory agencies.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 12: Regulatory Matters (Continued)

 
  Actual   Minimum
Amount Required
for Adequately
Capitalized (1)
  Minimum
Amount To Be
Well
Capitalized (1)
 
 
  Amount   Ratio   Amount   Ratio   Amount   Ratio  
 
  (Dollars in thousands)
 

December 31, 2015

                                     

Total capital (1) (to risk-weighted assets)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Company

  $ 144,819     9.6 % $ 121,176     8.0 % $     N/A  

Bank

    200,667     13.3 %   121,135     8.0 %   151,418     10.0 %

Tier I capital (1) (to risk-weighted assets)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Company

    139,339     9.2 %   90,882     6.0 %       N/A  

Bank

    195,187     12.9 %   90,851     6.0 %   121,135     8.0 %

Common Equity Tier I capital (1)
(to risk-weighted assets)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Company

    129,339     8.5 %   68,161     4.5 %       N/A  

Bank

    195,187     12.9 %   68,138     4.5 %   98,422     6.5 %

Tier I capital (1) (to average assets)

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Company

    139,339     6.1 %   91,531     4.0 %       N/A  

Bank

    195,187     8.5 %   91,599     4.0 %   114,498     5.0 %

(1)
As defined by regulatory agencies.

        Beginning January 1, 2015, a new Basel III Capital Rule applied to the Bank. The following table lists the capital categories and ratios determined by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Capital Category
  Total Risk-based
Capital ratio
  Tier 1 Risk-based
Capital ratio
  Common Equity
Tier 1 Risk-based
Capital ratio
  Tier 1
Leverage ratio
 

Well capitalized

    10 %   8 %   6.5 %   5 %

Adequately capitalized

    8     6     4.5     4  

Undercapitalized

    < 8     < 6     < 4.5     < 4  

Significantly undercapitalized

    < 6     < 4     < 3     < 3  

Critically undercapitalized

    Tangible Equity/Total Assets </= 2 %      

        The Basel III Capital Rules, among other things, (i) introduced a new capital measure called "Common Equity Tier 1" (CET1), (ii) specified that Tier 1 capital consist of CET1 and "Additional Tier 1 Capital" instruments meeting specified requirements, (iii) defined CET1 narrowly by requiring that most deductions/adjustments to regulatory capital measures be made to CET1 and not to the other components of capital and (iv) expanded the scope of the deductions/adjustments as compared to existing regulations.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 12: Regulatory Matters (Continued)

        Implementation of the deductions and other adjustments to CET1 began on January 1, 2015, and are being phased in over a four-year period (beginning at 40% on January 1, 2015, and an additional 20% per year thereafter). Under the new rule, in order to avoid limitations on capital distributions, including dividend payments and certain discretionary bonus payments to executive officers, a banking organization must hold a capital conservation buffer composed of CET1 capital above its minimum risk-based capital requirements. The implementation of the capital conservation buffer began on January 1, 2016, at the 0.625% level and is being phased in over a four-year period (increasing by that amount on each subsequent January 1 until it reaches 2.5% on January 1, 2019).

        The Company's principal source of funds for dividend payments to shareholders is dividends received from the Bank. Banking regulations limit the maximum amount of dividends that a bank may pay without requesting prior approval of regulatory agencies. Under these regulations, the amount of dividends that may be paid in any calendar year is limited to the Bank's retained net income (as defined) for the current year plus those for the previous two years, subject to the capital requirements described above. At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the amount available, without prior regulatory approval, for dividends from the Bank was $64.8 million and $44.5 million, respectively.

Note 13: Earnings Per Share

        Earnings per share were computed as follows for the six month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, and the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.

 
  Six Month Periods Ended June 30,  
 
  2017   2016  
 
  Net
Income
  Weighted-
Average
Shares
  Per
Share
Amount
  Net
Income
  Weighted-
Average
Shares
  Per
Share
Amount
 
 
  (In thousands)
   
   
  (In thousands)
   
   
 

Net income

  $ 23,888               $ 12,774              

Dividends on preferred stock

    (1,665 )               (407 )            

Net income allocated to common shareholders

  $ 22,223               $ 12,367              

Basic earnings per share

          21,114,400   $ 1.05           21,111,200   $ 0.59  

Effect of dilutive securities—restricted stock awards

          5,011                 1,083        

Diluted earnings per share

          21,119,411   $ 1.05           21,112,283   $ 0.59  

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 13: Earnings Per Share (Continued)


 
  Year Ended December 31,  
 
  2016   2015  
 
  Net
Income
  Weighted-
Average
Shares
  Per
Share
Amount
  Net
Income
  Weighted-
Average
Shares
  Per
Share
Amount
 
 
  (In thousands)
   
   
  (In thousands)
   
   
 

Net income

  $ 33,127               $ 28,383              

Dividends on preferred stock

    (2,002 )                            

Net income allocated to common shareholders

  $ 31,125               $ 28,383              

Basic earnings per share

          21,111,208   $ 1.47           21,075,475   $ 1.35  

Effect of dilutive securities—restricted stock awards

          2,227                        

Diluted earnings per share

          21,113,435   $ 1.47           21,075,475   $ 1.35  

Note 14: Stock Splits

        On July 5, 2017, the Company approved an increase of authorized common shares to 50.0 million shares, and declared a 2.5-for-1 stock split effective July 6, 2017. In February 2016, the Company declared a 2-for-1 stock split effective March 31, 2016. The presentation of authorized common shares has been retrospectively adjusted to give effect to the increase, and all share and per share amounts have been retrospectively adjusted to give effect to these splits.

Note 15: Private Placement Common Stock Offering

        On February 2, 2015, the Company issued 407,500 shares of its common stock. Gross proceeds to the Company from the offering were $4.1 million, and net proceeds after offering expenses were $3.9 million.

Note 16: Private Placement Offering of Preferred Stock

        During 2016 the Company issued 31,625 shares of non-cumulative, perpetual preferred stock at $1,000 per share for a total of $31.6 million and net proceeds after offering expenses were $31.6 million. During the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company issued 10,000 shares of non-cumulative, perpetual preferred stock to certain related parties at $1,000 per share for a total of $10.0 million. All preferred shares are non-voting. The preferred shares have an 8% yield and dividends are payable quarterly.

Note 17: Related Party Transactions

        The Company has entered into transactions with certain directors, executive officers and their affiliates or associates (related parties). Such transactions were made in the ordinary course of business on substantially the same terms and conditions, including interest rates and collateral, as those

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 17: Related Party Transactions (Continued)

prevailing at the same time for comparable transactions with other customers, and did not, in the opinion of management, involve more than normal credit risk or present other unfavorable features.

        Deposits from related parties held by the Company at June 30, 2017, December 31, 2016 and 2015 totaled $5.9 million, $7.5 million and $7.1 million, respectively.

        In 2016, the Company purchased a 30% ownership in one of its key loan processing vendors. The investment is accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Fees paid to this company during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and the year ended December 31, 2016 were $1.8 million and $3.7 million. At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, $330,000 and $353,000 was accrued for services received.

        The Company retained a law firm of which a Board member of the Bank, and previously the Company through July 5, 2017, is a partner. Services rendered are primarily related to documentation of current loan originations, and loan collections from the Bank's borrowers. Fees paid to the law firm totaled $1.4 million and $789,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, and $2.1 million and $1.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

        On May 8, 2017, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement to acquire Joy State Bank ("JSB") from the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer and the President/Chief Operating Officer of the Company. At June 30, 2017, JSB had total assets of $42.6 million. On October 31, 2016, the Bank had entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger to acquire JSB. Because the timing and regulatory approval of the transaction was uncertain due to the Company's capital position at September 30, 2016, the parties agreed that Messrs. Petrie and Rogers, two of the Company's directors and executive officers, would acquire JSB. The acquisition of JSB by the Messrs. Petrie and Rogers closed on April 3, 2017. The May 8, 2017, stock purchase agreement provides for the Bank to pay a purchase price equal to approximately $5.4 million plus an approximate cost of funds of $16,000 for each 30 days after June 30, 2017, prorated to the closing date. The purchase price is equal to the price paid by Messrs. Petrie and Rogers, plus expenses and a cost of funds equal to 3.75%. The acquisition is subject to approval of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, which approval has been obtained, and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Banking, which is pending. The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2018.

Note 18: Employee Benefits

        Effective January 1, 2016, the Company discontinued its SIMPLE IRA plan and began offering a 401(k) plan. Pursuant to the plan agreement, matching contributions equal to 100% of the employees' elective deferrals which do not exceed 3% of the employees' compensation will be made unless management elects to make either the alternative matching contribution or the non-elective contribution. Employer contributions to the plans were $157,000 and $124,000 for the six month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, and $245,000 and $178,000 for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 19: Share-Based Payment Plan

        During 2016, the Board of Directors adopted an incentive restricted stock plan for certain executive officers of the Company. Awards may be earned subject to certain performance metrics and the participating executive officer may elect annually to receive the plan benefit in the form of Company common shares or a combination of 50% each of common shares and cash. During March 2017, the Company issued 3,200 shares pursuant to the plan. Expense recognized for the plan totaled $70,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and $57,000 for the year ended December 31, 2016. No expense was recognized for the plan during the six months ended June 30, 2016. At both June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, there were 17,910 unvested shares awarded under the plan. Unrecognized compensation cost totaled $216,000 and $286,000 at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.

Note 20: Disclosures About Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities

        Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Fair value measurements must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. There is a hierarchy of three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

  Level 1   Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities

 

Level 2

 

Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities

 

Level 3

 

Unobservable inputs supported by little or no market activity and are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 20: Disclosures About Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Continued)

Recurring Measurements

        The following tables present the fair value measurements of assets recognized in the accompanying balance sheets measured at fair value on a recurring basis and the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements fall at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 
  Fair Value Measurements Using  
Assets
  Fair Value   Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
  Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

June 30, 2017

                         

Trading Securities

  $ 145,056   $   $ 145,056   $  

Available-for-sale securities:

                         

Treasury notes

    1,000     1,000          

Federal agencies

    351,122         351,122      

Mortgage-backed—Government-sponsored entity (GSE)—residential

    26,173         26,173      

Mortgage servicing rights

    57,557             57,557  

December 31, 2016

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Trading securities

  $ 137,675   $   $ 137,675   $  

Available-for-sale securities:

                         

Treasury notes

    999     999          

Federal agencies

    288,993         288,993      

Municipals

    9,500           9,500        

Mortgage-backed—Government-sponsored entity (GSE)—residential

    26,382         26,382      

Mortgage servicing rights

    53,670             53,670  

December 31, 2015

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Trading securities

  $ 107,869   $   $ 107,869   $  

Available-for-sale securities:

                         

Treasury notes

    992     992          

Federal agencies

    208,078         208,078      

Municipals

    9,500           9,500        

Mortgage-backed—Government-sponsored entity (GSE)—residential

    33,886         35,886      

Mortgage servicing rights

    55,553             55,553  

 

        Following is a description of the valuation methodologies and inputs used for assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis and recognized in the accompanying balance sheets, as well as the general classification of such assets pursuant to the valuation hierarchy. There have been no significant changes in the valuation techniques during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and the years ended

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 20: Disclosures About Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Continued)

December 31, 2016 and 2015. For assets classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy, the process used to develop the reported fair value is described below.

Trading and Available-for-Sale Securities

        Where quoted market prices are available in an active market, securities are classified within Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. If quoted market prices are not available, then fair values are estimated by using quoted prices of securities with similar characteristics or independent asset pricing services and pricing models, the inputs of which are market-based or independently sourced market parameters, including, but not limited to, yield curves, interest rates, volatilities, prepayments, defaults, cumulative loss projections and cash flows. Such securities are classified in Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy including federal agencies, mortgage-backed securities, and FHA participation certificates. In certain cases where Level 1 or Level 2 inputs are not available, securities are classified within Level 3 of the hierarchy.

Mortgage Servicing Rights

        Mortgage servicing rights do not trade in an active, open market with readily observable prices. Accordingly, fair value is estimated using discounted cash flow models having significant inputs of discount rate, prepayment speed and default rate. Due to the nature of the valuation inputs, mortgage servicing rights are classified within Level 3 of the hierarchy.

        The Chief Financial Officer's (CFO) office contracts with a pricing specialist to generate fair value estimates on an annual basis. The CFO's office challenges the reasonableness of the assumptions used and reviews the methodology to ensure the estimated fair value complies with accounting standards generally accepted in the United States.

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 20: Disclosures About Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Continued)

Level 3 Reconciliation

        The following is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of recurring fair value measurements recognized in the accompanying balance sheets using significant unobservable (Level 3) inputs:

 
   
  Year Ended December 31,  
 
  Six Months
Ended
June 30, 2017
 
 
  2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Balance, beginning of period

  $ 53,670   $ 55,553   $ 52,913  

Additions

                   

Purchased servicing

    1,133     1,357     1,135  

Retained servicing

    4,836     4,388     6,866  

Subtractions

                   

Paydowns—Amortization

    (2,730 )   (4,230 )   (5,177 )

Changes in fair value due to changes in valuation inputs or assumptions used in the valuation model

    648     (3,398 )   (184 )

Balance, end of period

  $ 57,557   $ 53,670   $ 55,553  

Nonrecurring Measurements

        The following table presents the fair value measurement of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis and the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements fall at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 
  Fair Value Measurements Using  
Assets
  Fair Value   Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
  Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

June 30, 2017

                         

Impaired loans

  $   $   $   $  

December 31, 2016

                         

Impaired loans

  $ 225   $   $   $ 225  

December 31, 2015

                         

Impaired loans

  $ 136   $   $   $ 136  

        Following is a description of the valuation methodologies and inputs used for assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis and recognized in the accompanying balance sheet, as well as the general classification of such assets pursuant to the valuation hierarchy. For assets classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy, the process used to develop the reported fair value is described below.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 20: Disclosures About Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Continued)

Collateral-Dependent Impaired Loans, Net of Allowance for Loan Losses

        The estimated fair value of collateral-dependent impaired loans is based on the appraised fair value of the collateral, less estimated cost to sell. Collateral-dependent impaired loans are classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

        The Company considers the appraisal or evaluation as the starting point for determining fair value and then considers other factors and events in the environment that may affect the fair value. Appraisals of the collateral underlying collateral-dependent loans are obtained when the loan is determined to be collateral-dependent and subsequently as deemed necessary by the Chief Credit Officer's (CCO) office. Appraisals are reviewed for accuracy and consistency by the CCO's office. Appraisers are selected from the list of approved appraisers maintained by management. The appraised values are reduced by discounts to consider lack of marketability and estimated cost to sell if repayment or satisfaction of the loan is dependent on the sale of the collateral. These discounts and estimates are developed by the CCO's office by comparison to historical results.

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 20: Disclosures About Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Continued)

Unobservable (Level 3) Inputs:

        The following table presents quantitative information about unobservable inputs used in recurring and nonrecurring Level 3 fair value measurements other than goodwill.

 
  Fair Value   Valuation
Technique
  Unobservable
Inputs
  Range
 
  (In thousands)
   
   
   

At June 30, 2017:

                 

Collateral-dependent impaired loans

  $   Market comparable
properties
  Marketability
discount
  N/A

Mortgage servicing rights

    57,577   Discounted cash flow   Discount rate   8.0% - 15.0%

            Constant
prepayment rate
  1% - 17%

At December 31, 2016:

   
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Collateral-dependent impaired loans

  $ 225   Market comparable
properties
  Marketability
discount
  40%

Mortgage servicing rights

    53,670   Discounted cash flow   Discount rate   8.0% - 15.0%

            Constant
prepayment rate
  0% - 25%

At December 31, 2015:

   
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Collateral-dependent impaired loans

  $ 136   Market comparable
properties
  Marketability
discount
  9.0% - 40.0%

Mortgage servicing rights

    55,553   Discounted cash flow   Discount rate   8.0% - 15.0%

            Constant
prepayment rate
  0% - 25%

Sensitivity of Significant Unobservable Inputs

        The following is a discussion of the sensitivity of significant unobservable inputs, the interrelationships between those inputs and other unobservable inputs used in recurring fair value measurement and of how those inputs might magnify or mitigate the effect of changes in the unobservable inputs on the fair value measurement.

Mortgage Servicing Rights

        The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Company's mortgage servicing rights are discount rates and constant prepayment rates. Significant increases or decreases in any of those inputs in isolation would result in a significantly different fair value measurement.

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 20: Disclosures About Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Continued)

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

        The following tables present estimated fair values of the Company's financial instruments and the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements fall at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015.

 
   
  Fair Value Measurements Using  
Assets
  Carrying
Value
  Fair
Value
  Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
  Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

June 30, 2017

                               

Financial assets:

                               

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 416,554   $ 416,554   $ 416,554   $   $  

Securities purchased under agreement to resell

    5,335     5,335         5,335      

FHLB Stock

    7,539     7,539         7,539      

Loan held for sale

    983,420     983,420         983,420      

Loans, net

    1,064,001     1,065,942             1,065,942  

Interest receivable

    6,059     6,059         6,059      

Financial liabilities:

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Deposits

    2,771,501     2,771,314     2,454,473     316,841      

Line of credit

    25,000     25,000         25,000      

Short-term subordinated debt

    30,000     30,000         30,000      

FHLB advances

    1,633     1,667         1,667      

Interest payable

    2,097     2,097         2,097      

December 31, 2016

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Financial assets:

                               

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 445,701   $ 445,701   $ 445,701   $   $  

Securities purchased under agreement to resell

    5,392     5,392         5,392      

FHLB Stock

    7,539     7,539         7,539      

Loans held for sale

    764,503     764,503         764,503      

Loans, net

    935,546     935,287               935,287  

Interest receivable

    5,368     5,368         5,368      

Financial liabilities:

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Deposits

    2,428,621     2,428,478     2,262,378     166,100      

Line of credit

    25,000     25,000         25,000      

Short-term subordinated debt

    30,000     30,000         30,000      

FHLB advances

    2,006     2,031         2,031      

Interest payable

    1,791     1,791         1,791      

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 20: Disclosures About Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Continued)


 
   
  Fair Value Measurements Using  
Assets
  Carrying
Value
  Fair
Value
  Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
  Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
 
   
  (In thousands)
 

December 31, 2015

                               

Financial assets:

                               

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 446,801   $ 446,801   $ 446,801   $   $  

Securities purchased under agreement to resell

    5,514     5,514         5,514      

FHLB Stock

    7,539     7,539         7,539      

Loans held for sale

    620,583     620,583         620,583      

Loans, net

    756,790     755,912             755,912  

Interest receivable

    4,600     4,600         4,600      

Financial liabilities:

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

Deposits

    2,039,520     2,039,371     1,636,073     403,298      

Line of credit

    25,000     25,000         25,000      

Short-term subordinated debt

    30,000     30,000         30,000      

FHLB advances

    2,490     2,526         2,526      

Interest payable

    1,843     1,843         1,843      

        The following methods were used to estimate the fair value of all other financial instruments recognized in the accompanying balance sheets at amounts other than fair value.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Securities Purchased Under Agreement to Resell

        The carrying amount approximates fair value.

Federal Home Loan Bank Stock

        The fair value of FHLB stock is based on the price at which it may be sold to the FHLB.

Loans Held For Sale

        The carrying amount approximates fair value due to the insignificant time between origination and date of sale.

Loans

        Fair value is estimated by discounting the future cash flows using the market rates at which similar notes would be made to borrowers with similar credit ratings and for the same remaining maturities. The market rates used are based on current rates the Company would impose for similar loans and reflect a market participant assumption about risks associated with nonperformance, illiquidity, and the structure and term of the loans along with local economic and market conditions.

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 20: Disclosures About Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities (Continued)

Interest Receivable and Payable

        The carrying amount approximates fair value. The carrying amount is determined using the interest rate, balance and last payment date.

Deposits

        The fair values of noninterest-bearing demand and savings accounts are equal to the amount payable on demand at the balance sheet date. Fair values for fixed-rate certificates and time deposits are estimated using a discounted cash flow calculation that applies interest rates currently being offered on certificates to a schedule of expected monthly maturities on such time deposits.

Line of Credit and Short-term Subordinated Debt

        The carrying amount approximates fair value.

Federal Home Loan Bank Advances

        Fair value is estimated by discounting the future cash flows using rates of similar advances with similar maturities. These rates were obtained from current rates offered by the FHLB.

Off-Balance Sheet Commitments

        Commitments include commitments to purchase and originate mortgage loans, commitments to sell mortgage loans and standby letters of credit and are generally of a short-term nature. The fair value of such commitments are based on fees currently charged to similar agreements, taking into account the remaining terms of the agreements and the counterparties' credit standing. The fair value of commitments to extend credit and letters of credit is not presented in the previous table since the fair value is considered to be insignificant.

Note 21: Significant Estimates and Concentrations

        Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America require disclosure of certain significant estimates and current vulnerabilities due to certain concentrations. Estimates related to the provision and allowance for loan losses are reflected in the footnotes regarding loans and the allowance for loan losses (Notes 1 and 4). Estimates related to mortgage servicing rights are reflected in the notes on mortgage servicing rights and loan servicing (Notes 1 and 6). Estimates related to fair values are reflected in the footnote regarding fair values (Note 20). Current vulnerabilities due to certain concentrations of credit risk are discussed in the footnote on commitments and credit risk (Note 22). Other significant estimates and concentrations not discussed in those footnotes include:

Mortgage-backed Securities and Secondary Mortgage Market Programs

        P/RMIC is involved in government programs for issuing mortgage-backed securities (MBS). The objective of these programs is to facilitate secondary market activities in order to provide funding for the multi-family mortgage market.

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 21: Significant Estimates and Concentrations (Continued)

        P/RMIC is subject to cancellation of secondary mortgage market programs, rapid increases in general interest rates, and competition associated with conventional mortgage programs. In addition, P/RMIC could be responsible for covering shortfalls in amounts due to investors for delinquencies or foreclosures. No amounts have been reported in the consolidated financial statements since management believes that no near term financial losses will be incurred and these MBS programs will not be significantly affected by the controlling regulatory bodies.

Major Customer

        The Company has a major customer of the Mortgage Warehousing segment, whose business represented $6.6 million and $7.3 million, or 10% and 17% of total revenues, for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $14.7 million and $17.2 million, or 15% and 21% of total revenues, for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Note 22: Commitments and Credit Risk

        In the normal course of business the Company enters into funding commitments with customers who have applied for single and multi-family residential loans. The customers must meet certain credit and underwriting criteria before the Company is required to fund the loans. The Company entered into commitments to fund loans pending closing of $300.6 million and $263.8 million at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. Closing and funding of the majority of these loans is contingent upon various performance criteria by the potential borrower and the commitment may be rescinded by the Company. The Company enters into a corresponding sales commitment if it is the Company's intent to close the loan and to sell the loan after closing.

        The Company, through the Warehouse Financing segment, has line of credit agreements with its non-depository financial institution customers engaged in mortgage lending. Funds drawn on the lines of credit are used by the borrowers to fund the loans they originate. The customers' loans must meet certain credit and underwriting criteria before the Company will fund the draw requests on the lines of credit, and the draw requests can be denied by the Company. The outstanding amounts available on these lines of credit totaled $548.4 million, $586.9 million and $471.7 million at June 30, 2017, December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

        Additionally, in the normal course of business the Company has outstanding unfunded commitments and contingent liabilities, such as commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit, which are not included in the accompanying financial statements. The Company's exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the financial instruments for commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit is represented by the contractual or notional amount of those instruments. The Company uses the same credit policies in making such commitments as it does for instruments that are included in the statement of financial condition.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 22: Commitments and Credit Risk (Continued)

        Financial instruments, whose contract amount represents credit risk, were as follows at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 
   
  December 31,  
 
  June 30,
2017
 
 
  2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Commitments to extend credit

  $ 421,798   $ 307,944   $ 144,205  

Irrevocable standby letters of credit

    26,000     26,000     28,400  

Commitment letters of credit

    28,364     32,669     34,023  

        Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. Since many of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. The Company evaluates each customer's credit worthiness on a case-by-case basis. The amount of collateral obtained, if deemed necessary by the Bank upon extension of credit, is based on management's credit evaluation. Collateral held varies but may include accounts receivable, inventory, property and equipment, and income-producing commercial properties.

        Commitment letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Bank for a fee to guarantee the performance of a customer to a third party. Standby letters of credit generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses. The credit risk involved in issuing letters of credit is essentially the same as that involved in extending loan commitments to customers. The Bank's policy for obtaining collateral and/or guarantees and the nature thereof is generally the same as that involved extending commitments to its customers.

        The Company has not been required to fund nor has incurred any losses on any letter of credit commitment during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and the years ended December 31, 2016 or 2015.

        The Company has several noncancellable operating leases, primarily for office space, that expire over the next 4-8 years. Rental expense for these leases was $366,000 and $348,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $696,000 and $574,000 for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 22: Commitments and Credit Risk (Continued)

        Future minimum lease payments under operating leases as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 are as follows:

 
  June 30,
2017
  December 31,
2016
 
 
  (In thousands)
 

Due within one year

  $ 720   $ 665  

Due in one year to two years

    735     679  

Due in two years to three years

    749     693  

Due in three years to four years

    682     707  

Due in four years to five years

    256     392  

Thereafter

    587     702  

Total minimum lease payments

  $ 3,729   $ 3,838  

        The Company and its subsidiaries are parties to various claims and proceedings arising in the normal course of business. Currently, we are defendants in a litigation matter pending in Indiana state court for breach of contract related to a warehouse credit facility. Management, after consultation with legal counsel, believes that the liabilities, if any, arising from such proceedings and claims will not be material to the consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Note 23: Segment Information

        Our business segments are defined as Multi-family Mortgage Banking, Mortgage Warehousing, and Banking. The reportable business segments are consistent with the internal reporting and evaluation of the principal lines of business of the Company. The Multi-family Mortgage Banking segment originates and services government sponsored mortgages for multi-family and healthcare facilities. The Mortgage Warehousing segment funds agency eligible residential loans from origination or purchase to sale in the secondary market, as well as commercial loans to non-depository financial institutions. The Banking segment provides a wide range of financial products and services to consumers and businesses, including commercial, commercial real estate, mortgage and other consumer loan products; letters of credit; various types of deposit products, including checking, savings and time deposit accounts. Other includes general and administrative expenses that provide services to all segments; internal funds transfer pricing offsets resulting from allocations to/from the other segments; certain elimination entries and investments in qualified affordable housing limited partnerships. All operations are domestic.

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 23: Segment Information (Continued)

        The tables below present selected business segment financial information as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, and as of and for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.

 
  Multi-family
Mortgage
Banking
  Mortgage
Warehousing
  Banking   Other   Total  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017

                               

Interest Income

                               

Loans held for sale

  $   $ 15,967   $   $   $ 15,967  

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

        4,334             4,334  

Residential real estate

            4,975         4,975  

Multi-family residential real estate

            5,131         5,131  

Commercial and commercial real estate

        787     2,210         2,997  

Agricultural production and real estate

            1,051         1,051  

Consumer and margin loans

    142     11     197         350  

Investment securities and other

    37     1,413     5,216         6,666  

Total interest income

    179     22,512     18,780         41,471  

Interest Expense

                               

Deposits

        2,428     6,083         8,511  

Internal funds transfer charge

        337     212     (549 )    

Borrowings

        3,316     47     342     3,705  

Total interest expense

        6,081     6,342     (207 )   12,216  

Net interest income

    179     16,431     12,438     207     29,255  

Provision for loan losses

        405     75         480  

Net interest income after provision for loan losses

    179     16,026     12,363     207     28,775  

Noninterest income

                               

Gain on sale of loans

    20,064         545         20,609  

Loan servicing fees

    2,384                 2,384  

Warehouse fee income

        1,258             1,258  

Other income

        45     421         466  

Total noninterest income

    22,448     1,303     966         24,717  

Noninterest expense

                               

Salaries and employee benefits

    3,497     943     2,946     1,681     9,067  

Loan expenses

        1,780     173         1,953  

Occupancy and equipment

    189     92     363     110     754  

Professional fees

    106     208     147     69     530  

Deposit insurance

        137     337         474  

Technology expense

    27     197     275     7     506  

Other expense

    553     373     277     415     1,618  

Noninterst expense

    4,372     3,730     4,518     2,282     14,902  

Income before income taxes

    18,255     13,599     8,811     (2,075 )   38,590  

Income taxes

    6,955     5,181     3,357     (791 )   14,702  

Net income

  $ 11,300   $ 8,418   $ 5,454   $ (1,284 ) $ 23,888  

Total assets

  $ 117,862   $ 1,288,717   $ 1,671,054   $ 13,867   $ 3,091,500  

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 23: Segment Information (Continued)


 
  Multi-family
Mortgage
Banking
  Mortgage
Warehousing
  Banking   Other   Total  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Six Months Ended June 30, 2016

                               

Interest Income

                               

Loans held for sale

  $   $ 13,091   $   $   $ 13,091  

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

        4,838             4,838  

Residential real estate

            3,852         3,852  

Multi-family residential real estate

            2,858         2,858  

Commercial and commercial real estate

        581     1,324         1,905  

Agricultural production and real estate

            1,284         1,284  

Consumer and margin loans

    62     11     165         238  

Investment securities and other

    3     870     3,482         4,355  

Total interest income

    65     19,391     12,965         32,421  

Interest Expense

                               

Deposits

        930     4,030         4,960  

Internal funds transfer charge

        967     (1,408 )   441      

Borrowings

        3,320     34     288     3,642  

Total interest expense

        5,217     2,656     729     8,602  

Net interest income

    65     14,174     10,309     (729 )   23,819  

Provision for loan losses

        286     194         480  

Net interest income after provision for loan losses

    65     13,888     10,115     (729 )   23,339  

Noninterest income

                               

Gain on sale of loans

    5,799         811         6,610  

Loan servicing fees

    2,091                 2,091  

Warehouse fee income

        1,178             1,178  

Other income

            72         72  

Total noninterest income

    7,890     1,178     883         9,951  

Noninterest expense

                               

Salaries and employee benefits

    2,363     884     2,247     777     6,271  

Loan expenses

    (3 )   1,636     273         1,906  

Occupancy and equipment

    141     81     338     112     672  

Professional fees

    61     195     94     389     739  

Deposit insurance

        177     413         590  

Technology expense

    9     149     252     11     421  

Other expense

    566     359     265     374     1,564  

Noninterest expense

    3,137     3,481     3,882     1,663     12,163  

Income before income taxes

    4,818     11,585     7,116     (2,392 )   21,127  

Income taxes

    1,905     4,580     2,813     (945 )   8,353  

Net income

  $ 2,913   $ 7,005   $ 4,303   $ (1,447 ) $ 12,774  

Total assets

  $ 92,749   $ 1,138,638   $ 1,271,277   $ 4,310   $ 2,506,974  

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Table of Contents


Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 23: Segment Information (Continued)


 
  Multi-family
Mortgage
Banking
  Mortgage
Warehousing
  Banking   Other   Total  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Year Ended December 31, 2016

                               

Interest Income

                               

Loans held for sale

  $   $ 28,252   $   $   $ 28,252  

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

        11,792             11,792  

Residential real estate

            7,970         7,970  

Multi-family residential real estate

            7,480         7,480  

Commercial and commercial real estate

        895     3,150         4,045  

Agricultural production and real estate

            2,413         2,413  

Consumer and margin loans

    231     22     358         611  

Investment securities and other

    6     2,391     7,979         10,376  

Total interest income

    237     43,352     29,350         72,939  

Interest Expense

                               

Deposits

        2,969     8,694         11,663  

Internal funds transfer charge

        1,616     (2,215 )   599      

Borrowings

        6,650     67     588     7,305  

Total interest expense

        11,235     6,546     1,187     18,968  

Net interest income

    237     32,117     22,804     (1,187 )   53,971  

Provision for loan losses

        (247 )   1,207         960  

Net interest income after provision for loan losses

    237     32,364     21,597     (1,187 )   53,011  

Noninterest income

                               

Gain on sale of loans

    22,516         2,239         24,755  

Loan servicing fees

    280                 280  

Warehouse fee income

        3,015             3,015  

Other income

    2     205     247         454  

Total noninterest income

    22,798     3,220     2,486         28,504  

Noninterest expense

                               

Salaries and employee benefits

    5,814     1,723     4,944     1,832     14,313  

Loan expenses

        3,766     485         4,251  

Occupancy and equipment

    303     180     632     229     1,344  

Professional fees

    109     501     261     427     1,298  

Deposit insurance

        343     806         1,149  

Technology expense

    27     416     535     7     985  

Other expense

    1,221     801     720     638     3,380  

Noninterest expense

    7,474     7,730     8,383     3,133     26,720  

Income before income taxes

    15,561     27,854     15,700     (4,320 )   54,795  

Income taxes

    6,153     11,015     6,208     (1,708 )   21,668  

Net income

  $ 9,408   $ 16,839   $ 9,492   $ (2,612 ) $ 33,127  

Total assets

  $ 98,553   $ 1,060,723   $ 1,545,783   $ 13,453   $ 2,718,512  

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 23: Segment Information (Continued)


 
  Multi-family
Mortgage
Banking
  Mortgage
Warehousing
  Banking   Other   Total  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Year Ended December 31, 2015

                               

Interest Income

                               

Loans held for sale

  $   $ 25,452   $   $   $ 25,452  

Mortgage warehouse lines of credit

        7,363             7,363  

Residential real estate

        56     5,818         5,874  

Multi-family residential real estate

            3,251         3,251  

Commercial and commercial real estate

        2,068     2,097         4,165  

Agricultural production and real estate

            2,309         2,309  

Consumer and margin loans

    304     22     266         592  

Investment securities and other

    5     1,869     5,465         7,339  

Total interest income

    309     36,830     19,206         56,345  

Interest Expense

                               

Deposits

        440     6,906         7,346  

Internal funds transfer charge

        2,719     (3,500 )   781      

Borrowings

        6,447     85     412     6,944  

Total interest expense

        9,606     3,491     1,193     14,290  

Net interest income

    309     27,224     15,715     (1,193 )   42,055  

Provision for loan losses

        (47 )   1,007         960  

Net interest income after provision for loan losses

    309     27,271     14,708     (1,193 )   41,095  

Noninterest income

                               

Gain on sale of loans

    23,913         890         24,803  

Loan servicing fees

    836                 836  

Warehouse fee income

        1,193             1,193  

Other income

            176         176  

Total noninterest income

    24,749     1,193     1,066         27,008  

Noninterest expense

                               

Salaries and employee benefits

    5,018     1,713     3,941     1,290     11,962  

Loan expenses

    2     2,558     175         2,735  

Occupancy and equipment

    269     169     673     137     1,248  

Professional fees

    116     193     168     198     675  

Deposit insurance

        319     758         1,077  

Technology expense

    29     167     493     13     702  

Other expense

    878     584     805     256     2,523  

Noninterest expense

    6,312     5,703     7,013     1,894     20,922  

Income before income taxes

    18,746     22,761     8,761     (3,087 )   47,181  

Income taxes

    7,469     9,068     3,491     (1,230 )   18,798  

Net income

  $ 11,277   $ 13,693   $ 5,270   $ (1,857 ) $ 28,383  

Total assets

  $ 87,188   $ 924,731   $ 1,253,402   $ 4,121   $ 2,269,442  

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 24: Condensed Financial Information (Parent Company Only)

        Presented below is condensed financial information of the Company as to financial position as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and 2015, and results of operations and cash flows for the six month periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 and the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015:


Condensed Balance Sheets

 
   
  December 31,  
 
  June 30, 2017  
 
  2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Assets

                   

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 3,410   $ 158   $ 155  

Investment in subsidiary

    275,298     254,883     202,346  

Other assets

    4,657     7,904     2,419  

Total assets

  $ 283,365   $ 262,945   $ 204,920  

Liabilities

                   

Lines of credit

  $ 25,000   $ 25,000   $ 25,000  

Short-term subordinated debt

    30,000     30,000     30,000  

Other liabilities

    1,851     1,657     1,720  

Total liabilities

    56,851     56,657     56,720  

Shareholders' Equity

    226,514     206,288     148,200  

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

  $ 283,365   $ 262,945   $ 204,920  

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 24: Condensed Financial Information (Parent Company Only) (Continued)

 


Condensed Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income

 
  Six Months
Ended June 30,
  Year Ended
December 31,
 
 
  2017   2016   2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Income

                         

Interest income

  $   $   $   $ 1  

Dividends and return of capital from subsidiary

    6,208     6,767     16,223     9,416  

Other Income

    27         196      

Total income

    6,235     6,767     16,419     9,417  

Expenses

                         

Interest expense

    3,658     3,609     7,237     6,859  

Salaries and employee benefits

    527     30     77     73  

Professional fees

    23     112     138     90  

Other

    70     29     33     22  

Total expense

    4,278     3,780     7,485     7,044  

Income Before Income Tax and Equity in Undistributed Income of Subsidiary

    1,957     2,987     8,934     2,373  

Income Tax Benefit

    (1,629 )   (1,497 )   (2,885 )   (2,807 )

Income Before Equity in Undistributed Income of Subsidiary

    3,586     4,484     11,819     5,180  

Equity in Undistributed Income of Subsidiary

    20,302     8,290     21,308     23,203  

Net Income

  $ 23,888   $ 12,774   $ 33,127   $ 28,383  

Comprehensive Income

  $ 23,959   $ 13,067   $ 32,731   $ 28,344  

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 24: Condensed Financial Information (Parent Company Only) (Continued)

Condensed Statements of Cash Flows

 
  Six Months
Ended June 30,
  Year Ended
December 31,
 
 
  2017   2016   2016   2015  
 
  (In thousands)
 

Operating Activities

                         

Net income

  $ 23,888   $ 12,774   $ 33,127   $ 28,383  

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities

    (16,860 )   (9,832 )   (26,561 )   (25,357 )

Net cash provided by operating activities

    7,028     2,942     6,566     3,026  

Investing Activities

                         

Contributed capital to subsidiary

        (18,525 )   (31,625 )   (23,971 )

Other investing activity

        (429 )   (295 )    

Net cash used in investing activities

        (18,954 )   (31,920 )   (23,971 )

Financing Activities

                         

Net change in short-term borrowings

                10,000  

Dividends paid

    (3,776 )   (2,518 )   (6,224 )   (4,222 )

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

                3,941  

Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock

        18,525     31,581     10,000  

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities          

    (3,776 )   16,007     25,357     19,719  

Net Change in Cash and Due From Banks

    3,252     (5 )   3     (1,226 )

Cash and Due From Banks at Beginning of Year

    158     155     155     1,381  

Cash and Due From Banks at End of Year

  $ 3,410   $ 150   $ 158   $ 155  

Note 25: Recent Accounting Pronouncements

        The Company is an emerging growth company and as such will be subject to the effective dates noted for the private companies if they differ from the effective dates noted for public companies.

FASB ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers

        In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers," which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The ASU will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. In March, 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, "Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net)," which clarifies the guidance in determining revenue recognition as principal versus agent. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, "Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing," which provides guidance in accounting for immaterial performance obligations and shipping and handling. In May 2016, the FASB

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 25: Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Continued)

issued ASU 2016-12, "Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients," which provides clarification on assessing the collectability criterion, presentation of sales taxes, measurement date for noncash consideration and completed contracts at transition. This ASU also provides a practical expedient for contract modifications.

        The amendments are effective, as to the Company, for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and for interim reporting periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting the guidance.

FASB ASU 2016-01, Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities

        In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, "Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities." For public business entities, the amendments in this update include the elimination of the requirement to disclose the method(s) and significant assumptions used to estimate fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments measured at amortized cost on the balance sheet, the requirement to use the exit price notion when measuring fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes, the requirement to present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the total change in the fair value of a liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk when the entity has elected to measure the liability at fair value in accordance with the fair value option for financial instruments, the requirement for separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset (that is, securities or loans and receivables) on the balance sheet or accompanying notes to the financial statements, and the amendments clarify that an entity should evaluate the need for a valuation allowance on a deferred tax asset related to available-for-sale securities in combination with the entity's other deferred tax assets.

        The amendments in this update are effective, as to the Company, for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption of the amendments in this update is not permitted, except that early application by public business entities to financial statements of fiscal years or interim periods that have not yet been issued or, by all other entities, that have not yet been made available for issuance, are permitted as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption for the following amendment: An entity should present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the total change in the fair value of a liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk if the entity has elected to measure the liability at fair value in accordance with the fair value option for financial instruments. An entity should apply the amendments to this update by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. Management is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance on the Company's financial statements, however adoption of ASU No. 2016-01 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 25: Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Continued)

FASB ASU 2016-02, Leases

        In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases." Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize the following for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date:

    A lease liability, which is a lessee's obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis; and

    A right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee's right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term.

        Under the new guidance, lessor accounting is largely unchanged. Certain targeted improvements were made to align, where necessary, lessor accounting with the lessee accounting model and Topic 606, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers."

        The new lease guidance simplified the accounting for sale and leaseback transactions primarily because lessees must recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. Lessees will no longer be provided with a source of off-balance sheet financing.

        The amendments in ASU 2016-02 are effective, as to the Company, for years beginning after December 15, 2019, and for interim periods for years beginning after January 1, 2020. Lessees (for capital and operating leases) and lessors (for sales-type, direct financing, and operating leases) must apply a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. The modified retrospective approach would not require any transition accounting for leases that expired before the earliest comparative period presented. Lessees and lessors may not apply a full retrospective transition approach. Management is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance on the Company's financial statements.

FASB ASU 2016-09 Share-Based Payments .

        In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09 "Share-Based Payments." The guidance in this ASU simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions, including the income tax consequences, the classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and the classification on the statement of cash flows. Additionally, the guidance simplifies two areas specific to entities other than public business entities allowing them apply a practical expedient to estimate the expected term for all awards with performance or service conditions that have certain characteristics and also allowing them to make a one-time election to switch from measuring all liability-classified awards at fair value to measuring them at intrinsic value. The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Management does not believe the changes will have a material effect on the Company's financial position and results of operations.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 25: Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Continued)

FASB ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses

        In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments—Credit Losses". The amendments in this ASU replace the incurred loss model with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses over the life of the loan and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to calculate credit loss estimates. ASU 2016-13 replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology with a new methodology that reflects expected credit losses over the lives of the loans and requires consideration of a broader range of information to inform credit loss estimates. The ASU requires an organization to estimate all expected credit losses for financial assets measured at amortized cost, including loans and held-to-maturity debt securities, based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Additional disclosures are required. ASU 2016-13 is effective, as to the Company, for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. Management expects that the implementation of this ASU may increase the balance of the allowance for loan losses and is continuing to evaluate the potential impact on the Company's financial position and results of operations.

FASB ASU No. 2017-04: Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350)

        In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, "Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350)." This ASU simplifies the test for goodwill impairment. Specifically, these amendments eliminate Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test, and also eliminate the requirements for any reporting unit with a zero or negative carrying amount to perform a qualitative assessment and, if it fails that qualitative test, to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. The amendments in this ASU are effective for annual goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. Management does not believe the changes will have a material effect on the Company's financial position and results of operations.

FASB ASU 2017-08, Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt

        In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-08, "Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt." This ASU applies to all entities that hold investments in callable debt securities that have an amortized cost basis in excess of the amount that is repayable by the issuer at the earliest call date (that is, at a premium). The ASU requires the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date, not the maturity date. The amendments do not require an accounting change for securities held at a discount; the discount continues to be amortized to maturity. ASU 2017-08 is effective as to the Company for years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within years beginning after December 15, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. Management is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance and does not expect the ASU to have a material effect on the Company's financial position or results of operations.

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Merchants Bancorp

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited) and
Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Note 26: Subsequent Events

Acquisition of RICHMAC

        The Bank entered into an agreement dated June 26, 2017 to acquire 100% of the equity interests of RICHMAC Funding, LLC, ("RICHMAC") a Delaware limited liability company, which is a national multifamily housing mortgage lender. For the year ended December 31, 2016, RICHMAC had total revenues of $8.2 million and net income of $2.0 million. The acquisition is expected to provide P/RMIC access to affordable multi-family finance programs through the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), as well as servicing a portfolio of Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), FNMA Delegated Underwriting and Servicing (DUS) and FHLMC loans. The acquisition is expected to allow P/RMIC to provide additional product offerings to current customers as well as broaden the origination network into attractive markets where the Bank does not currently have a presence. The agreement provides that the purchase price is payable in shares of Company common stock with a value of $8.0 million and is subject to increase for the fair value of servicing rights added by RICHMAC for the period after the agreement date and up to the closing date. The Company closed the acquisition on August 15, 2017 and issued 383,271 shares of our common stock in exchange for 100% of the equity interest of RICHMAC. Certain fair value measurements and the purchase price allocation have not been completed due to the timing of the acquisition. Review of the estimated fair values of assets acquired (including intangible assets) and liabilities assumed will occur during the measurement period.

Other Subsequent Events

        As previously discussed in Note 14, Stock Splits, on July 5, 2017, the Company approved an increase of authorized common shares to 50.0 million shares, and declared a 2.5-for-1 stock split effective July 6, 2017. The presentation of authorized common shares has been retrospectively adjusted for the increase, and all share and per share amounts have been retrospectively adjusted to give effect to the stock split.

        On July 5, 2017, the Company approved the Merchants Bancorp 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2017 Plan") that provides for awards of up to 1.5 million shares to Company directors, employees and other service providers. The 2017 Plan provides for awards of stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, and other incentive awards, or an equivalent amount of cash. No awards have been made under the 2017 Plan. The 2017 Plan replaces the existing plan described in Note 19, and no further awards will be made under that plan, although existing awards will paid through the vesting periods.

        Subsequent events have been evaluated through the date of the Independent Auditor's Report, which is the date the consolidated financial statements were available to be issued. No other material events were noted.

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5,555,555 Shares

LOGO

Common Stock



PROSPECTUS
                , 2017



Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P.

Stephens Inc.

Raymond James

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey

         Through and including                , 2017 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that effect transactions in our common stock, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This delivery requirement is in addition to the obligation of dealers to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

   


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PART II—INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 13.    Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

        The following table sets forth costs and expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, in connection with the sale of shares of our common stock being registered, all of which will be paid by us. All amounts shown are estimates, except for the SEC registration fee, the FINRA filing fee and the Nasdaq listing fee.

 
  Amount  

SEC registration fee

  $ 13,329  

FINRA filing fee

    17,750  

Nasdaq listing fee

    75,000  

Legal fees and expenses

    700,000  

Accounting fees and expenses

    225,000  

Printing fees and expenses

    350,000  

Miscellaneous expenses

    50,000  

Total

  $ 1,431,079  

Item 14.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

        Merchants Bancorp ("Merchants") is an Indiana corporation. Merchants' officers and directors are and will be indemnified under Indiana law and the First Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of Merchants against certain liabilities. Chapter 37 of the Indiana Business Corporation Law (the "IBCL") requires a corporation, unless limited by its articles of incorporation, to indemnify a director or an officer of the corporation who is wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative and whether formal or informal, against reasonable expenses, including counsel fees, incurred in connection with the proceeding. Merchants' Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation do not contain any provision limiting such indemnification.

        The IBCL also permits a corporation to indemnify a director, officer, employee, or agent who is made a party to a proceeding because the person was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation against liability incurred in the proceeding if (i) the individual's conduct was in good faith, and (ii) the individual reasonably believed (A) in the case of conduct in the individual's official capacity with the corporation, that the conduct was in the corporation's best interests, and (B) in all other cases, that the individual's conduct was at least not opposed to the corporation's best interests, and (iii) in the case of a criminal proceeding, the individual either (A) had reasonable cause to believe the individual's conduct was lawful, or (B) had no reasonable cause to believe the individual's conduct was unlawful. The IBCL also permits a corporation to pay for or reimburse reasonable expenses incurred before the final disposition of the proceeding and permits a court of competent jurisdiction to order a corporation to indemnify a director or officer if the court determines that the person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification in view of all the relevant circumstances, whether or not the person met the standards for indemnification otherwise provided in the IBCL.

        Merchants' First Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation require it to provide indemnification to its officers and directors to the fullest extent authorized by the IBCL and to pay for or reimburse reasonable expenses incurred before the final disposition of the proceeding as authorized by the IBCL. Merchants' First Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation also authorize it to maintain insurance at its expense to protect itself and any of its directors, officers, employees or agents or those of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, or other entity against expense, liability or loss, whether or not Merchants would have the power to indemnify such person against such

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expense, liability or loss under the IBCL. Merchants currently maintains officer and director liability insurance.

        Reference is made to the form of underwriting agreement to be filed as Exhibit 1.1 hereto for provisions providing that the underwriters are obligated under certain circumstances to indemnify our directors, officers and controlling persons against certain liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").

Item 15.    Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

        The following sets forth information regarding unregistered securities that were sold within the past three years.

        Common Stock Offering.     In 2014, we commenced an offering of its common stock. In connection with the offering, in December 2014 and February 2015, we issued an aggregate of 703,700 shares and 407,500 shares, respectively, of common stock to accredited investors. The cash proceeds from the sale of common stock were used for general corporate purposes. The aggregate offering price of the shares of common stock was $11,112,000. Keefe, Bruyette, & Woods, Inc. and City Securities Corporation acted as placement agents and received an aggregate of $371,011 for concessions, fees and expenses related this transaction. The common stock was issued under an exemption from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated thereunder as a transaction by an issuer not involving any public offering.

        Preferred Stock Offerings.     In December 2015, we issued an aggregate of 10,000 shares of preferred stock to related parties which qualified as accredited investors. The cash proceeds from the sale of preferred stock were used for general corporate purposes. The aggregate offering price of the shares of preferred stock was $10,000,000. No underwriters or placement agents were engaged in the offering. The preferred stock was issued under an exemption from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act as a transaction by an issuer not involving any public offering.

        In 2016, we commenced an offering of its preferred stock. In connection with this offering, in June 2016 and July 2016, we issued an aggregate of 18,525 shares and 13,100 shares, respectively, of preferred stock to accredited and non-accredited investors. The cash proceeds from the sale of preferred stock were used for general corporate purposes. The aggregate offering price of the shares of preferred stock was $31,625,000. No underwriters or placement agents were engaged in the offering. The preferred stock was issued under an exemption from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated thereunder as a transaction by an issuer not involving any public offering.

        RICHMAC Funding, LLC Acquisition.     In August 2017, we issued an aggregate of 383,271 shares of common stock in exchange for 100% of the equity interests of RICHMAC Funding, LLC pursuant to a Member Interests Purchase Agreement dated June 26, 2017. No underwriters or placement agents were engaged in the offering. The common stock was issued under an exemption from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated thereunder as a transaction by an issuer not involving any public offering.

Item 16.    Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

        (a)   Exhibits.    The Exhibit Index at the end of this Registration Statement is incorporated herein by reference.

        (b)   Financial Statement Schedules.    All schedules have been omitted as not applicable or not required under the rules of Regulation S-X.

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Item 17.    Undertakings.

        The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

        Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

        The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

    (1)
    For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

    (2)
    For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

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EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number
  Description
  1.1   Form of Underwriting Agreement.

 

2.1

*†

Stock Purchase Agreement by and among Michael F. Petrie, Randall D. Rogers, and Merchants Bancorp dated as of May 8, 2017 (previously filed as Exhibit 10.9).

 

2.2


Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of October 31, 2016 by and among Merchants Bancorp, MB Acquisition Corp., and Bluestem Development Corporation.

 

2.3

*

First Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of December 22, 2016 by and among Merchants Bancorp, MB Acquisition Corp., Bluestem Development Corporation, Michael F. Petrie, and Randall D. Rogers (previously filed as Exhibit 10.11).

 

3.1

*

First Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of Merchants Bancorp.

 

3.2

*

First Amended and Restated By-laws of Merchants Bancorp.

 

5.1

 

Opinion of Krieg DeVault LLP.

 

10.1

*

Loan Agreement between Merchants Bancorp and The Huntington National Bank effective September 24, 2012.

 

10.2

*

First Loan Modification and Reaffirmation Agreement by and among The Huntington National Bank, Merchants Bancorp, and Providence Bank effective as of August 1, 2013.

 

10.3

*

Second Loan Modification Agreement by and among The Huntington National Bank, Merchants Bancorp, and Providence Bank effective as of September 23, 2013.

 

10.4

*

Third Loan Modification Agreement by and among The Huntington National Bank, Merchants Bancorp, and Providence Bank effective as of September 22, 2014.

 

10.5

*

Fourth Loan Modification Agreement by and among The Huntington National Bank, Merchants Bancorp, and Providence Bank dated June 5, 2015.

 

10.6

*

Fifth Loan Modification Agreement by and among The Huntington National Bank, Merchants Bancorp, and Providence Bank effective as of June 3, 2016.

 

10.7

*

Sixth Loan Modification Agreement by and among The Huntington National Bank, Merchants Bancorp, and Providence Bank effective as of June 2, 2017.

 

10.8

 

Revolving Subordinated Loan Agreement and Subordinated Promissory Note between Merchants Bancorp and Home Point Financial Corporation effective May 31, 2017.

 

10.9

*

Description of Incentive Plan for Michael J. Dunlap, Director, President and Co-Chief Operating Officer (previously filed as Exhibit 10.12).

 

10.10

*

Description of Incentive Plan for Scott A. Evans, Director, President and Co-Chief Operating Officer (previously filed as Exhibit 10.13).

 

10.11

*

Employment Agreement by and between P/R Mortgage & Investment Corp. and Michael R. Dury dated December 29, 2010 (previously filed as Exhibit 10.14).

 

10.12

*

Amendment to Employment Agreement by and between P/R Mortgage & Investment Corp. and Michael R. Dury effective as of January 1, 2017 (previously filed as Exhibit 10.15).

 

10.13

*

Merchants Bancorp 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (previously filed as Exhibit 10.16).

 

21.1

*

Subsidiaries of Merchants Bancorp.

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Exhibit
Number
  Description
  23.1   Consent of BKD, LLP.

 

23.2

 

Consent of Krieg DeVault LLP (included as part of Exhibit 5.1).

 

24.1

*

Power of Attorney (included on the signature page to the Registration Statement).

*
Previously filed.

Schedules have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. Merchants hereby undertakes to furnish supplementally copies of any of the omitted schedules upon request by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; provided, however, that Merchants may request confidential treatment pursuant to Rule 24b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, for any schedules so furnished.

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SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Carmel, State of Indiana, on October 16, 2017.

  MERCHANTS BANCORP

 

By:

 

/s/ MICHAEL F. PETRIE


Michael F. Petrie
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature
 
Title
 
Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ MICHAEL F. PETRIE


Michael F. Petrie
 

Director (Chairman); Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

  October 16, 2017


/s/ JOHN F. MACKE


John F. Macke

 


Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)


 


October 16, 2017



/s/ BILL D. BUCHANAN


Bill D. Buchanan

 


Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer)


 


October 16, 2017



/s/ RANDALL D. ROGERS


Randall D. Rogers

 


Director


 


October 16, 2017



/s/ MICHAEL J. DUNLAP


Michael J. Dunlap

 


Director


 


October 16, 2017



*


Scott A. Evans

 


Director


 


October 16, 2017



*


Sue Anne Gilroy

 


Director


 


October 16, 2017



*


Patrick D. O'Brien

 


Director


 


October 16, 2017



*


John W. Perry

 


Director


 


October 16, 2017



*


Anne E. Sellers

 


Director


 


October 16, 2017


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Signature
 
Title
 
Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*


David N. Shane
 

Director

 

October 16, 2017



*By:


 


/s/ MICHAEL F. PETRIE


Michael F. Petrie
Attorney-in-fact

 


 


 


 

II-7




Exhibit 1.1

 

[       ] Shares of Common Stock

 

MERCHANTS BANCORP, INC.

 

Common Stock, without par value per share

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

[          ], 2017

 

SANDLER O’NEILL & PARTNERS, L.P.

1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor

New York, New York 10020

 

STEPHENS INC.

111 Center Street

Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

 

as Representatives of the several Underwriters

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Merchants Bancorp, Inc., an Indiana corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. (“Sandler”), Stephens Inc. (“Stephens”) and each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Sandler and Stephens are acting as representatives (in such capacity, the “Representatives”), with respect to (i) the sale by the Company, and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of an aggregate of [ · ] shares of Common Stock, without par value per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”), in the respective amounts set forth in Schedule A hereto and (ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of [ · ] additional shares of Common Stock.  The aforesaid [ · ] shares of Common Stock (the “Initial Shares”) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the [ · ] shares of Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “Option Shares”) are hereinafter called, collectively, the “Securities.”

 

The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this Underwriting Agreement has been executed and delivered.

 

The Company and the Underwriters agree that up to [ · ] shares of the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters (the “Reserved Securities”) shall be reserved for sale by the Underwriters to certain eligible employees, officers, directors and persons having a business relationship with the Company including, current shareholders and customers and their families (the “Invitees”), as part of the distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters, subject to the terms of this Underwriting Agreement, the applicable rules, regulations and interpretations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations (the “Directed Share Program”).  To the

 



 

extent that such Reserved Securities are not orally confirmed for purchase by the Invitees by the end of the first business day after the date of this Underwriting Agreement, such Reserved Securities may be offered to the public as part of the public offering contemplated hereby.

 

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-xxxxxx), including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectus covering the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Promptly after execution and delivery of this Underwriting Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430A (“Rule 430A”) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the “1933 Act Regulations”) and paragraph (b) of Rule 424 (“Rule 424(b)”) of the 1933 Act Regulations.  The information included in such prospectus that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of such registration statement at the time it became effective pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 430A is referred to as “Rule 430A Information.”  Each prospectus used before such registration statement became effective, and any prospectus that omitted the Rule 430A Information that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Underwriting Agreement, is herein called a “preliminary prospectus.”  Such registration statement, including the amendments thereto, the exhibits and any schedules thereto, if any, at the time it became effective and including the Rule 430A Information is herein called the “Registration Statement.”  Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein referred to as the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and after such filing the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.  The final prospectus in the form first used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Securities or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the 1933 Act is herein called the “Prospectus.”  For purposes of this Underwriting Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”).

 

As used in this Underwriting Agreement:

 

Applicable Time ” means [ · ] [a/p].m. (Eastern time) on [ · ] or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representatives.

 

General Disclosure Package ” means any Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the preliminary prospectus relating to the Securities dated [ · ], all considered together.

 

Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus ” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“ Rule 433 ”), relating to the Securities that is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission.

 

Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus ” means any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B hereto.

 

Issuer-Represented Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus ” means any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus.  The term Issuer Represented Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus also includes any “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433, that is made available without restriction pursuant to Rule 433(d)(8)(ii), even though not required to be filed with the SEC.

 

2



 

SECTION 1.         Representations and Warranties and Agreements .

 

(a)           Representations and Warranties by the Company.   The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and as of each Date of Delivery (if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

 

(i)                Compliance with Registration Requirements .  (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, any 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto, and (B) at the date hereof, the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”), each of the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto under the 1933 Act and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with.

 

At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became effective and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Shares are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus and any supplement thereto[ or prospectus wrapper prepared in connection therewith], at their respective times of issuance and at the Closing Time, complied and will comply in all material respects with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Prospectus and such preliminary prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the offer and sale of Securities in foreign jurisdictions. Neither the General Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, nor the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto [(including any prospectus wrapper)] at the time the Prospectus as of its date or any such amendment or supplement was issued and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Shares are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.   The representations and warranties in this paragraph shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood that the only written information that the Underwriters have furnished to the Company specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are (i) the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the Prospectus in the section entitled “Underwriting— Commission and Discounts,” (ii) the first three paragraphs contained under the caption “Underwriting—Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids” and (iii) the first sentence under the caption “Underwriting—Passive Market Making,” (such information being referred to herein as the “ Underwriter Information ”).

 

Each preliminary prospectus and the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and each

 

3



 

preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

As of the Applicable Time, neither (x) the General Disclosure Package nor (y) any individual Issuer-Represented Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties in this paragraph shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the General Disclosure Package or any Issuer-Represented Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(ii)               Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectuses .  Each Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities, or until any earlier date that the issuer notified or notifies the Representatives, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.

 

(iii)              Emerging Growth Company .   From the time of the initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication (as defined below)) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the 1933 Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”). “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the 1933 Act.

 

(iv)             Testing-the-Waters Communications .   The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives and with entities that are either (1) qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act or (2) institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the 1933 Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed or approved for distribution any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications (defined below) other than those listed on Schedule B hereto.

 

“Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the 1933 Act. Any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package, complied in all material respects with the 1933 Act, and when taken together with the General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Time and as of each Date of Delivery (if any), as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties in this paragraph shall not apply to statements in or omissions from any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(v)              Independent Accountants .  BKD LLP, the accounting firm that certified the financial statements and supporting schedules of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the

 

4



 

General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. BKD LLP is a registered public accounting firm, as defined by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, whose registration has not been suspended or revoked and who has not requested such registration to be withdrawn. With respect to the Company, BKD LLP is not and has not been in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and the related rules and regulations of the Commission.

 

(vi)             Financial Statements .  The financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved.  The supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein.  The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and the books and records of the Company.  No other financial statements or schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.  To the extent applicable, all disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“1934 Act”), the rules and regulations of the 1934 Act (the “1934 Act Regulations”) and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the 1933 Act, as applicable.

 

(vii)            No Material Adverse Change in Business .  Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C)  there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

 

(viii)           Company Validly Existing .  The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Indiana and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Underwriting Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ix)             Good Standing of Subsidiaries .  Each of the Company’s subsidiaries (for purposes of this Underwriting Agreement, are “majority-owned subsidiaries” as defined in Rule 405

 

5



 

under the Securities Act) has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation, in good standing to the extent recognized, under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.  All of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each such subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such subsidiary.  The only subsidiaries of the Company are the subsidiaries listed on Schedule E hereto.

 

(x)              Capitalization .  The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus).  The shares of issued and outstanding capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. All of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any subsidiary was issued in violation of any preemptive or similar right of any securityholder of such subsidiary.

 

(xi)             Authorization of Agreement .  This Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

(xii)            Authorization and Description of Securities .  The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable; the Common Stock conforms to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same; no holder of the Securities will be subject to personal liability for the debts of the Company by reason of being such a holder; and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

 

(xiii)           Absence of Defaults and Conflicts .  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter or by-laws or (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”) except for such defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Underwriting Agreement by the Company and its banking

 

6



 

subsidiary Merchants Bank of Indiana, an Indiana state chartered bank (the “Bank”) and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company and the Bank with their obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any subsidiary or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their assets, properties or operations.  As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness or obligation of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness or obligation by the Company or any subsidiary.

 

(xiv)           Absence of Labor Dispute .  No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, may reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xv)            Absence of Proceedings .  There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (other than as disclosed therein), or which might reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Underwriting Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xvi)           Accuracy of Exhibits .  There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so described and filed as required.

 

(xvii)          Possession of Intellectual Property .  The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures and excluding generally commercially available “off the shelf” software programs licensed pursuant to shrink wrap or “click and accept” licenses), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by each of them, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted

 

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rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xviii)         Absence of Further Requirements .  No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, state securities laws or rules and regulations of FINRA.

 

(xix)           Possession of Licenses and Permits .  The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the absence of the permit, license, approval, consent or other authorization or the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except where the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has failed to file with applicable regulatory authorities any statement, report, information or form required by any applicable law, regulation or order, except where the failure to be so in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, all such filings were in material compliance with applicable laws when filed and no material deficiencies have been asserted by any regulatory commission, agency or authority with respect to any such filings or submissions.

 

(xx)            Title to Property .  The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

 

(xxi)           Investment Company Act .  The Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be, an

 

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“investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

 

(xxii)          Environmental Laws .  Except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

 

(xxiii)         Taxes .  The Company and each of the subsidiaries has (a) timely filed all material foreign, United States federal, state and local tax returns, information returns, and similar reports that are required to be filed (taking into account valid extensions), and all tax returns are true, correct and complete, (b) paid in full all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, except for any such tax assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith or as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and (c) established on the most recent balance sheet reserves that are adequate for the payment of all taxes not yet due and payable.

 

(xxiv)         Insurance .  The Company and its subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company reasonably believes are adequate for the conduct of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries and the value of their properties and as are customary in the business in which the Company and its subsidiaries are engaged; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and the Company has no reason to believe that they will not be able to renew their existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxv)          Statistical and Market Data .  The statistical and market related data contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, are reliable and accurate and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived. To the extent required, the Company has obtained written consent to the use of such data from the relevant third party sources.

 

(xxvi)         Relationship .  No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the 1933 Act, the

 

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1933 Act Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and that is not so described.

 

(xxvii)        Internal Control Over Financial Reporting .  The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.  Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (I) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (II) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(xxviii)       Disclosure Controls and Procedures .  The Company and its subsidiaries employ disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 under the 1934 Act), which (A) are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms and that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within the Company and its subsidiaries to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure, and (B) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established.  Based on the evaluation of the Company’s and each subsidiary’s disclosure controls and procedures described above, the Company is not aware of (1) any significant deficiency in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or any material weaknesses in internal controls or (2) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls.  Since the most recent evaluation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures described above, there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls.

 

(xxix)         Pending Procedures and Examinations .  The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.

 

(xxx)          Unlawful Payments .  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (A) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (B) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (C) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977; or (D) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.

 

(xxxi)         No Registration Rights .  No person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the 1933 Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Securities to be sold by the Company hereunder, except for such rights as have been duly waived in writing and are described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus. All such waivers are in full force and effect on the date hereof.

 

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(xxxii)        No Preemptive Rights .  There are no authorized or outstanding preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries except for such rights as have been duly waived and are described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus. All such waivers are in full force and effect on the date hereof.

 

(xxxiii)       No Stabilization or Manipulation .  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any affiliates of the Company or its subsidiaries, has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.

 

(xxxiv)      No Unauthorized Use of Prospectus .  The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of (i) the Closing Time and (ii) completion of the distribution of the Securities, will not distribute any prospectus (as such term is defined in the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations) in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or other materials, if any, permitted by the 1933 Act or by the 1933 Act Regulations and approved by the Representatives.

 

(xxxv)       Forward-Looking Statements .  No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Act and Section 21E of the 1934 Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

 

(xxxvi)      Lock-up Agreements .  Each of the (i) Company’s executive officers and directors, (ii) certain other shareholders and (iii) Invitees, in each case as listed on Schedule D hereto, has executed and delivered lock-up agreements as contemplated by Section 5(i) hereof.

 

(xxxvii)     Fees .  Other than as contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company or any subsidiary any brokerage or finder’s fee or any other fee, commission or payment as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement.

 

(xxxviii)    ERISA .  The Company and each of the subsidiaries or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with all presently applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”); no “reportable event” (as defined in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any “employee benefit plan” (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company or any of the subsidiaries or ERISA Affiliates would have any liability; the Company and each of the subsidiaries or their ERISA Affiliates have not incurred and do not expect to incur liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively the “Code”); and each “employee benefit plan” for which the Company and each of its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material respects and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company or a subsidiary, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code or Section 400(b) of ERISA of which the Company or such subsidiary is a member.

 

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(xxxix)      Directed Share Program .  The Company has not offered, or caused the Underwriters to offer, Securities to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company to alter the customer or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company, or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or its products and services.

 

(xl)             Bank Holding Company Act; Banking Regulation .  The Company is duly registered as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. The Bank holds the requisite authority to do business as a state chartered bank under the laws of the state of Indiana.

 

(xli)            No Regulatory Proceedings .  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to or subject to any order, decree, agreement, memorandum of understanding or similar agreement with, or a commitment letter, supervisory letter or similar submission to, any federal, state or local court or governmental entity (each a “Governmental Entity”) charged with the supervision or regulation of depository institutions or engaged in the insurance of deposits (including the FDIC) or the supervision or regulation of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been advised by any such Governmental Entity that such Governmental Entity is contemplating issuing or requesting (or is considering the appropriateness of issuing or requesting) any such order, decree, agreement, memorandum of understanding, commitment letter, supervisory letter or similar submission.

 

(xlii)           Compliance with Applicable Laws .  Except where the failure to be in compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries conduct their respective businesses in compliance with all federal, state, local and foreign statutes, laws, rules, regulations, decisions, directives and orders applicable to them (including, without limitation, all applicable regulations and orders of, or agreements with, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions (“IDFI”), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Community Reinvestment Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, all other applicable fair lending laws or other laws relating to discrimination, the Bank Secrecy Act, Title III of the USA Patriot Act, the Currency and Foreign Transaction Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, and any applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity).  Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries has received any communication from any Governmental Entity asserting that the Company or any subsidiary is not in compliance with any statute, law, rule, regulation, decision, directive or order, except where the asserted failure to comply would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xliii)          Deposit Insurance .  The deposit accounts of the Bank are insured by the FDIC up to the legal maximum, the Bank has paid all premiums and assessments required by the FDIC and the regulations thereunder and no proceeding for the termination or revocation of such insurance is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(xliv)          OFAC .  None of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or any officer or director of either the Company or any Subsidiary, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, after due inquiry, any agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is or has been (A) engaged in any services (including financial services), transfers of goods, software, or technology, or any other business activity related to (i) Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria or the Crimea region of Ukraine claimed by Russia (“ Sanctioned Countries ”), (ii) the government of any Sanctioned Country, (iii) any person, entity or organization located in, resident in, formed under the laws of, or owned or controlled by the government of, any Sanctioned Country, or (iv) any person, entity or

 

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organization made subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including, without limitation, the list of Specially Designated Nationals (“ SDN List ”) of the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“ OFAC ”), or by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “ Sanctions ”) and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of this offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, or any joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of or business with any person, or in any country or territory, that currently is the subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC; (B) engaged in any transfers of goods, technologies or services (including financial services) that may assist the governments of Sanctioned Countries or facilitate money laundering or other activities proscribed by United States laws, rules or regulations; (C) is a person, entity or organization currently the subject of any Sanctions; or (D) located, organized or resident in any Sanctioned Country.

 

(xlv)           Investment Securities .  Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all securities held by it (except securities sold under repurchase agreements or held in any fiduciary or agency capacity) free and clear of any lien, claim, charge, option, encumbrance, mortgage, pledge or security interest or other restriction of any kind, except to the extent such securities are pledged in the ordinary course of business consistent with prudent business practices to secure obligations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and except for such defects in title or liens, claims, charges, options, encumbrances, mortgages, pledges or security interests or other restrictions of any kind that would not be material to the Company and its subsidiaries.  Such securities are valued on the books of the Company and its subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP.

 

(xlvi)          Derivative Securities .  Except as has or would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, all material swaps, caps, floors, futures, forward contracts, option agreements (other than employee stock options) and other derivative financial instruments, contracts or arrangements, whether entered into for the account of the Company or one of its subsidiaries or for the account of a customer of the Company or one of its subsidiaries, were entered into in the ordinary course of business and in accordance and in all material respects with applicable laws, rules, regulations and policies of all applicable regulatory agencies and with counterparties believed to be financially responsible at the time.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries have duly performed in all material respects all of their obligations thereunder to the extent that such obligations to perform have accrued. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto, is in breach of its material obligations under any such agreement or arrangement.

 

(xlvii)         Bank Dividend Restrictions .  Except as disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any order of the Federal Reserve Board (other than orders applicable to bank holding companies and their subsidiaries generally), the FDIC, the IDFI or any other Governmental Entity, under any applicable law, or under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.

 

(b)           Representations and Warranties by the Bank.   The Bank represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and as of each Date of Delivery (if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

 

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(i)            The Bank has been duly chartered and is validly existing as an Indiana state-chartered bank under the laws of Indiana, and has been duly qualified as a foreign bank for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification or is subject to no material liability or disability by reason of the failure to be so qualified in any such other jurisdiction.

 

(ii)           Neither the Bank nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter, bylaws or other organizational or governing documents or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Bank or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Bank or any of its subsidiaries is subject (collectively, “Bank Instruments”).

 

(iii)          The execution, delivery and performance of this Underwriting Agreement by the Bank, compliance by the Bank with all of the provisions of this Underwriting Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated do not and will not contravene, conflict with, or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any Bank Instrument, nor does or will any such action contravene, conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Bank or any statute, order, rule or regulation of any court or Governmental Entity having jurisdiction over the Bank or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties.

 

(c)           Officer’s Certificates.   Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

SECTION 2.         Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing .

 

(a)           Initial Shares.   On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price per share set forth in Schedule C, that number of Initial Shares set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Initial Shares which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof (in proportion to the total number of Initial Shares), subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional securities.

 

(b)           Option Shares.   In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an aggregate of [ · ] Option Shares, at the price per share set forth in Schedule D, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Shares but not payable on the Option Shares.  The option hereby granted will expire 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company setting forth the number of Option Shares as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Shares.  Any such time and date of delivery (a “Date of Delivery”) shall be determined by the Representatives, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time, as hereinafter defined.  If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Shares, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not

 

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jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Shares then being purchased which the number of Initial Shares set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Initial Shares, subject in each case to such adjustments as the Representatives in their discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

 

(c)           Payment.   Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Initial Shares shall be made at the offices of Covington & Burling LLP, One CityCenter, 850 Tenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001-4956, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than 10 business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).

 

In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Shares are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, such Option Shares shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representatives to the Company.

 

Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates for the Securities to be purchased by them.  It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for their accounts, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Shares and the Option Shares, if any, which it has agreed to purchase.  Sandler and Stephens, individually and not as representatives of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Shares or the Option Shares, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

 

(d)           Denominations; Registration.   Certificates for the Initial Shares and the Option Shares, if any, shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives may request in writing at least one full business day before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be.  The certificates for the Initial Shares and the Option Shares, if any, will be made available for examination by the Representatives not later than 10:00 a.m. (Eastern time) on the business day prior to the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be.

 

SECTION 3.         Covenants of the Company .  The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)           Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests.   The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A and will notify the Representatives immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the

 

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Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.  The Company will promptly effect the filings necessary pursuant to Rule 424(b) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus.  The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order described in clause (iv) above and, if any such stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

(b)           Filing of Amendments.   The Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b)), or any amendment, supplement or revision to either any preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective) or to the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

 

(c)           Delivery of Registration Statements.   The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, as many signed copies as the Underwriters may reasonably request of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith) and as many signed copies as the Underwriters may reasonably request of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representatives, without charge, as many conformed copies as the Underwriters may reasonably request of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters.  The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(d)           Delivery of Prospectuses.   The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act.  The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request.  The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(e)           Continued Compliance with Securities Laws.   The Company will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Underwriting Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.  If at any time when a prospectus is required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus in order that such preliminary prospectus or Prospectus will not include any untrue statements of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus in order to

 

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comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b), such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.  If at any time following issuance of an Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or contained or would contain an untrue statement of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

(f)            Blue Sky Qualifications.   The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect for a period of not less than one year from the later of the effective date of the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement; provided, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.  In each jurisdiction in which the Securities have been so qualified, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification in effect for a period of not less than one year from the effective date of the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.  The Company will also supply the Underwriters with such information as is necessary for the determination of the legality of the Securities for investment under the laws of such jurisdiction as the Underwriters may request.

 

(g)           Rule 158.   The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

 

(h)           Use of Proceeds.   The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(i)            Listing.   The Company will use its best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) and will file with Nasdaq all documents and notices required by Nasdaq of companies that have securities that are traded in the over-the-counter market and quotations for which are reported by the Nasdaq.

 

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(j)            Restriction on Sale of Securities.   During a period of 180 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any share of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.  The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, (C) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common Stock granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, provided that such options shall not be vested and exercisable within the 180 day period referred to above, or (D) any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any non-employee director stock plan or dividend reinvestment plan.

 

(k)           Reporting Requirements.   The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

 

(l)            Directed Share Program .  The Company will comply with all applicable securities and other laws, rules and regulations in each jurisdiction in which the Reserved Securities are offered in connection with the Directed Share Program.

 

(m)          Lock-up Agreements.   Within the 180-day period following the Closing Time, the Company agrees to issue stop-transfer instructions to its transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock with respect to any transfer or contemplated transfer that would constitute a breach of, or default under, any lock-up agreements delivered to the Representatives as contemplated by Section 5(i) hereof.

 

(n)           Issuer Free Writing Prospectus . The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission.  Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representatives and the Company is hereinafter referred to as an “ Issuer Permitted Free Writing Prospectus .”  The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Issuer Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Issuer Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.  The Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.

 

(o)           Registration Rights, Preemptive Rights and Other Rights.          The Company agrees that it shall not release any party from a waiver of registration rights, or from a waiver of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, during the 180-day restricted period referred to in Section 3(j) hereof.

 

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(p)           Emerging Growth Company .  The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of Securities within the meaning of the 1933 Act and (ii) completion of the 180-day restricted period referred to in Section 3(j) hereof.

 

SECTION 4.         Payment of Expenses .

 

(a)           Expenses.   The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Underwriting Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of this Underwriting Agreement, any Agreement among Underwriters and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto (including any costs associated with electronic delivery of these materials), (vii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (viii) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (ix) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations in connection with testing-the-waters meetings or on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of testing-the-waters or road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the testing-the-waters presentations or road show, travel and lodging expenses of the officers of the Company and any such consultants, and (x) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the Nasdaq.

 

(b)           Termination of Agreement.   If this Underwriting Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a) or Section 11 hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

 

SECTION 5.         Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations .  The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

 

(a)           Effectiveness of Registration Statement.   The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become effective and at Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters.  A prospectus containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) (or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A).

 

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(b)           Opinion of Counsel for Company.   At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Krieg DeVault LLP, counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request, each in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters.

 

(c)           Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters.   At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Covington & Burling LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters.

 

(d)           Officers’ Certificate.   At Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as of the execution of this Underwriting Agreement or the Applicable Time, any Material Adverse Effect, and the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1(a) hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or are, to their knowledge, contemplated by the Commission.

 

(e)           Accountant’s Comfort Letter.   At the time of the execution of this Underwriting Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from BKD LLP a letter dated the date hereof, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and General Disclosure Package.

 

(f)            Bring-down Comfort Letter.   At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received from BKD LLP a letter, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to Closing Time with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Prospectus.

 

(g)           Approval of Listing.   At Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq under the symbol “MBIN,” subject only to official notice of issuance and upon consummation of the offering contemplated hereby the Company will be in compliance with the designation and maintenance criteria applicable to Nasdaq issues.

 

(h)           No Objection.   FINRA shall have confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

 

(i)            Lock-up Agreements.   At the date of this Underwriting Agreement, the Representatives shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto signed by each persons listed on Schedule D hereto.

 

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(j)                                     Delivery of Prospectus.   The Company shall have complied with the provisions hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses, in electronic or printed format, on the New York business day next succeeding the date of this Underwriting Agreement.

 

(k)                                  No Termination Event.   On or after the date hereof, there shall not have occurred any of the events, circumstances or occurrences set forth in Section 9(a).

 

(l)                                      Rule 462(b) Registration Statement .  In the event that a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is filed in connection with the offering contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement, such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have been filed with the Commission, in compliance with Rule 462(b), on the date of this Underwriting Agreement and shall have become effective automatically upon such filing.

 

(m)                              CFO Certificate .  At the time of the execution of this Underwriting Agreement and at Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated, respectively, the date hereof and such Closing Time, of the chief financial officer of the Company in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(n)                                  Conditions to Purchase of Option Shares.   In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Shares, the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company and any subsidiary of the Company hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representatives shall have received:

 

(i)                                      Officers’ Certificate .  A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(d) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

 

(ii)                                   Opinion of Counsel for Company .  The favorable opinion of Krieg DeVault LLP, counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Shares to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b) hereof.

 

(iii)                                Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters .  The favorable opinion of Covington & Burling LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Shares to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(c) hereof.

 

(iv)                               Bring-down Comfort Letter .  A letter from BKD LLP, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Representatives pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof, except that the “specified date” in the letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than five days prior to such Date of Delivery.

 

(v)                                  No Termination Event .  There shall not have occurred prior to the Date of Delivery any of the events, circumstances or occurrences set forth in Section 9(a).

 

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(vi)                               CFO Certificate.   A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the chief financial officer of the Company substantially in the same form and substance as the certificate furnished to the Representatives pursuant to Section 5(m) hereof

 

(n)                                  Additional Documents.   At Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained, or other such documents, certificates and opinions as may reasonably be requested; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(o)                                  Termination of Agreement.   If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Underwriting Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Shares on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Shares, may be terminated by the Representatives by written notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 6.                             Indemnification .

 

(a)                                  Indemnification of Underwriters.   The Company and the Bank, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act) (“Affiliates”), its and its Affiliates’ respective selling agents, partners, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act to the extent and in the manner set forth in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) below as follows:

 

(i)                                      against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(ii)                                   against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and

 

(iii)                                against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representatives), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing

 

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or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by or before any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

 

provided, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnification provided for in this Section 6 and the contribution provided for in Section 7 below shall not apply to the Bank to the extent that such indemnification or contribution, as the case may be, by the Bank is found in a final judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to constitute a covered transaction under Section 23A of the Federal Reserve Act.

 

The obligations of the Company and the Bank under this Section and Section 7 below shall be in addition to any liability which the Company or the Bank may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each Underwriter, its Affiliates, its and its Affiliates’ respective selling agents, partners, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act; and the several obligations of the Underwriters under this Section and Section 7 below shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each director of the Company (including any person who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company), each officer of the Company who signs the Registration Statement and to each person, if any, who controls the Company or the Bank, as the case may be, within the meaning of the 1933 Act.

 

(b)                                  Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers.   Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(c)                                   Actions against Parties; Notification.   Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement.  In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representatives, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company.  An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party.  In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or

 

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proceeding by or before any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

(d)                                  Settlement Without Consent if Failure to Reimburse.   If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

(e)                                   Indemnification for Reserved Securities .  In connection with the offer and sale of the Reserved Securities, the Company and the Bank, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its Affiliates, its and its Affiliates’ respective selling agents, partners, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, from and against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending, investigating, or settling any such action or claim) as incurred by them (i) caused by the failure of any Invitee to pay for and accept delivery of Reserved Securities which have been orally confirmed by the end of the first business day following the date of this Underwriting Agreement or (ii) related to, or arising out of or in connection with, the offering of the Reserved Securities.

 

SECTION 7.                             Contribution .  If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

 

The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount and commissions received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

 

The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement

 

24



 

of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7.  The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total discounts, fees and commissions received by it exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates, its and its Affiliates’ respective selling agents, partners, directors, officers and employees shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.  The obligations of the Company and the Bank in this Section 7 to contribute are joint and several. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Initial Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

 

SECTION 8.                             Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery .  All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Underwriting Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any (i) investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, its Affiliates, its and its Affiliates’ respective selling agents, partners, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, or by or on behalf of the Company, and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

 

SECTION 9.                             Termination of Underwriting Agreement .

 

(a)                                  Termination; General.   The Representatives may terminate this Underwriting Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Underwriting Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect or if the Underwriters decline to purchase the Securities for any reason permitted under this Agreement, (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United

 

25



 

States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, including without limitation as a result of terrorist activities, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the Nasdaq, or if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or on Nasdaq has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, (iv) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or with respect to Clearstream or Euroclear Systems in Europe, or (v) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either federal or New York authorities.

 

(b)                                  Liabilities.   If this Underwriting Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 10.                      Default by One or More of the Underwriters .  If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Underwriting Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

 

(a)                                  if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

 

(b)                                  if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, or with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, this Underwriting Agreement and the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Initial Shares or the Option Shares to be purchased and sold on such date or on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

 

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

 

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Underwriting Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Shares, as the case may be, either (i) the Representatives or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.  As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

 

26



 

SECTION 11.  Default by the Company .  If the Company shall fail at Closing Time or at the Date of Delivery to sell and deliver the number of Securities that it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Underwriting Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of any nondefaulting party, provided that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8 shall remain in full force and effect.  No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve the Company or the Bank from liability, if any, in respect of such default.

 

SECTION 12. Covenant of the Underwriters . Each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission.

 

SECTION 13.                      Notices .  All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication.  Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to Sandler at Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P., 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10020, attention of the General Counsel, Stephens at Stephens Inc., 111 Center Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201, Attention: Legal Dept.; notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 11555 North Meridian Street, Suite 400, Carmel, Indiana 46032, attention of John F. Macke.

 

SECTION 14.                      Parties .  This Underwriting Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company, the Bank and their respective successors.  Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Underwriting Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Company, the Bank and their respective successors and the controlling persons, officers and directors and other persons or entities referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Underwriting Agreement or any provision herein contained.  This Underwriting Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Company, the Bank and their respective successors, and said controlling persons, officers and directors and other persons or entities and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation.  No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

 

SECTION 15.                      No Fiduciaries . Each of the Company and the Bank, severally and not jointly, acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Underwriting Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, the Bank, or their respective shareholders, creditors, employees or any other third party, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or the Bank with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or the Bank on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company or the Bank with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Underwriting Agreement, (iv) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company or the Bank, and (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company and the Bank have consulted their own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent they deemed appropriate.

 

27



 

SECTION 16.                      GOVERNING LAW .  THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

SECTION 17.                      General Provisions .  This Underwriting Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Underwriting Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof.  This Underwriting Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.  The exchange of copies of this Underwriting Agreement and of signature pages by facsimile or other electronic means shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Underwriting Agreement by the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original signature pages to this Underwriting Agreement for all purposes.  This Underwriting Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

28



 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us four counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by the Representatives, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement among each of the Underwriters, the Company and the Bank.  It is understood that the Representatives’ acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Company for examination upon request, but without warranty on the Representatives’ part as to the authority of the signers thereof.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

MERCHANTS BANCORP

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MERCHANTS BANK OF INDIANA

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

29



 

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,

as of the date first above written:

 

 

SANDLER O’NEILL & PARTNERS, L.P.

STEPHENS INC.

as Representatives of the Underwriters

 

 

By:

Sandler O’Neill & Partners Corp.,

 

 

the sole general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

Stephens Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

30


 

SCHEDULE A

 

Name of Underwriter

 

Number of
Initial Shares

 

Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.

 

[ · ]

 

Stephens, Inc.

 

[ · ]

 

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

 

[ · ]

 

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc.

 

[ · ]

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

[ · ]

 

 

Schedule A - 1



 

SCHEDULE B

 

Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus

 

[List]

 

Written Testing-the-Waters Communications

 

Investor Presentation dated [ · ], 2017

 

Schedule B - 1



 

SCHEDULE C

 

Merchants Bancorp

[ · ] Shares of Common Stock

(Without Par Value Per Share)

 

1.                                       The initial public offering price per share for the Securities, determined as provided in said Section 2, shall be $[ · ].

 

2.                                       The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $[ · ], being an amount equal to the initial public offering price set forth above less $[ · ] per share; provided that the purchase price per share for any Option Shares purchased upon the exercise of the option described in Section 2(b) shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Shares but not payable on the Option Shares.

 

Schedule C - 1



 

SCHEDULE D

 

List of persons and entities

subject to lock-up

 

Schedule D - 1



 

SCHEDULE E

 

List of Subsidiaries

 

Merchants Bank of Indiana, an Indiana state chartered bank

 

P/R Mortgage and Investment Corp., an Indiana corporation

 

Natty Mac Funding, Inc., an Indiana corporation

 

MBI Midtown West, LLC, an Indiana limited liability company

 

Ash Realty Holdings, LLC, an Indiana limited liability company

 

RICHMAC Holdings, LLC, an Indiana limited liability company

 

RICHMAC Funding, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company

 

Schedule E - 1



 

EXHIBIT A

 

FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY’S COUNSEL TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(b)

 

1.               The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Indiana.

 

2.               The Company has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement.

 

3.               The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

4.               The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement or pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus); the shares of issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable;  and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

 

5.               The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth in the Underwriting Agreement, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and no holder of the Securities is or will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.

 

6.               The issuance and sale of the Securities by the Company is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

 

7.               There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company or any of its subsidiaries with any person granting such person the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the 1933 Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Securities to be sold by the Company pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived and are described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus.

 

Exhibit A - 1



 

8.               Each subsidiary has been duly organized and is validly existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has the organizational power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign entity to transact business and is in good standing (or as otherwise analogous in the relevant jurisdiction) in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and, to our knowledge is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such subsidiary.

 

9.               The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the Company and the Bank.

 

10.        The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has been declared effective under the 1933 Act; any required filing of the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) has been made in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b); and, to our knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or threatened by the Commission.

 

11.        The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Rule 430A Information, each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, as of their respective effective or issue dates (other than the financial statements and supporting schedules included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we need express no opinion) complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.

 

12.        To  our knowledge, there is not pending or threatened in writing any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party, or to which the property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject, before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, which might reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder.

 

13.        The information (i) in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Description of Our Securities—Common Stock,” “Business—Properties,” “Business—Legal Proceedings,” “Supervision and Regulation,” “Certain Relationships and Related-Party Transactions,” “Shares Eligible for Future Sale,” “Underwriting,” “Description of Our Securities—Preferred Stock” and “Certain Federal Income Tax Considerations” and (ii) in the Registration Statement under Item 15, to the extent that it constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters, the Company’s charter and bylaws or legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, has been reviewed by us and is correct in all material respects.

 

Exhibit A - 2



 

14.        To  our knowledge, there are no statutes or regulations that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that are not described as required.

 

15.        All descriptions in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus of contracts and other documents to which the Company or its subsidiaries are a party are accurate in all material respects; to our knowledge, there are no franchises, contracts, indentures, mortgages, loan agreements, notes, leases or other instruments required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits thereto other than those described or referred to therein or filed as exhibits thereto, and the descriptions thereof or references thereto in such materials are correct in all material respects.

 

16.        To our knowledge, neither the Company nor any subsidiary is in violation of its charter or by-laws and, except for such default that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, no default by the Company or any subsidiary exists in the due performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument that is described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

 

17.        No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign (other than under the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations, which have been obtained, or as may be required under the securities or blue sky laws of the various states, as to which we need express no opinion) is necessary or required in connection with the due authorization, execution and delivery of the Underwriting Agreement or for the offering, issuance, sale or delivery of the Securities.

 

18.        The execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use Of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined in Section 1(a)(xi) of the Underwriting Agreement) under or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or any other agreement or instrument, known to us, to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (except for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not have a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any subsidiary, or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree, known to us, of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their respective properties, assets or operations.

 

19.        The Company is not an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the 1940 Act.

 

Exhibit A - 3



 

20.        From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act.

 

Nothing has come to our attention that would lead us to believe that the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, including the Rule 430A Information (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or omitted therefrom, as to which we need make no statement), at the time such Registration Statement or any such amendment became effective, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, that the General Disclosure Package, taken together with the Pricing Information (as defined below), or any amendment or supplement thereto (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or omitted therefrom, as to which we need make no statement), as of the Applicable Time, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or that the Prospectus (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or omitted therefrom, as to which we need make no statement), as of its date and the date hereof, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

As used herein, “Pricing Information” means (i) the number of Securities offered for sale  and (ii) the public offering price per Security, in each case as set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus.

 

In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely as to matters of fact (but not as to legal conclusions), to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials.  Such opinion shall not state that it is to be governed or qualified by, or that it is otherwise subject to, any treatise, written policy or other document relating to legal opinions, including, without limitation, the Legal Opinion Accord of the ABA Section of Business Law (1991).

 

Exhibit A - 4


 

EXHIBIT B

 

LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

 

                , 2017

 

SANDLER O’NEILL & PARTNERS, L.P.

1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor

New York, New York 10020

 

STEPHENS INC.

111 Center Street

Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

 

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

 

Re:          Proposed Initial Public Offering of Merchants Bancorp, Inc.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned, a shareholder, an executive officer and/or director of Merchants Bancorp, Inc., an Indiana corporation (the “ Company ”), understands that Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. (“ Sandler ”) and Stephens Inc. (“ Stephens ,” and together with Sandler, the “ Representatives ”), as representatives of the several Underwriters (the “ Underwriters ”), proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “ Underwriting Agreement ”) with the Company providing for the initial public offering (the “ Offering ”) of the Company’s common stock, without par value (including any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such common stock, the “ Common Stock ”).

 

In recognition of the benefit that the Offering will confer upon the undersigned as a shareholder, executive officer and/or director of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees with each Underwriter to be named in the Underwriting Agreement that, commencing on the date hereof and ending on, and including, the date that is 180 days from the date of the Underwriting Agreement (such period being referred to herein as the “ Lock-Up Period ”), the undersigned will not (and will cause any spouse or immediate family member (as defined in Rule 16a-1(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, referred to herein as the “ Exchange Act ”)) of the spouse or the undersigned living in the undersigned’s household, any partnership, corporation or other entity within the undersigned’s control, and any trustee of any trust that holds Common Stock or other securities of the Company for the benefit of the undersigned or such spouse or family member not to), without the prior written consent of the Representatives, directly or indirectly, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, hypothecate, establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act, or otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition, or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any of the foregoing, or file or cause to be filed any registration statement in connection therewith under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), (ii) enter into any swap, hedge or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap, hedge or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, or (iii) publicly disclose the intention to make any such offer, pledge, sale or disposition, or to enter into any such swap, hedge, transaction or other arrangement. For the avoidance of doubt, if the undersigned is an officer or director of

 



 

the Company, the undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing shall be applicable to any shares of Common Stock the undersigned may purchase through the directed share program of the Offering.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, (A) the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to pledges in a bona fide transaction that are in effect as of the date hereof to a lender to the undersigned, as disclosed in writing to the Representatives; and (B) the undersigned may transfer the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts including through a distribution by a trust, family limited partnership, corporation or other entity, provided that the donee or donees agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein; (ii) to any corporation, trust, family limited partnership or other entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned; provided, that the trustee of the trust or general partner of the family limited partnership, as the case may be, agrees to be bound by the restrictions set forth herein; and provided further, that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value; (iii) to the Company, to satisfy any tax withholding obligations of the Company or the undersigned, or to satisfy the exercise price of stock options by the undersigned, upon the exercise or vesting of equity awards outstanding or hereinafter granted under any exercise by the undersigned of stock options or vesting of outstanding restricted stock awards or other similar equity incentive awards that have been granted by the Company prior to, and are outstanding as of, the date of the Underwriting Agreement (or are granted after the date of the Underwriting Agreement pursuant to a plan or arrangement that is in place prior to the date of the Underwriting Agreement); or (iv) with the prior written consent of the Representatives.

 

The undersigned represents and warrants that the undersigned beneficially owns the shares of Common Stock covered by this letter agreement and that the undersigned now has and, except as contemplated by clauses (B)(i) through (B)(iv) above, for the duration of the Lock-Up Period will have good and marketable title to the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims whatsoever. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock during the Lock-Up Period, except in compliance with this letter agreement. In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities during the Lock-Up Period if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this letter agreement.

 

In addition, the undersigned agrees that, during the Lock-Up Period, without the prior written consent of the Representatives (which consent may be withheld in their sole discretion): (i) the undersigned will not request, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any Common Stock and (ii) the undersigned waives any and all notice requirements and rights with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock pursuant to any agreement, understanding or otherwise to which the undersigned is a party.

 

The undersigned represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this letter agreement. The undersigned agrees that the provisions of this letter agreement shall be binding also upon the successors, assigns, heirs and personal representatives of the undersigned.

 

The undersigned understands that this letter agreement shall automatically terminate and the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this letter agreement upon the earliest to occur, if any, of: (A) termination of the Underwriting Agreement before the sale of any Common Stock to the Underwriters, or (B) November 14, 2017, in the event that the Underwriting Agreement has not been executed by that date.

 

This letter agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

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[ Signature page follows ]

 

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The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this letter agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Offering. The undersigned further understands that this letter agreement is irrevocable and, unless it’s earlier terminated according to its terms, shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors, and assigns.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

Signature:

 

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

[ Signature page to Lock-Up Agreement ]

 




Exhibit 2.2

 

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

 

THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER (this “Agreement”) is dated to be effective as of October 31, 2016, by and between MERCHANTS BANCORP, an Indiana corporation (“Merchants”), MB ACQUISITION CORP. (“Acquisition Corp”), an Indiana corporation, and BLUESTEM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, an Illinois corporation (“BDC”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS, Merchants is an Indiana corporation registered as a bank holding company under the federal Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHC Act”), with its principal office located in Carmel, Hamilton County, Indiana; and

 

WHEREAS, BDC is an Illinois corporation registered as a bank holding company under the BHC Act, with its principal office located in Joy, Mercer County, Illinois; and

 

WHEREAS, Joy State Bank (“JSB”), an Illinois state chartered bank, is a wholly owned subsidiary of BDC;

 

WHEREAS, Acquisition Corp is an Indiana corporation formed for the purpose of facilitating Merchants’ acquisition of BDC and JSB;

 

WHEREAS, Merchants and BDC seek to affiliate through a corporate reorganization whereby Acquisition Corp will merge with and into BDC, with BDC as the surviving entity, and thereafter BDC shall be a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Merchants and JSB shall be an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Merchants; and

 

WHEREAS, the Boards of Directors of each of the parties hereto have determined that it is in the best interests of their respective corporations to consummate the merger provided for herein and have approved this Agreement, authorized its execution and designated this Agreement a plan of merger; and

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing premises, the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereby make this Agreement and prescribe the terms and conditions of the merger of Merchants with and into BDC, and the mode of carrying such merger into effect as follows:

 

ARTICLE I.

THE MERGER

 

1.01                         The Merger

 

(a)                                  General Description . Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, and in accordance with the Illinois Business Corporation Act of 1983 and the

 

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Indiana Business Corporation Law, each as amended, at the Effective Time (as defined in Article IX hereof), Acquisition Corp shall merge with and into BDC (the “Merger”). BDC shall survive the Merger (sometimes hereinafter referred to as the “Surviving Corporation”) as a wholly owned subsidiary of Merchants and shall continue its corporate existence under the laws of the State of Illinois pursuant to the provisions of and with the effect provided in the Illinois Business Corporation Act of 1983, as amended. As a result of the Merger, JSB shall become an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Merchants.

 

(b)                                  Name, Officers and Directors .

 

(i)                                      The name of the Surviving Corporation shall be “Bluestem Development Corporation.” Its principal office shall be located at 101 West Main Street, Joy, Illinois.

 

(ii)                                   The officers of Acquisition Corp serving at the Effective Time shall continue to serve as the officers of the Surviving Corporation, until such time as their successors shall have been duly elected and have qualified or until their earlier resignation, death or removal from office.

 

(iii)                                The directors of Acquisition Corp serving at the Effective Time shall continue to serve as the directors of the Surviving Corporation, until such time as their successors have been duly elected and have qualified or until their earlier resignation, death, or removal as a director.

 

(iv)                               At the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation shall elect a new board of directors of JSB.

 

(c)                                   Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws . The Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of BDC in existence at the Effective Time shall remain the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Surviving Corporation following the Effective Time, until such Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws shall be further amended as provided by applicable law.

 

(d)                                  Effect of the Merger . At the Effective Time, the title to all assets, real estate and other property owned by BDC and Acquisition Corp shall vest in Surviving Corporation as set forth in Indiana Code Section 23-1-40-6 and Illinois Comp. Stat. § 5/11.50, each as amended, without reversion or impairment. At the Effective Time, all liabilities of BDC and Acquisition Corp shall be assumed by Surviving Corporation as set forth in Indiana Code Section 23-1-40-6 and Illinois Comp. Stat. § 5/11.50, each as amended.

 

(e)                                   Integration . At the Effective Time and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the parties hereto currently intend to effectuate, or cause to be effectuated, the Merger, pursuant to Articles of Merger, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1.01(e)(i) , and a Plan of Merger, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1.01(e)(ii) . The parties agree to cooperate and to take all reasonable actions prior to or following the Effective Time, including executing all requisite documentation, as may be reasonably necessary to effect the Merger.

 

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1.02                         Reservation of Right to Revise Structure

 

At Merchants’ election, the Merger may alternatively be structured so that (a) BDC is merged directly with and into Merchants, with Merchants as the surviving entity, or (b) Acquisition Corp is not merged with or into BDC and BDC is not merged with or into Merchants, Acquisition Corp, or any other entity, but instead BDC shall sell all of the stock of JSB held by BDC to Michael F. Petrie, an individual and Indiana resident, and Randall D. Rogers, an individual and Florida resident, in their capacity as individuals and not on behalf of Acquisition Corp or Merchants; provided, however, that no such alternative structure shall (y) alter or change the amount or kind of the Merger Consideration (as hereinafter defined) or (z) materially impede or delay consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. In the event of such an election, the parties agree to execute any appropriate amendment or amendments to this Agreement (which amendments will include an additional $25,000 in purchase price to offset the expense of dissolving BDC), and in the event of an election under subsection (b) Merchants will be responsible for causing Michael F. Petrie and Randall D. Rogers to join this Agreement and/or any amendment to this Agreement, (to the extent any such amendment only changes the method of effecting the change in ownership of JSB and does not substantively affect this Agreement or the rights and obligations of the parties or their respective shareholders) in order to reflect such election.

 

In the event that Merchants’ elects to revise the structure of the Merger as provided by subsection (b) of this Section 1.02, BDC acknowledges that upon consummation thereof BDC would still exist as a separate entity, would not be a subsidiary or affiliate of or controlled by Merchants. BDC would be responsible for making any distributions of the Merger Consideration to its shareholders, and for making any corporate decisions after consummation, such as whether to dissolve and wind up its affairs, in addition to, but not limited to, taking any actions necessary to effectuate and paying any expenses related thereto. BDC agrees that Merchants’ election to revise the structure of the Merger as provided by subsection (b) of this Section 1.02 would not in and of itself be considered to materially impede or delay consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or to substantively affect this Agreement or the rights and obligations of BDC, JSB, or their respective shareholders.

 

1.03                         Absence of Control

 

Subject to any specific provisions of the Agreement, it is the intent of the parties to this Agreement that neither Merchants nor BDC by reason of this Agreement shall be deemed (until consummation of the transactions contemplated herein) to control, directly or indirectly, the other party or any of its respective Subsidiaries (as such term is defined below) and shall not exercise or be deemed to exercise, directly or indirectly, a controlling influence over the management or policies of such other party or any of its respective Subsidiaries.

 

1.04                         Rights of Dissenting Shareholders

 

Shareholders of BDC who properly exercise and perfect statutory dissenter’s rights shall have the rights accorded to dissenting shareholders under 805 Illinois Comp. Stat. § 5/11.70. Shares with respect to which dissenter’s rights have been asserted are referred to as “Dissenter’s Shares.”

 

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ARTICLE II.

MANNER AND BASIS OF EXCHANGE OF STOCK

 

2.01                         Consideration

 

(a)                                  Merger Consideration . Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, at the Effective Time, the aggregate consideration paid pursuant to the Merger shall be $5,034,000 (as adjusted in accordance with the terms of this Agreement) whereby each share of common stock, without par value, of BDC (“BDC Common Stock”) issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than (i) shares held as treasury stock of BDC and (ii) shares held directly or indirectly by Merchants, except shares held in a fiduciary capacity or in satisfaction of a debt previously contracted, if any) shall be redeemed and cancelled and be converted into the right to receive $503.40 (the “Per Share Merger Consideration”) in cash for each share of BDC Common Stock (the “Merger Consideration”). At the Effective Time, the BDC Consolidated Shareholders’ Equity (as defined below) shall not be less than $4,195,000 (the “Minimum BDC Consolidated Shareholders’ Equity”).

 

(b)                                  Certificate of BDC Consolidated Shareholders’ Equity . BDC shall provide Merchants with a certificate signed by duly authorized officers of BDC certifying the BDC Consolidated Shareholders’ Equity (as defined below) at the Effective Time. The BDC Consolidated Shareholders’ Equity certificate shall be in the form attached as Exhibit 2.01(b) hereto. For purposes of this Agreement, “BDC Consolidated Shareholders’ Equity” shall mean the consolidated shareholders’ equity of BDC as of the end of the month prior to the Effective Time determined in accordance with GAAP plus any costs or expenses of BDC and its Subsidiaries arising out of or relating to the Merger or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement fully paid or accrued less the amount of any (i) outstanding tax obligation of BDC and its Subsidiaries not fully paid or accrued, (ii) the Environmental Costs (as defined in Section 5.07(b) hereof) not fully paid or accrued, (iii) any deferred compensation, life insurance benefit, change in control, severance, or similar payments payable to, or for the benefit of, directors, officers or employees of BDC and its Subsidiaries not fully paid or accrued, and (iv) the net accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) as of the end of the month prior to the Effective Time.

 

2.02                         Exchange Procedures

 

(a)                                  At and after the Effective Time, each certificate representing shares of BDC Common Stock (“Certificate Share”) and each book-entry share which immediately prior to the Effective Time represented the shares of BDC Common Stock (“Book-Entry Shares”) shall represent only the right to receive the Merger Consideration in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. Collectively, the Certificate Shares and Book-Entry Shares are referred to as the “Old Shares.”

 

(b)                                  At least thirty (30) days prior to the Effective Time, Merchants shall deliver to BDC the form letter of transmittal Merchants desires be delivered with the Old Shares, as well as any instructions for delivery of shares of BDC Common Stock at the Effective Time. Prior to the Effective Time, BDC shall collect from the shareholders of BDC the fully executed transmittal letters, any certificates representing the Old Shares, and such other documentation as may

 

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reasonably be requested by Merchants (including any bond or other indemnity satisfactory to Merchants if any of such certificates are lost, stolen or destroyed) (collectively, the “Transmittal Documents”).

 

(c)                                   At the Effective Time, BDC shall deliver to Merchants the Transmittal Documents, and each holder of shares of BDC Common Stock that have been converted into the right to receive the Merger Consideration shall be entitled to receive the Merger Consideration in respect of the BDC Common Stock represented by the Transmittal Documents for such holder. No interest will be paid on any Merger Consideration that any such holder shall be entitled to receive pursuant to this Article II.

 

(d)                                  The stock transfer books of BDC shall be closed immediately upon the Effective Time and from and after the Effective Time there shall be no transfers on the stock transfer records of BDC of any shares of BDC Common Stock. If, after the Effective Time, Old Shares are presented to Merchants, they shall be canceled and exchanged for the Merger Consideration deliverable in respect thereof pursuant to this Agreement in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.02 .

 

(e)                                   Merchants shall be entitled to rely upon BDC’s stock transfer books to establish the identity of those individuals, partnerships, corporations, trusts, joint ventures, organizations or other entities (each, a “Person”) entitled to receive the Merger Consideration, which books shall be conclusive with respect thereto. In the event of a dispute with respect to ownership of stock represented by any Old Share, Merchants shall be entitled to deposit any Merger Consideration represented thereby in escrow with an independent third party and thereafter be relieved from any and all liability with respect to any claims thereto.

 

(f)                                    If any Old Share shall have been lost, stolen, or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the Person claiming such Old Share to be lost, stolen, or destroyed and, if required by Merchants, the posting by such Person of a bond or other indemnity satisfactory to Merchants as indemnity against any claim that may be made against it with respect to such Old Share, Merchants will issue in exchange for such lost, stolen, or destroyed Old Share the Merger Consideration deliverable in respect thereof pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof.

 

(g)                                   Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, at the Effective Time, all shares of BDC Common Stock that are held as treasury stock of BDC or owned by Merchants (other than shares held in a fiduciary capacity or in satisfaction of a debt previously contracted) shall be cancelled and shall cease to exist and no Merger Consideration shall be exchanged therefor.

 

(h)                                  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no party hereto shall be liable to any former holder of BDC Common Stock for any amount properly delivered to a public official pursuant to applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar laws.

 

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ARTICLE III.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF BDC

 

On or prior to the date hereof, BDC has delivered to Merchants a schedule (the “BDC Disclosure Schedule”) setting forth, among other things, items the disclosure of which is necessary or appropriate either in response to an express disclosure requirement contained in a provision hereof or as an exception to one or more representations or warranties contained in this Article III or to one or more of its covenants contained in Article V and Article VI.

 

For the purpose of this Agreement, and in relation to BDC, a “Material Adverse Effect” means any effect that (i) is material and adverse to the results of operations, properties, assets, liabilities, conditions (financial or otherwise), value or business of BDC and its Subsidiaries (as such term is defined below) taken as a whole, or (ii) would materially impair the ability of BDC to perform its obligations under this Agreement or otherwise materially threaten or materially impede the consummation of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided, however, that Material Adverse Effect shall not be deemed to include the impact of (a) changes in banking and similar laws of general applicability to banks or their holding companies or interpretations thereof by courts or any Governmental Authority (as defined below), (b) GAAP or regulatory accounting requirements applicable to banks or their holding companies generally, (c) effects of any action or omission taken with the prior written consent of Merchants, (d) changes resulting from expenses (such as legal, accounting and investment bankers’ fees) incurred in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein, (e) the impact of the announcement of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, and compliance with this Agreement on the business, financial condition or results of operations of BDC and its Subsidiaries, and (f) the occurrence of any military or terrorist attack within the United States or any of its possessions or offices; provided, that without regard to any other provision of this Agreement, and without limiting other events or circumstances that may constitute a “Material Adverse Effect”, a “Material Adverse Effect” shall be deemed to have occurred in the event of the imposition of a formal regulatory enforcement action against BDC or JSB following the date of this Agreement.

 

For the purpose of this Agreement, and in relation to BDC and its Subsidiaries, “knowledge” means those facts that are known or should have been known after due inquiry by the directors and executive officers of BDC and its Subsidiaries. Additionally, for the purpose of this Agreement, and in relation to BDC, its “Subsidiaries” shall mean any entity which is required to be consolidated with BDC for financial reporting purposes pursuant to United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).

 

Accordingly, BDC hereby represents and warrants to Merchants as follows, except as set forth in its Disclosure Schedule:

 

3.01                         Organization and Authority

 

(a)                                  BDC is a corporation duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of Illinois and is a registered bank holding company under the BHC Act. BDC has full power and authority (corporate and otherwise) to own and lease its properties as presently owned and leased and to conduct its business in the manner and by the means utilized as of the date

 

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hereof. BDC has previously provided Merchants with a complete list of its Subsidiaries. Except for its Subsidiaries, at the Effective Time BDC will own no voting stock or equity securities of any corporation, partnership, association or other entity.

 

(b)                                  JSB is a bank chartered and existing under the laws of the State of Illinois. JSB has full power and authority (corporate and otherwise) to own and lease its properties as presently owned and leased and to conduct its business in the manner and by the means utilized as of the date hereof. Except as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, JSB owns no voting stock or equity securities of any corporation, partnership, association or other entity.

 

(c)                                   Each of BDC’s Subsidiaries other than JSB is duly organized and validly existing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, and has full power and authority (corporate and otherwise) to own and lease its properties as presently owned and leased and to conduct its business in the manner and by the means utilized as of the date hereof.

 

3.02                         Authorization

 

(a)                                  BDC has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder, subject to the fulfillment of the conditions precedent set forth in Sections 7.02(d) and (e) hereof. As of the date hereof, BDC is not aware of any reason why the approvals set forth in Section 7.02(d) will not be received in a timely manner and without the imposition of a condition, restriction or requirement of the type described in Section 7.02(d) . This Agreement and its execution and delivery by BDC have been duly authorized and approved by the Board of Directors of BDC and, assuming due execution and delivery by Merchants, constitutes a valid and binding obligation of BDC, subject to the fulfillment of the conditions precedent set forth in Section 7.02 hereof, and is enforceable in accordance with its terms, except to the extent limited by general principles of equity and public policy and by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, liquidation, moratorium, readjustment of debt or other laws of general application relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights.

 

(b)                                  Neither the execution of this Agreement nor consummation of the Merger contemplated hereby: (i) conflicts with or violates the Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws of BDC or the charter documents of any of BDC’s Subsidiaries; (ii) conflicts with or violates any local, state, federal or foreign law, statute, ordinance, rule or regulation (provided that the approvals of or filings with applicable government regulatory agencies or authorities required for consummation of the Merger are obtained) or any court or administrative judgment, order, injunction, writ or decree; (iii) conflicts with, results in a breach of or constitutes a default under any note, bond, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, license, lease, contract, agreement, arrangement, commitment or other instrument to which BDC or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which BDC or any of its Subsidiaries is subject or bound; (iv) results in the creation of or gives any Person the right to create any lien, charge, claim, encumbrance or security interest, or results in the creation of any other rights or claims of any other party (other than Merchants) or any other adverse interest, upon any right, property or asset of BDC or any of its Subsidiaries which would be material to BDC; or (v) terminates or gives any Person the right to terminate, accelerate, amend, modify or refuse to perform under any note, bond, indenture, mortgage, agreement, contract, lease, license, arrangement, deed of trust, commitment or other instrument

 

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to which BDC or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or with respect to which BDC or any of its Subsidiaries is to perform any duties or obligations or receive any rights or benefits which would be to BDC.

 

(c)                                   Other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the applicable federal and state banking, securities, antitrust and corporation statutes, all as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, no notice to, filing with, exemption by or consent, authorization or approval of any governmental agency or body is necessary for consummation of the Merger by BDC.

 

3.03                         Capitalization

 

(a)                                  The authorized capital stock of BDC as of the date hereof consists, and at the Effective Time will consist, of 100,000 shares of BDC Common Stock, 10,000 shares of which shares are issued and outstanding. Such issued and outstanding shares of BDC Common Stock have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action of BDC, are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and have not been issued in violation of any pre-emptive rights of any present or former BDC shareholder. BDC has no capital stock authorized, issued or outstanding other than as described in this Section 3.03(a) and has no intention or obligation to authorize or issue any other capital stock or any additional shares of BDC Common Stock. Each share of BDC Common Stock is entitled to one vote per share.

 

(b)                                  All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity ownership interests of each Subsidiary of BDC are owned by BDC free and clear of all liens, pledges, charges, claims, encumbrances, restrictions, security interests, options and pre-emptive rights and of all other rights or claims of any other Person with respect thereto.

 

(c)                                   There are no options, warrants, commitments, calls, puts, agreements, understandings, arrangements or subscription rights relating to any shares of BDC Common Stock or any of BDC’s Subsidiaries, or any securities convertible into or representing the right to purchase or otherwise acquire any common stock or debt securities of BDC or its Subsidiaries, by which BDC is or may become bound. BDC does not have any outstanding contractual or other obligation to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of the issued and outstanding shares of BDC Common Stock. There are no voting trusts, voting arrangements, buy-sell agreements or similar arrangements affecting the capital stock of BDC or its Subsidiaries.

 

(d)                                  Except as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, BDC has no knowledge of any Person which beneficially owns (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”)) 5% or more of the outstanding shares of BDC Common Stock.

 

(e)                                   JSB is “well capitalized” as such term is defined under Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s capital adequacy regulations (12 C.F.R. § 324), as amended.

 

3.04                         Organizational Documents

 

The Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of BDC and any similar governing documents for each of BDC’s Subsidiaries, representing true, accurate and complete copies of

 

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such corporate documents in effect as of the date of this Agreement, have been delivered to Merchants.

 

3.05                         Compliance with Law

 

(a)                                  Neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries is currently in violation of, and since January 1, 2013, none has been in violation of, any local, state, federal or foreign law, statute, regulation, rule, ordinance, order, restriction or requirement, and none is in violation of any order, injunction, judgment, writ or decree of any court or government agency or body (collectively, the “Law”), except where such violation would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b)                                  Except as otherwise disclosed on the BDC Disclosure Schedule, none of BDC or its Subsidiaries is subject (nor has been subject during the last three (3) years from the date hereof) to any order or investigation by, or is a party (or has been a party during the last three (3) years from the date hereof) to any agreement or memorandum of understanding with any federal or state agency charged with the supervision or regulation of BDC or its Subsidiaries, including, without limitation, HUD, FHA, VA, GNMA, FNMA, CFPB, or any state banking, lending or mortgage banking supervisor.

 

(c)                                   Since January 1, 2013, BDC and its Subsidiaries have filed all material reports, notices and other statements, together with any amendments required to be made with respect thereto, if any, that it was required to file with any Governmental Authority. As of their respective dates, each of such reports and documents, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, complied, in all material respects, with the relevant statutes, rules and regulations enforced or promulgated by the Governmental Authority with which they were filed.

 

(d)                                  None of the information supplied or to be supplied by BDC or its Subsidiaries for inclusion in any documents to be filed with any Governmental Authority in connection with the transactions or events contemplated by this Agreement will, at the respective times such documents are filed, be false or misleading with respect to any material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

(e)                                   Except as set forth on the BDC Disclosure Schedule, BDC and its Subsidiaries have filed (or will prior to the Closing have filed) all required notices or applications with, and has obtained (or will prior to the Closing have obtained) the necessary authorizations by, or the consent or approval of, each Governmental Authority required to be made or obtained in connection with the execution, delivery and/or performance of this Agreement by BDC and its Subsidiaries.

 

(f)                                    The BDC Disclosure Schedule sets forth, as of the date hereof, a schedule of all officers and directors of BDC who have outstanding loans from BDC or any of its Subsidiaries, and there has been no default on, or forgiveness or waiver of, in whole or in part, any such loan during the two (2) years immediately preceding the date hereof.

 

(g)                                   All of the existing offices and branches of JSB have been legally authorized and established in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances, orders, restrictions and requirements. JSB has no approved but unopened offices or branches.

 

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(h)                                  BDC and its Subsidiaries possess and hold all (i) franchises, permits, licenses, certificates, and other authorizations necessary for the conduct of its business relating solely to originating and/or servicing mortgage loans without interference or interruption and (ii) material franchises, permits, licenses and other authorizations necessary for the conduct of its business other than relating to originating and/or servicing mortgage loans without interference or interruption. All such franchises, permits, licenses, certificates, and authorizations are transferable (to the extent required to effectuate the Merger or any other transaction contemplated hereby) to the Surviving Corporation at the Effective Time without any restrictions or limitations thereon or the need to obtain any consents of government agencies or other third parties other than as set forth in this Agreement. BDC and its Subsidiaries are not in default under any of such franchises, permits, licenses, certificates, or other similar authority.

 

(i)                                      None of BDC or its Subsidiaries is now, or has ever been, a “United States real property holding corporation” as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any applicable regulations promulgated thereunder. BDC and its Subsidiaries has filed with the Internal Revenue Service all statements, if any, with its United States income tax returns which are required under such regulations.

 

3.06                         Accuracy of Statements Made and Materials Provided to Merchants. No representation, warranty or other statement made, or any information provided by, BDC in this Agreement or, in the BDC Disclosure Schedule (and any update thereto), contains any untrue statement of material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained herein or therein, in light of the circumstances in which they are made, not false or misleading.

 

3.07                         Litigation and Pending Proceedings. Except as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule:

 

(a)                                  Except for lawsuits involving collection of delinquent accounts, there are no claims, actions, suits, proceedings, mediations, arbitrations or investigations pending and served against BDC or any of its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of BDC or any of its Subsidiaries, threatened in any court or before any government agency or authority, arbitration panel or otherwise against BDC or any of its Subsidiaries. BDC does not have knowledge of a basis for any claim, action, suit, proceeding, litigation, arbitration or investigation against BDC or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

(b)                                  Neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries is: (i) subject to any material outstanding judgment, order, writ, injunction or decree of any court, arbitration panel or Governmental Authority; (ii) presently charged with or, to the knowledge of BDC, under governmental investigation with respect to, any actual or alleged material violations of any law, statute, rule, regulation or ordinance; or (iii) the subject of any material pending or, to the knowledge of BDC, threatened proceeding by any government regulatory agency or authority having jurisdiction over their respective business, assets, capital, properties or operations.

 

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3.08                         Financial Statements and Reports

 

(a)                                  BDC has delivered to Merchants copies of the financial statements and reports of BDC and its Subsidiaries, including the notes thereto, set forth in (i) below, and made available to Merchants its Call Reports described in (ii) below (collectively, the “BDC Financial Statements”):

 

(i)                                      Consolidated Balance Sheets and the related Consolidated Statements of Earnings as of and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 and as of and for the six (6) months ended June 30, 2016; and

 

(ii)                                   Call Reports (“Call Reports”) for JSB as of the close of business on December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 and June 30, 2016.

 

(b)                                  The BDC Financial Statements present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of BDC as of and at the dates shown and the consolidated results of operations, and changes in shareholders’ equity for the periods covered thereby and are complete, correct, represent bona fide transactions, and have been prepared from the books and records of BDC and its Subsidiaries. The BDC Financial Statements described in clause (i) above for completed fiscal years are unaudited financial statements and have been prepared in conformance with GAAP, except as may otherwise be indicated in any notes or reports with respect to such financial statements. The BDC Financial Statements described in clause (ii) above have been prepared in conformance with regulatory accounting requirements related thereto.

 

(c)                                   Except as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, none of BDC or its Subsidiaries is a party to nor has it made any commitment to become a party to, any joint venture, off-balance sheet partnership, or any similar contract or arrangement involving BDC or such Subsidiary(ies), on the one hand, and any of its or their current or proposed affiliates, including any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity or other natural or legal person, on the other hand, and any “off-balance sheet arrangements” (as that term is defined in Item 303(a) of Regulation S-K of the Securities and Exchange Commission, as amended from time to time).

 

(d)                                  Since December 31, 2015 on a consolidated basis BDC and its Subsidiaries have not incurred any material liability other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice.

 

3.09                         Material Contracts

 

(a)                                  Except as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, as of the date of this Agreement, neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any of their respective assets, businesses, or operations, is a party to, or is bound or affected by, or receives benefits under, (i) any contract relating to the borrowing of money by BDC or any of its Subsidiaries or the guarantee by BDC or any of its Subsidiaries of any such obligation (other than contracts pertaining to fully-secured repurchase agreements, and trade payables, and contracts relating to borrowings or guarantees made in the ordinary course of business), (ii) any contract containing covenants that limit the ability of BDC or any of its Subsidiaries to compete in any line of business or with any Person, or to hire or engage the services of any Person, or that involve any

 

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restriction of the geographic area in which, or method by which, BDC or any of its Subsidiaries may carry on its business (other than as may be required by Law or any Governmental Authority) (as each are hereinafter defined), or any contract that requires it or any of its Subsidiaries to deal exclusively or on a “sole source” basis with another party to such contract with respect to the subject matter of such contract, (iii) any contract for, with respect to, or that contemplates, a possible merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization or other business combination, or asset sale or sale of equity securities not in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, with respect to BDC or any of its Subsidiaries, (iv) any lease of real or personal property providing for annual lease payments by or to BDC or its Subsidiaries in excess of $25,000 per annum other than financing leases entered into in the ordinary course of business in which BDC or any of its Subsidiaries is the lessor, or (v) any contract that involves expenditures or receipts of BDC or any of its Subsidiaries in excess of $25,000 per year not entered into in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice. The contracts of the type described in the preceding sentence, whether or not in effect as of the date of this Agreement, shall be deemed “Material Contracts” hereunder. With respect to each of BDC’s Material Contracts that is disclosed in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, or would be required to be so disclosed if in effect on the date of this Agreement: (A) each such Material Contract is in full force and effect; (B) neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries is in material default thereunder with respect to each Material Contract, as such term or concept is defined in each such Material Contract; (C) neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries has repudiated or waived any material provision of any such Material Contract; and (D) no other party to any such Material Contract is, to BDC’s knowledge, in material default in any material respect. True copies of all Material Contracts, including all amendments and supplements thereto, are attached to the BDC Disclosure Schedule.

 

(b)                                  Neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries have entered into any interest rate swaps, caps, floors, option agreements, futures and forward contracts, or other similar risk management arrangements, whether entered into for BDC’s own account or for the account of one or more of its Subsidiaries or their respective customers.

 

3.10                         Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities

 

Except as provided in the BDC Financial Statements or in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, and except for unfunded loan commitments and obligations on letters of credit to customers of BDC’s Subsidiaries made in the ordinary course of business, except for trade payables incurred in the ordinary course of such Subsidiaries’ business, and except for the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and obligations for services rendered pursuant thereto, or any other transactions which would not result in a material liability, none of BDC or any of its Subsidiaries has, nor will have at the Effective Time, any obligation, agreement, contract, commitment, liability, lease or license which exceeds $25,000 individually, or any obligation, agreement, contract, commitment, liability, lease or license made outside of the ordinary course of business, except where the aggregate of the amount due under such obligations, agreements, contracts, commitments, liabilities, leases or licenses would not have a Material Adverse Effect, nor does there exist any circumstances resulting from transactions effected or events occurring on or prior to the date of this Agreement or from any action omitted to be taken during such period which could reasonably be expected to result in any such obligation, agreement, contract, commitment, liability, lease or license. None of BDC or any of its Subsidiaries is delinquent in

 

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the payment of any amount due pursuant to any trade payable in any material respect, and each has properly accrued for such payables in accordance with GAAP, except where the failure to so accrue would not constitute a Material Adverse Effect. Neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries is a guarantor or indemnitor of any indebtedness of any natural person or legal or contractual entity or group.

 

3.11                         Title to Properties

 

Except as described in this Section 3.11 or the BDC Disclosure Schedule:

 

(a)                                  BDC or one of its Subsidiaries, as the case may be, has good and marketable title in fee simple absolute to all real property (including, without limitation, all real property used as bank premises and all other real estate owned) which is reflected in the BDC Financial Statements as of December 31, 2015; good and marketable title to all personal property reflected in the BDC Financial Statements as of December 31, 2015, other than personal property disposed of in the ordinary course of business since December 31, 2015; good and marketable title to or right to use by valid and enforceable lease or contract all other properties and assets (whether real or personal, tangible or intangible) which BDC or any of its Subsidiaries purports to own or which BDC or any of its Subsidiaries uses in its respective business and which are in either case material to its respective business; good and marketable title to, or right to use by terms of a valid and enforceable lease or contract, all other property used in its respective business to the extent material thereto; and good and marketable title to all material property and assets acquired and not disposed of or leased since December 31, 2015. All of such properties and assets are owned by BDC or its Subsidiaries free and clear of all land or conditional sales contracts, mortgages, liens, pledges, restrictions, options, security, interests, charges, claims, rights of third parties or encumbrances of any nature except: (i) as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule; (ii) as specifically noted in reasonable detail in the BDC Financial Statements; (iii) statutory liens for taxes not yet delinquent or being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings; (iv) pledges or liens required to be granted in connection with the acceptance of government deposits or granted in connection with repurchase or reverse repurchase agreements; and (v) easements, encumbrances and liens of record, imperfections of title and other limitations which are not material in amounts to BDC on a consolidated basis and which do not detract from the value or materially interfere with the present or contemplated use of any of the properties subject thereto or otherwise materially impair the use thereof for the purposes for which they are held or used. All real property owned or, to the knowledge of BDC, leased by BDC or its Subsidiaries is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable zoning and land use laws. To BDC’s knowledge, all real property, machinery, equipment, furniture and fixtures owned or leased by BDC or its Subsidiaries that is material to their respective businesses is structurally sound, in good operating condition (ordinary wear and tear excepted) and has been and is being maintained and repaired in the ordinary condition of business.

 

(b)                                  With respect to all real property presently or formerly owned, leased or used by BDC or any of its Subsidiaries, BDC, its Subsidiaries and to BDC’s knowledge each of the prior owners, have conducted their respective business in compliance with all federal, state, county, and municipal laws, statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances, orders, directives, restrictions, and requirements relating to, without limitation, responsible property transfer, underground storage tanks, petroleum products, air pollutants, water pollutants, storm water, or process waste water or

 

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otherwise relating to the environment, air, water, soil or toxic or hazardous substances or to the manufacturing, recycling, handling, processing, distribution, use, generation, treatment, storage, disposal, or transport of any hazardous or toxic substances or petroleum products (including, but not limited to, polychlorinated biphenyls, whether contained or uncontained, lead-based paint or piping, or asbestos-containing materials, whether friable or not), including, without limitation, federal laws such as the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, all as amended, applicable state law counterparts, and regulations of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Agency, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the United States Department of Interior, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and any state department of natural resources or state environmental protection agency now or at any time thereafter in effect (collectively, “Environmental Laws”). To BDC’s knowledge, there are no pending or threatened claims, actions or proceedings by any local municipality, sewage district or other governmental entity against BDC or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Environmental Laws, and, to BDC’s knowledge, there is no reasonable basis or grounds for any such claim, action or proceeding. No environmental permits, registrations or clearances are required for the conduct of the business of BDC or any of its Subsidiaries as currently conducted or the consummation of the Merger contemplated hereby. To BDC’s knowledge, neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries is the owner, or has been in the chain of title or the operator or lessee, of any property on which any hazardous or toxic substances have been used, stored, deposited, treated, recycled, or disposed of, which substances if known to be present on, at or under such property would require clean-up, removal, treatment, abatement, response costs, or any other remedial action under any Environmental Law. To BDC’s knowledge, neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries has any liability for any clean-up or remediation under any of the Environmental Laws with respect to any real property.

 

3.12                         Loans and Investments

 

(a)                                  BDC has provided Merchants with a list of each loan by JSB that has been classified by regulatory examiners or management as “Other Loans Specially Mentioned,” “Substandard,” “Doubtful” or “Loss” or that has been identified by accountants or auditors (internal or external) as having a significant risk of uncollectability as of June 30, 2016. The most recent loan watch list of JSB and a list of all loans which have been determined to be thirty (30) days or more past due with respect to principal or interest payments or has been placed on nonaccrual status has also been provided by BDC to Merchants.

 

(b)                                  All loans reflected in the BDC Financial Statements as of June 30, 2016, and which have been made, extended, renewed, restructured, approved, amended or acquired since June 30, 2016: (i) have been made for good, valuable and adequate consideration in the ordinary course of business; (ii) constitute the legal, valid and binding obligation of the obligor and any guarantor named therein, except to the extent limited by general principles of equity and public policy or by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, liquidation, moratorium, readjustment of debt or other laws of general application relative to or affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights; (iii) are evidenced by notes, instruments or other evidences of indebtedness which are true, genuine and what they purport to be; and (iv) are secured by perfected security

 

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interests or recorded mortgages naming JSB or a Subsidiary as the secured party or mortgagee (unless by written agreement to the contrary).

 

(c)                                   The reserves, the allowance for possible loan and lease losses and the carrying value for real estate owned which are shown on the BDC Financial Statements are, in the judgment of management of BDC, adequate in all material respects under the requirements of GAAP to provide for possible losses on items for which reserves were made, on loans and leases outstanding and real estate owned as of the respective dates.

 

(d)                                  Except as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, none of the investments reflected in the BDC Financial Statements as of and for the period ended June 30, 2016, and none of the investments made by any Subsidiary of BDC since June 30, 2016 are subject to any restriction, whether contractual or statutory, which materially impairs the ability of such Subsidiary to dispose freely of such investment at any time. Neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any repurchase agreements with respect to securities.

 

(e)                                   Except as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, and except for customer deposits, ordinary trade payables, and Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings, neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries has, and none will have at the Effective Time, any indebtedness for borrowed money.

 

3.13                         No Shareholder Rights Plan

 

BDC has no shareholder rights plan or any other plan, program or agreement involving, restricting, prohibiting or discouraging a change in control or merger of BDC or which reasonably could be considered an anti-takeover mechanism.

 

3.14                         Employee Benefit Plans

 

(a)                                  With respect to the employee benefit plans, as defined in Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), sponsored or otherwise maintained by any member of a controlled group of corporations under Code Section 414(b) of which BDC is or was a member, and any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) which is or was under common control with BDC under Code Section 414(c), and all other entities which together with BDC are or were prior to the date hereof treated as a single employer under Code Section 414(m) or 414(o) (an “ERISA Affiliate”), whether written or oral, in which BDC or any ERISA Affiliate participates as a participating employer, or to which BDC or any ERISA Affiliate contributes, is obligated or has been obligated to contribute, or any nonqualified employee benefit plans or deferred compensation, bonus, stock, performance share, phantom stock or incentive plans or arrangements, or other employee benefit or fringe benefit programs for the benefit of former or current employees or directors (or their beneficiaries or dependents) of BDC or any ERISA Affiliate, and including any such plans which have been terminated, merged into another plan, frozen or discontinued since January 1, 2009 (individually, “BDC Plan” and collectively, “BDC Plans”), BDC represents and warrants, except as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule:

 

(i)                                      All such BDC Plans have, on a continuous basis since their adoption, been, in all material respects, maintained in compliance with their

 

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respective terms and with the requirements prescribed by all applicable statutes, orders and governmental rules or regulations, including without limitation, ERISA and the Department of Labor (“Department”) Regulations promulgated thereunder and the Code and Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(ii)                                   All BDC Plans intended to constitute tax-qualified plans under Code Section 401(a) have complied since their adoption or have been timely amended to comply in all material respects with all applicable requirements of the Code and the Treasury Regulations and each such Plan has received a favorable determination, advisory or opinion letter from the Internal Revenue Service upon which BDC may rely regarding the tax qualified status under the Code.

 

(iii)                                All BDC Plans that provide for payments of “nonqualified deferred compensation” (as defined in Code Section 409A(d)(l)) have been (A) operated in good faith compliance with the applicable requirements of Code Section 409A and applicable guidance thereunder since January 1, 2009, and (B) amended to comply in written form with Code Section 409A and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(iv)                               No BDC Plan (or its related trust) holds any stock or other securities of BDC.

 

(v)                                  Neither BDC, an ERISA Affiliate nor any fiduciary as defined in ERISA Section 3(21)(A) of a BDC Plan has engaged in any transaction that may subject BDC, any ERISA Affiliate or any BDC Plan to a civil penalty imposed by ERISA Section 502 or any other provision of ERISA or excise taxes under Code Section 4971, 4975, 4976, 4977, 4979, 4980B, or 4980H.

 

(vi)                               All obligations required to be performed by BDC or any ERISA Affiliate under any provision of any BDC Plan have been performed by it in all material respects and, to BDC’s knowledge, neither BDC nor any ERISA Affiliate is in default under or in violation of any provision of any BDC Plan.

 

(vii)                            All required reports and descriptions for the BDC Plans have been timely filed and distributed to participants and beneficiaries, and all notices required by ERISA, the Code, or other applicable law with respect to all BDC Plans have been proper as to form and content and timely given.

 

(viii)                         No event has occurred which would constitute grounds for an enforcement action by any party under Part 5 of Title I of ERISA with respect to any BDC Plan.

 

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(ix)                               There are no examinations, audits, enforcement actions or proceedings, or any other investigations, pending, threatened or currently in process by any governmental agency involving any BDC Plan.

 

(x)                                  There are no actions, suits, proceedings or claims pending (other than routine claims for benefits) or threatened against BDC or any ERISA Affiliate in connection with any BDC Plan or the assets of any BDC Plan.

 

(xi)                               Subject to the requirements of Code Section 409A, any BDC Plan may be amended and terminated at any time without any Material Adverse Effect and these rights have always been maintained by BDC and its ERISA Affiliates.

 

(b)                                  BDC has provided or made available to Merchants true, accurate and complete copies and, in the case of any plan or program which has not been reduced to writing, a materially complete summary, of all of the following, as applicable:

 

(i)                                      Pension, retirement, profit-sharing, savings, stock purchase, stock bonus, stock ownership, stock option, restricted stock, restricted stock unit, phantom stock, performance share and stock appreciation right plans, all amendments thereto, and, if required under the reporting and disclosure requirements of ERISA, all summary plan descriptions thereof (including any modifications thereto);

 

(ii)                                   All employment, deferred compensation (whether funded or unfunded), salary continuation, consulting, bonus, severance and collective bargaining, agreements, arrangements or understandings;

 

(iii)                                All executive and other incentive compensation plans, programs and agreements;

 

(iv)                               All group insurance (whether self-funded or fully insured), stop-loss policies and medical and prescription drug arrangements, policies or plans and summary plan descriptions relating thereof;

 

(v)                                  All other incentive, welfare or employee benefit plans, understandings, arrangements or agreements, maintained or sponsored, participated in, or contributed to or obligated to contribute to, by BDC for its current or former directors, officers or employees;

 

(vi)                               All reports filed with the Internal Revenue Service or the Department within the preceding three years by BDC or any ERISA Affiliate with respect to any BDC Plan;

 

(vii)                            All current participants in such plans and programs and all participants with benefit entitlements under such plans and programs;

 

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(viii)                         Valuations or allocation reports for any defined contribution and defined benefit plans as of the most recent allocation and valuation dates; and

 

(ix)                               All notices provided to employees and participants in connection with any BDC Plan.

 

(c)                                   Except as disclosed on the BDC Disclosure Schedule, no current or former director, officer or employee of BDC or any ERISA Affiliate (i) is entitled to or may become entitled to any benefit under any welfare benefit plans (as defined in ERISA Section 3(1)) after termination of employment with BDC or any ERISA Affiliate, except to the extent such individuals may be entitled to continue their group health care coverage pursuant to Code Section 4980B, or (ii) is currently receiving, or entitled to receive, a disability benefit under a long-term or short-term disability plan maintained by BDC or an ERISA Affiliate.

 

(d)                                  With respect to all group health plans as defined in ERISA Section 607(1), sponsored or maintained by BDC or any ERISA Affiliate, no director, officer, employee or agent of BDC or any ERISA Affiliate has engaged in any action or failed to act in such a manner that, as a result of such action or failure to act, would cause a tax to be imposed on BDC or any ERISA Affiliate under Code Section 4980B(a), or would cause a penalty to be imposed under ERISA and the regulations promulgated thereunder. With respect to all such plans, all applicable provisions of Code Section 4980B and ERISA Sections 601-606 have been complied with in all material respects by BDC or any ERISA Affiliate, and all other provisions of ERISA and the regulations promulgated thereunder have been complied with in all material respects.

 

(e)                                   Except as provided in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, there are no collective bargaining, employment, management, consulting, deferred compensation, reimbursement, indemnity, retirement, early retirement, severance or similar plans or agreements, commitments or understandings, or any employee benefit or retirement plan or agreement, binding upon BDC or any ERISA Affiliate and no such agreement, commitment, understanding or plan is under discussion or negotiation by management with any employee or group of employees, any member of management or any other Person.

 

(f)                                    Except as otherwise provided in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, no Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association (“VEBA”), as defined in Code Section 501(c)(9), is sponsored, maintained, contributed to or obligated to contribute to, by BDC or any ERISA Affiliate.

 

(g)                                   Except as otherwise disclosed in the BDC Disclosure Schedule or as contemplated in this Agreement, there are no benefits or liabilities under any employee benefit plan or program that will be accelerated or otherwise come due as a result of the transactions contemplated by the terms of this Agreement.

 

(h)                                  Except as may be disclosed in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, BDC and all ERISA Affiliates are and have been in material compliance with all applicable laws respecting employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, including, without limitation, any such laws respecting employment discrimination and occupational safety and health requirements.

 

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(i)                                      All BDC Plans have been funded in accordance with the minimum funding requirements of ERISA Section 302 and Code Section 412, and effective January 1, 2009, ERISA Section 303 and Code Section 430 to the extent applicable, and no funding requirement has been waived, nor does BDC or any ERISA Affiliate have any liability or potential liability as a result of the underfunding of, or termination of any such plan by BDC or any ERISA Affiliate.

 

(j)                                     As a result, directly or indirectly, of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including without limitation any termination of employment relating thereto and occurring prior to, at or following the Effective Time), BDC, its ERISA Affiliates and their respective successors will not be obligated to make a payment that would be characterized as an “excess parachute payment” to an individual who is a “disqualified individual,” as such terms are defined in Code Section 280G.

 

(k)                                  Neither BDC nor any ERISA Affiliate has made any promises or commitments, whether legally binding or not, to create any new plan, agreement or arrangement, or to modify or change in any material way BDC Plans.

 

(1)                                  BDC has not been a party to any transaction that is or is substantially similar to a “reportable transaction” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4(b) or any other transaction requiring disclosure under analogous provisions of state, local or foreign Tax law. No BDC Plan has been funded by an off-shore arrangement described in Section 409A(b)(l) of the Code. BDC has disclosed on its federal income Tax Returns all positions taken therein that could give rise to a substantial understatement penalty within the meaning of Section 6662 of the Code.

 

3.15                         Obligations to Employees

 

All material obligations and liabilities of and all payments by BDC or any ERISA Affiliate and all BDC Plans, whether arising by operation of law, by contract or by past custom, for payments to trusts or other funds, to any government agency or authority or to any present or former director, officer, employee or agent (or his or her heirs, legatees or legal representatives) have been and are being paid to the extent required by applicable law or by the plan, trust, contract or past custom or practice, and adequate actuarial accruals and reserves for such payments have been and are being made by BDC or an ERISA Affiliate in accordance with GAAP and applicable law applied on a consistent basis and sound actuarial methods with respect to the following: (a) withholding taxes or unemployment compensation; (b) BDC Plans; (c) employment, salary continuation, consulting, retirement, early retirement, severance or reimbursement; and (d) collective bargaining plans and agreements. All accruals and reserves referred to in this Section 3.15 are correctly and accurately reflected and accounted for in all material respects in the BDC Financial Statements and the books, statements and records of BDC.

 

3.16                         Taxes, Returns and Reports

 

Except as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, each of BDC and its Subsidiaries has since January 1, 2009 (a) duly and timely filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns of every type and kind required to be filed, and each such return is true, accurate and complete in all

 

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material respects; (b) paid or otherwise adequately reserved in accordance with GAAP for all taxes, assessments and other governmental charges due or claimed to be due upon it or any of its income, properties or assets; and (c) not requested an extension of time for any such payments (which extension is still in force). BDC has established, and shall establish in the Subsequent BDC Financial Statements (as hereinafter defined), in accordance with GAAP, a reserve for taxes in the BDC Financial Statements adequate to cover all of BDC’s and its Subsidiaries tax liabilities (including, without limitation, income taxes, payroll taxes and withholding, and franchise fees) for the periods then ending. Neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries has, nor will any of them have, any liability for material taxes of any nature for or with respect to the operation of its business, from the date hereof up to and including the Effective Time, except to the extent set forth in the Subsequent BDC Financial Statements (as hereinafter defined) or as accrued or reserved for on the books and records of BDC or its Subsidiaries. To the knowledge of BDC, neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries is currently under audit by any state or federal taxing authority. No federal, state or local tax returns of BDC or any of its Subsidiaries have been audited by any taxing authority during the past five (5) years.

 

3.17                         Deposit Insurance

 

The deposits of JSB are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in accordance with the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, as amended, to the fullest extent provided by applicable law and BDC or JSB has paid or properly reserved or accrued for all current premiums and assessments with respect to such deposit insurance.

 

3.18                         Insurance

 

BDC has provided Merchants with a list and, if requested, a true, accurate and complete copy thereof of all policies of insurance (including, without limitation, bankers’ blanket bond, directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, property and casualty insurance, group health or hospitalization insurance and insurance providing benefits for employees) owned or held by BDC or any of its Subsidiaries on the date hereof or with respect to which BDC or any of its Subsidiaries pays any premiums. Each such policy is in full force and effect and all premiums due thereon have been paid when due.

 

3.19                         Books and Records

 

The books and records of BDC are, in all material respects, complete, correct and accurately reflect the basis for the financial condition, results of operations, business, assets and capital of BDC on a consolidated basis set forth in the BDC Financial Statements.

 

3.20                         Broker’s, Finder’s or Other Fees

 

Except for reasonable fees and expenses of BDC’s attorneys and accountants, all of which shall be paid by BDC at or prior to the Effective Time, and except as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, no agent, broker or other Person acting on behalf of BDC or under any authority of BDC is or shall be entitled to any commission, broker’s or finder’s fee or any other form of compensation or payment from any of the parties hereto relating to this Agreement and the Merger contemplated hereby.

 

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3.21                         Interim Events

 

Except as otherwise permitted hereunder, since December 31, 2015, or as set forth in the Disclosure Schedule, neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries has:

 

(a)                                  experienced any events, changes, developments or occurrences which have had, or are reasonably likely to have, a Material Adverse Effect on BDC;

 

(b)                                  Suffered any damage, destruction or loss to any of its properties, not fully paid by insurance proceeds, in excess of $25,000 individually or in the aggregate;

 

(c)                                   Declared, distributed or paid any dividend or other distribution to its shareholders, except for payment of dividends as permitted by Section 6.03 hereof;

 

(d)                                  Repurchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired shares of its common stock, issued any shares of its common stock or stock appreciation rights or sold or agreed to issue or sell any shares of its common stock, including the issuance of any stock options, or any right to purchase or acquire any such stock or any security convertible into such stock or taken any action to reclassify, recapitalize or split its stock;

 

(e)                                   Granted or agreed to grant any increase in benefits payable or to become payable under any pension, retirement, profit sharing, health, bonus, insurance or other welfare benefit plan or agreement to employees, officers or directors of BDC or a Subsidiary;

 

(f)                                    Increased the salary of any director, officer or employee, except for normal increases in the ordinary course of business and in accordance with past practices, or entered into any employment contract, indemnity agreement or understanding with any officer or employee or installed any employee welfare, pension, retirement, stock option, stock appreciation, stock dividend, profit sharing or other similar plan or arrangement;

 

(g)                                   Leased, sold or otherwise disposed of any of its assets except in the ordinary course of business or leased, purchased or otherwise acquired from third parties any assets except in the ordinary course of business;

 

(h)                                  Except for the Merger contemplated by this Agreement, merged, consolidated or sold shares of its common stock, agreed to merge or consolidate with or into any third party, agreed to sell any shares of its common stock or acquired or agreed to acquire any stock, equity interest, assets or business of any third party;

 

(i)                                      Incurred, assumed or guaranteed any obligation or liability (fixed or contingent) other than obligations and liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business;

 

(j)                                     Mortgaged, pledged or subjected to a lien, security interest, option or other encumbrance any of its assets except for tax and other liens which arise by operation of law and with respect to which payment is not past due and except for pledges or liens: (i) required to be granted in connection with acceptance by JSB of government deposits; (ii) granted in connection with repurchase or reverse repurchase agreements; (iii) arising under currently existing credit

 

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agreements and financing arrangements listed on the BDC Disclosure Schedule; and (iv) that do not materially impair the ownership or use of such assets;

 

(k)                                  Except as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, canceled, released or compromised any loan, debt, obligation, claim or receivable other than in the ordinary course of business;

 

(1)                                  Entered into any transaction, contract or commitment other than in the ordinary course of business;

 

(m)                              Agreed to enter into any transaction for the borrowing or loaning of monies, other than in the ordinary course of its lending business; or

 

(n)                                  Conducted its business in any manner other than substantially as it was being conducted as of December 31, 2015.

 

3.22                         Insider Transactions

 

Except as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, since December 31, 2012, no officer or director of BDC or any of its Subsidiaries or member of the “immediate family” or “related interests” (as such terms are defined in FRB’s Regulation O) of any such officer or director (an “Affiliate”) has currently, or has had during such time period, any direct or indirect interest in any property, assets, business or right which is owned, leased, held or used by BDC or any Subsidiary or in any liability, obligation or indebtedness of BDC or any Subsidiary, except for deposits of JSB.

 

3.23                         Indemnification Agreements (a) Other than as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any indemnification, indemnity or reimbursement agreement, contract, commitment or understanding to indemnify any present or former director, officer, employee, shareholder or agent against liability or hold the same harmless from liability other than as expressly provided in the Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws of BDC or the similar or charter documents of a Subsidiary.

 

(b)                                  Since December 31, 2012, no claims have been made against or filed with BDC or any of its Subsidiaries nor have, to the knowledge of BDC, any claims been threatened against BDC or a Subsidiary, for indemnification against liability or for reimbursement of any costs or expenses incurred in connection with any legal or regulatory proceeding by any present or former director, officer, shareholder, employee or agent of BDC or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

3.24                         Shareholder Approval. The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the BDC Common Stock (which are issued and outstanding on the record date relating to the meeting of shareholders contemplated by Section 6.02 of this Agreement) is required for shareholder approval of this Agreement and the Merger.

 

3.25                         Intellectual Property, (a) BDC and its Subsidiaries own, or are licensed or otherwise possess sufficient legally enforceable rights to use, all material Intellectual Property (as such term is defined below) that is used by BDC or its Subsidiaries in their respective businesses as currently conducted. Neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries has (i) licensed any

 

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Intellectual Property owned by it or its Subsidiaries in source code form to any third party, or (ii) entered into any exclusive agreements relating to Intellectual Property owned by it.

 

(b)                                  BDC and its Subsidiaries have not infringed or otherwise violated any material Intellectual Property rights of any third party since December 31, 2013. There is no claim asserted, or to the knowledge of BDC threatened, against BDC and/or its Subsidiaries or any indemnitee thereof concerning the ownership, validity, registerability, enforceability, infringement, use or licensed right to use any Intellectual Property.

 

(c)                                   To the knowledge of BDC, no third party has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated BDC or its Subsidiaries’ Intellectual Property rights since December 31, 2013. There are no claims asserted or threatened by BDC or its Subsidiaries, nor has BDC or its Subsidiaries decided to assert or threaten a claim, that (i) a third party infringed or otherwise violated any of their Intellectual Property rights; or (ii) a third party’s owned or claimed Intellectual Property interferes with, infringes, dilutes or otherwise harms any of their Intellectual Property rights.

 

(d)                                  BDC and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable measures to protect the confidentiality of all trade secrets that are owned, used or held by them.

 

(e)                                   For purposes of this Agreement, “Intellectual Property” shall mean all patents, trademarks, trade names, service marks, domain names, database rights, copyrights, and any applications therefor, mask works, technology, know-how, trade secrets, inventory, ideas, algorithms, processes, computer software programs or applications (in both source code and object code form), and tangible or intangible proprietary information or material and all other intellectual property or proprietary rights.

 

3.26                         Community Reinvestment Act. JSB received a rating of “satisfactory” or better in its most recent examination or interim review with respect to the Community Reinvestment Act. No facts or circumstances exist which would cause JSB to be deemed not in satisfactory compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act or to be assigned a rating of “satisfactory” or lower.

 

3.27                         Bank Secrecy Act

 

Neither BDC nor JSB has been advised of any supervisory criticisms regarding their compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act (41 USC 5422, et seq.) or related state or federal anti-money laundering laws, regulations and guidelines, including without limitation those provisions of federal regulations requiring (i) the filing of reports, such as Currency Transaction Reports and Suspicious Activity Reports, (ii) the maintenance of records and (iii) the exercise of due diligence in identifying customers.

 

3.28                         Agreements with Regulatory Agencies

 

Except as set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any cease-and-desist, consent order or other order or enforcement action issued by, or is a party to any written agreement, consent agreement or memorandum of

 

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understanding with, or is a party to any commitment letter or similar undertaking to, or is subject to any order or directive by, or has been ordered to pay any civil money penalty by, or has been since December 31, 2013, a recipient of any supervisory letter from, or since December 31, 2013, has adopted any policies, procedures or board resolutions at the request or suggestion of any regulatory agency or other governmental entity that currently restricts in any material respect the conduct of its business or that in any material manner relates to its capital adequacy, its ability to pay dividends, its credit or risk management policies, its management or its business, other than those of general application that apply to similarly situated bank holding companies or their subsidiaries, whether or not set forth in the BDC Disclosure Schedule (a “BDC Regulatory Agreement”), nor has BDC or any of its Subsidiaries been advised since December 31, 2013, by any regulatory agency or other governmental entity that it is considering issuing, initiating, ordering, or requesting any such BDC Regulatory Agreement. There are no refunds or restitutions required to be paid as a result of any criticism of any regulatory agency or body cited in any examination report of BDC or any of its Subsidiaries as a result of an examination by any regulatory agency or body, or set forth in any accountant’s or auditor’s report to BDC or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

3.29                         Internal Controls

 

(a)                                  None of BDC or its Subsidiaries’ records, systems, controls, data or information are recorded, stored, maintained, operated or otherwise wholly or partly dependent on or held by any means (including any electronic, mechanical or photographic process, whether computerized or not) which (including all means of access thereto and therefrom) are not under the exclusive ownership and direct control of it or its Subsidiaries or accountants except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a materially adverse effect on the system of internal accounting controls described in the next sentence. BDC and its Subsidiaries have devised and maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.

 

(b)                                  BDC has disclosed to its outside auditors and the audit committee of BDC’s Board of Directors (i) any significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a- 15(f) of the Exchange Act) which are reasonably likely to adversely affect BDC’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information, and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in BDC’s internal controls over financial reporting. These disclosures were made in writing by management to BDC’s auditors and audit committee and a copy has previously been made available to Merchants.

 

(c)                                   Since December 31, 2013, (i) through the date hereof, neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries has received or otherwise had or obtained knowledge of any material complaint, allegation, assertion or claim, whether written or oral, regarding the accounting or auditing practices, procedures, methodologies or methods of BDC or any of its Subsidiaries or their respective internal accounting controls, including any material complaint, allegation, assertion or claim that BDC or any of its Subsidiaries has engaged in questionable accounting or auditing practices, and (ii) no attorney representing BDC or any of its Subsidiaries, whether or not employed by BDC or any of its Subsidiaries, has reported evidence of a material violation of

 

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securities laws, breach of fiduciary duty or similar violation by BDC or any of its officers, directors, employees or agents to the Board of Directors of BDC or any committee thereof or to any director or officer of BDC.

 

3.30                         Data Protection

 

BDC and its Subsidiaries have at all times complied in all material respects with all internal policies and procedures and applicable laws and regulations relating to privacy, data protection and the collection and use of personal information gathered or accessed in the course of operations, including, but not limited to, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and any regulations related thereto promulgated by any Governmental Authority. To BDC’s knowledge, there has been no unauthorized access to or other misuse of personal information under the BDC’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ control.

 

3.31                         Fiduciary Accounts

 

Neither BDC nor any of its Subsidiaries is serving or has previously served as a trustee, agent, custodian, personal representative, guardian, conservator, investment advisor or otherwise as a fiduciary.

 

ARTICLE IV.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTS

 

On or prior to the date hereof, Merchants has delivered to BDC a schedule (the “Merchants Disclosure Schedule”) setting forth, among other things, items the disclosure of which is necessary or appropriate either in response to an express disclosure requirement contained in a provision hereof or as an exception to one or more representations or warranties contained in this Article IV or to one or more of its covenants contained in Article V and Article VI.

 

For the purpose of this Agreement, and in relation to Merchants, a “Material Adverse Effect” means any effect that (i) is material and adverse to the results of operations, properties, assets, liabilities, conditions (financial or otherwise), value or business of Merchants and its Subsidiaries (as such term is defined below) taken as a whole, or (ii) would materially impair the ability of Merchants to perform its obligations under this Agreement or otherwise materially threaten or materially impede the consummation of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided, however, that Material Adverse Effect shall not be deemed to include the impact of (a) changes in banking and similar laws of general applicability to banks or their holding companies or interpretations thereof by courts or any Governmental Authority, (b) GAAP or regulatory accounting requirements applicable to banks or their holding companies generally, (c) effects of any action or omission taken with the prior written consent of Merchants, (d) changes resulting from expenses (such as legal, accounting and investment bankers’ fees) incurred in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein, (e) the impact of the announcement of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, and compliance with this Agreement on the business, financial condition or results of operations of Merchants and its Subsidiaries, and (f) the occurrence of any military or terrorist attack within the United States or any of its possessions or offices.

 

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For the purpose of this Agreement, and in relation to Merchants and its Subsidiaries, “knowledge” means those facts that are known or should have been known after due inquiry by the directors and executive officers of Merchants and its Subsidiaries. Additionally, for the purpose of this Agreement, and in relation to Merchants, its “Subsidiaries” shall mean any entity which is required to be consolidated with Merchants for financial reporting purposes pursuant to United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).

 

Accordingly, Merchants hereby represents and warrants to BDC as follows, except as set forth in its Disclosure Schedule:

 

4.01                         Organization and Authority

 

(a)                                  Merchants is a corporation duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of Indiana and is a registered bank holding company under the BHC Act. Merchants has full power and authority (corporate and otherwise) to own and lease its properties as presently owned and leased and to conduct its business in the manner and by the means utilized as of the date hereof. Merchants has previously provided BDC with a complete list of its Subsidiaries. Except as set forth in its Disclosure Schedule and except for its Subsidiaries, Merchants owns no voting stock or equity securities of any corporation, partnership, association or other entity.

 

(b)                                  Merchants Bank of Indiana (“Merchants Bank”) is a bank chartered and existing under the laws of the State of Indiana. Merchants Bank has full power and authority (corporate and otherwise) to own and lease its properties as presently owned and leased and to conduct its business in the manner and by the means utilized as of the date hereof. Except as set forth in the Merchants Disclosure Schedule, Merchants Bank owns no voting stock or equity securities of any corporation, partnership, association or other entity.

 

(c)                                   Acquisition Corp is duly organized and validly existing corporation formed under the laws of the State of Indiana and a wholly owned subsidiary of Merchants, formed solely for the purpose of effectuating the Merger.

 

4.02                         Authorization

 

(a)                                  Merchants has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder, subject to the fulfillment of the conditions precedent set forth in Sections 7.01(d) and (e) hereof. As of the date hereof, Merchants is not aware of any reason why the approvals set forth in Section 7.01(d) will not be received in a timely manner and without the imposition of a condition, restriction or requirement of the type described in Section 7.01(d) . This Agreement and its execution and delivery by Merchants have been duly authorized and approved by the Board of Directors of Merchants and, assuming due execution and delivery by BDC, constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Merchants, subject to the fulfillment of the conditions precedent set forth in Section 7.01 hereof, and is enforceable in accordance with its terms, except to the extent limited by general principles of equity and public policy and by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, liquidation, moratorium, readjustment of debt or other laws of general application relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights.

 

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(b)                                  Neither the execution of this Agreement nor consummation of the Merger contemplated hereby: (i) conflicts with or violates the Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws of Merchants or the charter documents of any of Merchants’ Subsidiaries; (ii) conflicts with or violates any local, state, federal or foreign law, statute, ordinance, rule or regulation (provided that the approvals of or filings with applicable government regulatory agencies or authorities required for consummation of the Merger are obtained) or any court or administrative judgment, order, injunction, writ or decree; (iii) conflicts with, results in a breach of or constitutes a default under any note, bond, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, license, lease, contract, agreement, arrangement, commitment or other instrument to which Merchants or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which Merchants or any of its Subsidiaries is subject or bound; (iv) results in the creation of or gives any Person the right to create any lien, charge, claim, encumbrance or security interest, or results in the creation of any other rights or claims of any other party (other than BDC) or any other adverse interest, upon any right, property or asset of Merchants or any of its Subsidiaries which would be material to Merchants; or (v) terminates or gives any Person the right to terminate, accelerate, amend, modify or refuse to perform under any note, bond, indenture, mortgage, agreement, contract, lease, license, arrangement, deed of trust, commitment or other instrument to which Merchants or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or with respect to which Merchants or any of its Subsidiaries is to perform any duties or obligations or receive any rights or benefits.

 

(c)                                   Other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the applicable federal and state banking, securities, antitrust and corporation statutes, all as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, no notice to, filing with, exemption by or consent, authorization or approval of any governmental agency or body is necessary for consummation of the Merger by Merchants.

 

4.03                         Financial Ability

 

Merchants has the financial ability to consummate the Merger and transactions contemplated hereby and funds available to pay the Merger Consideration.

 

4.04                         Community Reinvestment Act

 

Merchants Bank received a rating of “satisfactory” or better in its most recent examination or interim review with respect to the Community Reinvestment Act. No facts or circumstances exist which would cause Merchants Bank to be deemed not in satisfactory compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act or to be assigned a rating of “satisfactory” or lower.

 

4.05                         Shareholder Approval

 

Approval by the Merchants’ shareholders is not required for consummation of the Merger or for any other transactions contemplated hereby.

 

4.06                         Legal Proceedings

 

No legal action, suit or proceeding or judicial, administrative or governmental investigation is pending or, to Merchants’ knowledge, threatened against Merchants that

 

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questions the validity of or seeks to enjoin this Agreement, the Merger, or any other transaction contemplated hereby.

 

ARTICLE V.

COVENANTS OF BDC AND MERCHANTS

 

BDC covenants and agrees with Merchants, and Merchants covenants and agrees with BDC, each for itself and its respective Subsidiaries and not with respect to any other party, to act as follows and to cause its respective Subsidiaries to act as follows:

 

5.01                         Access to Records and Properties

 

(a)                                  Keep the other party advised of all material developments relevant to its businesses prior to consummation of the Merger. Prior to the Effective Time, give to the other party reasonable access to all the premises during normal business hours on reasonable notice and books and records (including tax returns filed and those in preparation) of it and its Subsidiaries and cause its officers to furnish the other with such financial and operating data and other information with respect to the business and properties as the other shall from time to time request for the purposes of verifying the warranties and representations set forth herein; provided, however, that any such investigation shall be conducted in such manner as not to interfere unreasonably with the operation of the respective business of the other.

 

(b)                                  During the period from the date of this Agreement to the Effective Time, confer on a monthly or more frequent basis with the other party regarding its respective financial conditions, operations and business and matters relating to the completion of the Merger.

 

5.02                         Confidentiality

 

Between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time, maintain in confidence, and cause its directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors to maintain in confidence, and not use to the detriment of the other party, any written, oral or other information obtained in confidence from the other party or a third party in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby unless such information is already known to such party or to others not bound by a duty of confidentiality or unless such information becomes publicly available through no fault of such party, unless use of such information is necessary or appropriate in preparing the proxy statement or making any filing or obtaining any consent or approval required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or unless the furnishing or use of such information is required by or necessary or appropriate in connection with legal proceedings. If the Merger is not consummated, each party will return or destroy as much of such written information as may reasonably be requested by the other party.

 

5.03                         Proxy Statement

 

Cooperate in the preparation of any proxy statement to be used in connection with the BDC shareholder meeting.

 

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5.04                         Disclosure Supplements

 

From time to time prior to the Effective Time, promptly supplement or amend its Disclosure Schedules delivered pursuant hereto with respect to any matter hereafter arising which, if existing, occurring or known as of the date hereof, would have been required to be set forth or described in such schedules or which is necessary to correct any information in such schedules which has been rendered inaccurate thereby. No supplement or amendment to such schedules shall have any effect for the purpose of determining satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Article VII or the compliance by any party with the covenants set forth in Article V or Article VI hereof.

 

5.05                         Other Approvals

 

(a)                                  Proceed expeditiously, cooperate fully and use commercially reasonable efforts to procure upon terms and conditions consistent with the condition set forth in this Agreement all consents, authorizations, approvals, registrations and certificates, in completing all filings and applications and in satisfying all other requirements prescribed by law which are necessary for consummation of the Merger on the terms and conditions provided in this Agreement at the earliest possible reasonable date.

 

(b)                                  Use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain any required third party consents to agreements, contracts, commitments, leases, instruments and documents described in the Disclosure Schedule and to which the parties agree are material.

 

5.06                         Public Announcements

 

Consult with the other before issuing any press release or otherwise making any public statements with respect to the Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby and shall not issue any such press release or make any such public statement prior to such consultations except as may be required by law.

 

5.07                         Notification of Material Adverse Effect

 

Give prompt notice to the other party of any fact, event or circumstance known to it that has resulted in or is reasonably likely, individually or taken together with all other facts, events and circumstances known to it, to result in any Material Adverse Effect with respect to it.

 

5.08                         Environmental

 

(a)                                  If requested by Merchants, BDC will cooperate with an environmental consulting firm designated by Merchants in connection with the conduct by such firm of a phase one and/or phase two environmental investigation on any real property owned or leased by BDC or any of its Subsidiaries as of the date of this Agreement, and any real property acquired or leased by Merchants or any of its Subsidiaries after the date of this Agreement. Merchants shall be responsible for the costs of the phase ones and, if any phase twos are determined to be advisable by the environmental consulting firm, Merchants and BDC shall each be responsible for 50% of the costs of the phase twos.

 

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(b)                                  If the environmental consultant’s good faith estimate, based upon the results of the environmental studies and other diligence conducted by the environmental consultant, of the dollar amount, if any, that BDC and its Subsidiaries would be required to expend under applicable Environmental Laws for clean-up, remediation and penalties relating to pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, petroleum, petroleum products and any other materials regulated under the Environmental Laws with respect to BDC or its Subsidiaries owned or leased real properties or any adjoining properties (the “Environmental Costs”) exceeds $100,000, Merchants shall be entitled to terminate the Agreement.

 

ARTICLE VI.

CERTAIN AGREEMENTS

 

6.01                         Regulatory Filings

 

(a)                                  By no later than fourteen (14) days after the date of this Agreement, Merchants shall prepare (and BDC shall cooperate in the preparation of) all necessary regulatory filings required to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Agreement and submit the filings for approval or provide notice, as the case may be, with the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Board (“FRB”), or, as appropriate, the applicable Federal Reserve Bank under delegated authority of the FRB, the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, and any other federal or state banking, lending, or mortgage banking supervisor or governmental guarantor or mortgage loan program or licensing system supervisor, or other governing regulatory authority, as soon as practicable after the date hereof, provided, however, that counsel to the party who is not making such filing shall be provided with a reasonable period of time, and in no instance less than two (2) business days, to review such regulatory filings prior to their submission.

 

(b)                                  BDC shall proceed expeditiously, cooperate fully and use commercially reasonable efforts to assist Merchants in procuring upon terms and conditions consistent with the condition set forth in Section 7.01(d) and 7.02(d) hereof all consents, authorizations, approvals, registrations and certificates, in completing all filings and applications and in satisfying all other requirements prescribed by law which are necessary for consummation of the Merger on the terms and conditions provided in this Agreement at the earliest possible reasonable date.

 

6.02                         Shareholder Approval

 

BDC shall submit this Agreement to BDC shareholders for approval and adoption at a meeting to be called and held in accordance with applicable law and its Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws at the earliest possible reasonable date. Subject to Section 6.08 hereof, the Board of Directors of BDC shall recommend to its shareholders that such shareholders approve and adopt this Agreement and the Merger contemplated hereby and will solicit proxies voting in favor of this Agreement from its shareholders. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, if prior to the approval of this Agreement by the BDC shareholders, any third party negotiations entered into by BDC pursuant to Section 6.08 result in a bona fide written proposal for a BDC Acquisition Proposal that the board of directors of BDC determines, in good faith, after consultation with its financial advisor and legal counsel, is reasonably likely to be consummated in accordance with its terms and is more favorable to the BDC shareholders from a financial

 

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point of view than the Merger under this Agreement, BDC and its board of directors may terminate this Agreement, decline to recommend approval of this Agreement and adopt, approve or recommend approval of such third party BDC Acquisition Proposal.

 

6.03                         Operation of the Business of BDC

 

(a)                                  On and after the date of this Agreement and until the Effective Time or until this Agreement is terminated as herein provided, BDC and each of its Subsidiaries shall: (i) carry on its business diligently, substantially in the manner as is presently being conducted and in the ordinary course of business; (ii) use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve its business organization intact, keep available the services of the present officers and employees and preserve its present relationships with customers and Persons having business dealings with it; (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain all of the properties and assets that it owns or utilizes in the operation of its business as currently conducted in good operating condition and repair, reasonable wear and tear excepted; (iv) maintain its books, records and accounts in the usual, regular and ordinary manner, on a basis consistent with prior years and in compliance in all material respects with all statutes, laws, rules and regulations applicable to them and to the conduct of its business; (v) timely file all required regulatory reports; and (vi) not knowingly do or fail to do anything which will cause a breach of, or default in, any contract, agreement, commitment, obligation, understanding, arrangement, lease or license to which it is a party or by which it is or may be subject or bound.

 

(b)                                  Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, BDC shall use its reasonable best efforts in good faith to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper or desirable, or advisable under applicable laws, so as to permit consummation of the Merger and the transactions contemplated thereby as promptly as practicable and otherwise to enable consummation of the Merger, including the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Article VII hereof, and shall cooperate fully with the other party hereto to that end.

 

(c)                                   Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, without the prior written consent of a duly authorized officer of the Merchants, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, neither BDC nor its Subsidiaries shall:

 

(i)                                      Make any change in its authorized capital stock or capital stock accounts, issue or sell any additional shares of, securities convertible into or exchangeable for, or options, warrants or rights to purchase, its capital stock;

 

(ii)                                   Redeem any of its outstanding shares of common stock;

 

(iii)                                Merge, combine or consolidate or effect a share exchange with or sell its assets or any of its securities to any other Person or enter into any other similar transaction not in the ordinary course of business;

 

(iv)                               Purchase any assets or securities or assume any liabilities of a bank holding company, bank, corporation or other entity;

 

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(v)                                  Make any changes in the composition of its executive officers, directors or other key management personnel other than customary annual increases or adjustment consistent with past practices;

 

(vi)                               Make any change in the compensation or title of any officer, director or key management employee or make any change in the compensation or title of any other employee, other than consistent with past practices in the ordinary course of business, any of which change shall be reported promptly to the other party;

 

(vii)                            Enter into any bonus, incentive compensation, stock option, deferred compensation, profit sharing, retirement, pension, group insurance or other benefit or any employment or consulting agreement;

 

(viii)                         Incur any obligation or liability (whether absolute or contingent, excluding suits instituted against it), make any pledge, or encumber or sell any of its assets, including the shares of any Subsidiary or shares held of any Federal Home Loan Bank, purchase or otherwise acquire or dispose of any of its assets in any other manner, except in the ordinary course of its business and for adequate value consistent with past practice;

 

(ix)                               Alter, amend or repeal its Articles or By-Laws except as contemplated by this Agreement or unless such amendment shall be necessary to complete the Merger or Bank Merger and Merchants shall have authorized or consented to such change;

 

(x)                                  Enter into any new capital commitments or make any capital expenditures in excess of $25,000 in the aggregate, other than pursuant to binding commitments existing as of the date hereof and provided in the Disclosure Schedule;

 

(xi)                               Enter into any contract, agreement, lease, commitment, understanding, . arrangement or transaction or incur any liability or obligation (other than as contemplated by Section 6.03(c)(xii) hereof and legal, accounting and fees related to the Merger) requiring payments by it or any of its Subsidiaries which exceed $25,000, whether individually or in the aggregate, or that is not a trade payable or incurred in the ordinary course of business;

 

(xii)                            Make, renew or otherwise modify any loan, loan commitment, letter of credit or other extension of credit (individually, a “Loan” and collectively, “Loans”) to any Person if the Loan is an existing credit on its books or any Subsidiary and classified as “Substandard,” “Doubtful” or “Loss” or such Loan is in an amount in excess of $100,000 and classified as “special mention” or make, renew or otherwise modify any Loan or Loans if

 

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immediately after making a Loan or Loans, such Person would be directly indebted to it or any Subsidiary in an aggregate amount in excess of $500,000 if, in the case of any of the foregoing types of Loan or Loans, Merchants shall object thereto within five (5) business days after receipt of notice of such proposed Loan, and the failure to provide a written objection within five (5) business days after receipt of notice of such proposed Loan shall be deemed as the approval of Merchants to make such Loan or Loans;

 

(xiii)                         Except as provided in the Disclosure Schedule and for the acquisition or disposition in the ordinary course of business of other real estate owned, acquire or dispose of any real or personal property or fixed asset constituting a capital investment in excess of $25,000 in the aggregate;

 

(xiv)                        Make any investment subject to any restrictions, whether contractual or statutory, which materially impairs its ability to dispose freely of such investment at any time; or, subject any of their properties or assets to a mortgage, lien, claim, charge, option, restriction, security interest or encumbrance, except for tax and other liens which arise by operation of law and with respect to which payment is not past due or is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, pledges or liens required to be granted in connection with acceptance by it or any Subsidiary of government deposits and pledges or liens in connection with Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings;

 

(xv)                           File any applications or make any contract with respect to branching or site location or relocation;

 

(xvi)                        Other than completion of the Audit, make any material change in its accounting methods or practices, other than changes required by changes in applicable laws or regulations or GAAP, or change any of its methods of reporting income and deductions for federal income tax purposes, except as required by changes in applicable laws or regulations;

 

(xvii)                     Change its lending, investment, deposit or asset and liability management or other banking policies except as may be required by applicable law or regulations and Merchants shall have authorized or consented to such change;

 

(xviii)                  Enter into any future contract, swap, cap, floor, option or other agreement or take any other action for purposes of hedging the exposure of its interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities to changes in market rates of interest;

 

(xix)                        Acquire in any manner whatsoever (other than to realize upon collateral for a defaulted loan) any business or entity;

 

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(xx)                           Incur any liability for borrowed funds (other than in the case of deposits, federal funds purchased, securities sold under agreements to repurchase and Federal Home Loan Bank advances in the ordinary course of business) or place upon or permit any encumbrance of any nature upon any of its properties or assets except as permitted by Section 3.11(a)(iii) and (iv) ;

 

(xxi)                        Engage in any loan transaction with an Affiliate or any other transaction with an Affiliate which is not in the ordinary course of business;

 

(xxii)                     Pay or commit to pay any management or consulting or other similar type of fees other than as disclosed in the Disclosure Schedule; or

 

(xxiii)                  Knowingly take any action that is intended or is reasonably likely to result in (A) any of its representations and warranties set forth in this Agreement being or becoming untrue in any respect at any time at or prior to the Effective Time, subject to the standard set forth in Section 7.01(a) and 7.02(a) , (B) any of the conditions to the Merger set forth in Article VII not being satisfied, (C) a material violation of any provision of this Agreement, or (D) a material delay in the consummation of the Merger except, in each case, as may be required by applicable law or regulation.

 

6.04                         Insurance

 

BDC shall maintain, or cause to be maintained, for itself and its Subsidiaries, in full force and effect, insurance on its assets, properties and operations, fidelity coverage and directors’ and officers’ liability insurance in such amounts and with regard to such liabilities and hazards as are currently insured by it or its Subsidiaries as of the date of this Agreement.

 

6.05                         Governmental Reports and Shareholder Information

 

BDC shall promptly upon its becoming available, furnish to Merchants one (1) copy of each financial statement, report, notice, or proxy statement sent by it or any Subsidiary to any Governmental Authority or to its shareholders generally and of any order issued by any Governmental Authority in any proceeding to which it or any of its Subsidiaries is a party. For purposes of this Agreement, “Governmental Authority” shall mean any government (or any political subdivision or jurisdiction thereof), court, bureau, agency or other governmental entity having or asserting jurisdiction over the applicable party or its business, operations or properties.

 

6.06                         Financial Statements

 

(a)                                  Within sixty (60) days after execution of this Agreement, BDC shall provide to Merchants an audited balance sheet (the “Audit”) for BDC as of June 30, 2016. The Audit shall be prepared by BKD LLP.

 

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(b)                                  In addition to delivering the Audit, BDC shall as soon as reasonably available after the date of this Agreement, deliver to the Merchants any additional financial statements which have been prepared on its behalf or at its direction, including its quarterly and its monthly unaudited balance sheets and profit and loss statements prepared for its internal use, its Call Reports for each quarterly period completed prior to the Effective Time, and all other financial reports or statements submitted to regulatory authorities after the date hereof, to the extent permitted by law. Collectively, all such BDC financial statements described by this Section 6.06 are referred to as the “BDC Subsequent Financial Statements.” The BDC Subsequent Financial Statements shall be prepared on a basis consistent with past accounting practices and GAAP to the extent applicable and shall present fairly the financial condition and results of operations as of the dates and for the periods presented (except, in the case of unaudited financial statement or Call Report information, for the absence of notes and/or year-end adjustments). The BDC Subsequent Financial Statements, including the notes thereto, shall not include any assets, liabilities or obligations or omit to state any assets, liabilities or obligations, absolute or contingent, or any other facts, if such inclusion or omission would render such financial statements inaccurate, incomplete or misleading in any material respect.

 

6.07                         Dividends

 

Neither BDC nor its Subsidiaries shall distribute or pay any dividends on its shares of common stock, or authorize a stock split, or make any other distribution to its shareholders, except that BDC Subsidiaries may pay cash dividends to BDC in the ordinary course of business for payment of reasonable and necessary business and operating expenses of BDC.

 

6.08                         Acquisition Proposals

 

BDC agrees that neither it nor JSB shall, and that it shall direct and use its reasonable best efforts in good faith to cause its and JSB’s directors, officers, employees, agents and representatives not to, directly or indirectly, initiate, solicit, encourage or otherwise facilitate any inquiries or the making of any proposal or offer with respect to a merger, reorganization, share exchange, consolidation or similar transaction involving BDC or JSB, or any purchase of all or substantially all of the assets of BDC or JSB or more than 10% of the outstanding equity securities of BDC or JSB (any such proposal or offer being hereinafter referred to as an “BDC Acquisition Proposal”). BDC further agrees that neither BDC nor JSB shall, and that it shall direct and use its reasonable best efforts in good faith to cause its and JSB’s directors, officers, employees, agents and representatives not to, directly or indirectly, engage in any negotiations concerning, or provide any confidential information or data to, or have any discussions with, any Person relating to an BDC Acquisition Proposal, or otherwise facilitate any effort or attempt to make or implement an BDC Acquisition Proposal; provided, however, that nothing contained in this Agreement shall prevent BDC or the BDC Board from (i) complying with its disclosure obligations under federal or state law; (ii) providing information in response to a request therefor by a Person who has made an unsolicited bona fide written BDC Acquisition Proposal if the BDC or JSB Board receives from the Person so requesting such information an executed confidentiality agreement; (iii) engaging in any negotiations or discussions with any Person who has made an unsolicited bona fide written BDC Acquisition Proposal or (iv) recommending such an BDC Acquisition Proposal to the shareholders of BDC, if and only to the extent that, in each such case referred to in clause (ii) or (iii) above, (A) the BDC Board determines in good faith

 

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(after consultation with outside legal counsel) that such action would be required in order for its directors to comply with their respective fiduciary duties under applicable law and (B) the BDC Board determines in good faith (after consultation with its financial advisor) that such BDC Acquisition Proposal, if accepted, is reasonably likely to be consummated, taking into account all legal, financial and regulatory aspects of the proposal and the Person making the proposal and would, if consummated, result in a transaction more favorable to BDC’s shareholders from a financial point of view than the Merger. A BDC Acquisition Proposal which is received and considered by the BDC Board in compliance with this Section 6.08 and which meets the requirements set forth in clause (iv) of the preceding sentence is herein referred to as an “BDC Superior Proposal.” BDC agrees that it will immediately cease and cause to be terminated any existing activities, discussions or negotiations with any parties conducted heretofore with respect to any BDC Acquisition Proposals. BDC agrees that it will notify Merchants if any such inquiries, proposals or offers are received by, any such information is requested from, or any such discussions or negotiations are sought to be initiated or continued with, BDC, JSB, or any of its representatives.

 

6.09                         Benefit Plans; Continuing Employees

 

(a)                                  Following the Effective Time, all employee benefit plans currently sponsored by BDC or JSB will be maintained by JSB as separate plans for a period that does not exceed any applicable transition period permitted under ERISA or the Code which relate to the Merger; provided however, that Merchants may, in its sole discretion, cause JSB to terminate such employee benefit plans prior to the end of the applicable transition period. BDC and JSB, as applicable, agree to take, or cause to be taken, all actions necessary to (i) assign each employee benefit plan to JSB, (ii) deliver to JSB all financial, enrollment, eligibility, contractual and other information required to administer such plans; and (iii) terminate such plans as directed by Merchants.

 

(b)                                  Following the Effective Time, Merchants expects to continue to cause on at-will basis current employees of JSB who are employed by JSB immediately prior to the Effective Time to continue to be employed by JSB or another bank subsidiary of Merchants. Nothing in this Agreement requires Merchants to retain any of JSB’s employees for any period of time after the Merger.

 

(c)                                   From and after the Effective Time, employees continuing with JSB who become participants in the employee benefit plans of Merchants shall receive credit, for eligibility and vesting purposes, but not benefit accrual purposes, for the service of such employees with BDC or JSB prior to the Effective Time as if such service were with Merchants or one of its subsidiary banks.

 

(d)                                  On or before the Effective Time, JSB shall take, or cause to be taken, all actions necessary to terminate each Joy State Bank Deferred Incentive Agreement in effect between JSB and members of its board of directors, which terminations shall be completed in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(j)(4)(ix)(B). All amounts accrued under such agreements as of the date of termination will be liquidated and distributed no later than the first anniversary of the Effective Time.

 

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6.10                         Indemnification

 

(a)                                  All rights to indemnification and exculpation from liabilities for acts or omissions occurring at or prior to the Effective Time now existing in favor of the current or former directors or officers of BDC and its Subsidiaries as provided in its charters or by-laws and any existing indemnification agreements or arrangements of BDC described in the BDC Disclosure Schedule, shall survive the Merger and shall continue in full force and effect in accordance with their terms to the extent permitted by law, and shall not be amended, repealed or otherwise modified for a period of six (6) years after the Effective Time in any manner that would adversely affect the rights thereunder of such individuals for acts or omissions occurring or alleged to occur at or prior to the Effective Time.

 

(b)                                  In the event of any threatened or actual claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation, whether civil, criminal or administrative, including, without limitation, any such claim, action suit, proceeding or investigation in which any individual who is now, or has been at any time prior to the date of this Agreement, or who becomes prior to the Effective Time, a director or officer of BDC (the “Indemnified Parties”), is, or is threatened to be, made a party based in whole or in part on, or arising in whole or in part out of, or pertaining to (i) the fact that he is or was a director, officer or employee of BDC or its predecessors or (ii) this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated hereby, whether in any case asserted or arising before or after the Effective Time, the parties hereto agree to cooperate and use their best reasonable efforts to defend against and respond thereto.

 

(c)                                   Merchants shall cause the individuals serving as officers and directors of BDC immediately before the Effective Time to be covered for a period of six (6) years from the Effective Time by the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy maintained by BDC (provided that Merchants may substitute therefor policies of at least the same coverage and amounts containing terms and conditions that are not less advantageous to such officers and directors than such policy) with respect to acts or omissions occurring before the Effective Time; provided, further, that in no event shall Merchants be required to expend pursuant to this Section 6.10(c) more than an amount per year equal to 150% of the annual premiums paid by BDC as of the Effective Time for such insurance; provided, however, that if the cost exceeds such limit, Merchants shall use its reasonable efforts to obtain as much comparable insurance as is available for the Insurance Amount.

 

(d)                                  The provisions of this Article shall survive the Effective Time and are intended to be for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable by, each Indemnified Party and other Person named herein and his or her heirs and representatives. Merchants shall cause any successor, whether by consolidation, merger or transfer of substantially all of its properties or assets, to comply with its obligations under this Article.

 

(e)                                   Any Indemnified Party wishing to claim indemnification under Section 6.10 , upon learning of any claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation described above, shall promptly notify the Surviving Corporation thereof; provided that the failure so to notify shall not affect the obligations of the Surviving Corporation under Section 6.10 unless and to the extent that the Surviving Corporation is prejudiced as a result of such failure.

 

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6.11                         Life Insurance Policies

 

BDC and its Subsidiaries may sell, transfer or surrender prior to the Effective Time all of the bank owned life insurance and other life insurance policies owned by BDC and its Subsidiaries. Any transactions made pursuant to this Section shall be reflected in the Minimum BDC Consolidated Shareholders’ Equity. The named insured for any bank owned life insurance that will not be transferred to such named insured prior to the Effective Time has prior to the date hereof, or has agreed to execute prior to the Effective Time, an amendment to the agreement related to the insurance policy in the form of Exhibit 6.11 hereto.

 

6.12                         Bank Stock

 

BDC and its Subsidiaries shall sell, transfer or dispose of prior to the Effective Time all of the shares of capital stock of Quad City Bank and Sauk Valley Bank, or their respective holding companies.

 

6.13                         Notice of Breach

 

BDC shall promptly give written notice to Merchants upon becoming aware of the existence, or the impending or threatened occurrence of, any events which have caused or would cause or constitute a breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made under this Agreement and will use its reasonable best efforts in good faith to prevent or promptly remedy the same.

 

ARTICLE VII.

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO THE MERGER

 

7.01                         Merchants

 

The obligation of Merchants to consummate the Merger is subject to the satisfaction and fulfillment of each of the following conditions on or prior to the Effective Time, unless waived in writing by Merchants:

 

(a)                                  Representations and Warranties at Effective Time . Each of the representations and warranties of BDC contained in this Agreement shall be true, accurate and correct in all material respects at and as of the Effective Time as though such representations and warranties had been made or given on and as of the Effective Time (except that representations and warranties that by their express terms speak as of the date of this Agreement or some other date shall be true and correct only as of such date); provided that no representation or warranty of BDC, except for Section 3.03(a) hereof, shall be deemed untrue, inaccurate or incorrect for purposes hereunder as a consequence of the existence of any fact, event or circumstance inconsistent with such representation or warranty, unless such fact, event or circumstance, individually or taken together with all other facts, events or circumstances inconsistent with any representations or warranty of BDC, has had or would result in a Material Adverse Effect on BDC.

 

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(b)                                  Covenants . Each of the covenants and agreements of BDC shall have been fulfilled or complied with in all material respects from the date of this Agreement through and as of the Effective Time.

 

(c)                                   Deliveries at Closing . Merchants shall have received from BDC at the Closing (as hereinafter defined) the items and documents, in form and content reasonably satisfactory to Merchants, set forth in Section 10.02(b) hereof.

 

(d)                                  Regulatory Approvals . All regulatory approvals required to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby (“Regulatory Approvals”) shall have been obtained and shall remain in full force and effect and all statutory waiting periods in respect thereof shall have expired and no such approvals shall contain any conditions, restrictions or requirements which the Board of Directors of Merchants reasonably determines in good faith would (i) following the Effective Time, have a Material Adverse Effect on the Surviving Corporation, or (ii) reduce the benefits of the transactions contemplated hereby to such a degree that Merchants would not have entered into this Agreement had such conditions, restrictions or requirements been known at the date hereof.

 

(e)                                   Shareholder Approval . The shareholders of BDC shall have approved and adopted this Agreement as required by applicable law and its Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws.

 

(f)                                    Officers’ Certificate . BDC shall have delivered to Merchants a certificate signed by its President and its Secretary, dated as of the Effective Time, certifying that: (i) the representations and warranties of BDC contained in Article III are true, accurate and correct in all respects on and as of the Effective Time, subject to the standard specified in Section 7.01(a) above; (ii) all the covenants of BDC have been complied with in all material respects from the date of this Agreement through and as of the Effective Time; (iii) there were and are no Dissenter’s Shares; and (iv) BDC has satisfied and fully complied with all conditions necessary to make this Agreement effective as to it.

 

(g)                                   Material Proceedings . None of Merchants, BDC, or either of their Subsidiaries, shall be subject to any statute, rule, regulation, injunction, order or decree, which shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or enforced, which prohibits, prevents or makes illegal completion of the Merger, and no material claim, litigation or proceeding shall have been initiated or threatened relating to the Agreement or the Merger or seeking to prevent the completion of the Merger.

 

(h)                                  Minimum BDC Consolidated Shareholders’ Equity . The BDC Consolidated Shareholders’ Equity at the Effective Time shall equal or exceed the Minimum BDC Consolidated Shareholders’ Equity.

 

7.02                         BDC

 

The obligation of BDC to consummate the Merger is subject to the satisfaction and fulfillment of each of the following conditions on or prior to the Effective Time, unless waived in writing by BDC:

 

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(a)                                  Representations and Warranties at Effective Time . Each of the representations and warranties of Merchants contained in this Agreement shall be true, accurate and correct in all material respects on and as of the Effective Time as though the representations and warranties had been made or given at and as of the Effective Time (except that representations and warranties that by their express terms speak as of the date of this Agreement or some other date shall be true and correct only as of such date); provided that no representation or warranty of Merchants, except for Section 4.03(a) hereof, shall be deemed untrue, inaccurate or incorrect for purposes hereunder as a consequence of the existence of any fact, event or circumstance inconsistent with such representation or warranty, unless such fact, event or circumstance, individually or taken together with all other facts, events or circumstances inconsistent with any representations or warranty of Merchants, has had or would result in a Material Adverse Effect on Merchants.

 

(b)                                  Covenants . Each of the covenants and agreements of Merchants shall have been fulfilled or complied with in all material respects from the date of this Agreement through and as of the Effective Time.

 

(c)                                   Deliveries at Closing . BDC shall have received from Merchants at the Closing the items and documents, in form and content reasonably satisfactory to BDC, listed in Section 10.02(a) hereof.

 

(d)                                  Regulatory Approvals . Regulatory Approvals shall have been obtained and shall remain in full force and effect and all statutory waiting periods in respect thereof shall have expired.

 

(e)                                   Shareholder Approvals . The shareholders of BDC shall have approved and adopted this Agreement as required by applicable law and such entity’s Articles of Incorporation.

 

(f)                                    Officers’ Certificate . Merchants shall have delivered to BDC a certificate signed by its Chairman or President and its Secretary, dated as of the Effective Time, certifying that: (i) the representations and warranties of Merchants contained in Article IV are true, accurate and correct in all respects on and as of the Effective Time, subject to the standard specified in Section 7.02(a) above; (ii) all the covenants of Merchants have been complied with in all material respects from the date of this Agreement through and as of the Effective Time; and (iii) Merchants has satisfied and fully complied with all conditions necessary to make this Agreement effective as to it.

 

(g)                                   Material Proceedings . None of Merchants, BDC, or any Subsidiary of Merchants or BDC, shall be subject to any statute, rule, regulation, injunction, order or decree, which shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or enforced, which prohibits, prevents or makes illegal completion of the Merger, and no material claim, litigation or proceeding shall have been initiated or threatened relating to the Agreement or the Merger or seeking to prevent the completion of the Merger.

 

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ARTICLE VIII.

TERMINATION OF MERGER

 

8.01                         Termination

 

This Agreement may be terminated and abandoned at any time prior to the Closing Date, only as follows:

 

(a)                                  by the mutual written consent of Merchants and BDC;

 

(b)                                  by either of BDC or Merchants by written notice to the other:

 

(i)                                      if the Agreement is not approved by the requisite vote of BDC’s shareholders at the meeting of shareholders contemplated in Section 6.02 ;

 

(ii)                                   if any Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction shall have issued an order, decree, judgment or injunction or taken any other action that permanently restrains, enjoins or otherwise prohibits or makes illegal the consummation of the Merger, and such order, decree, judgment, injunction or other action shall have become final and non-appealable or if any consent or approval of any Governmental Authority whose consent or approval is required to consummate the Merger has been denied and such denial has become final and non-appealable; or

 

(iii)                                if the consummation of the Merger shall not have occurred on or before June 30, 2017 (the “Outside Date”); provided that the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 8.01(b)(iii) shall not be available to any party whose breach of any provision of this Agreement causes the failure of the Merger to occur on or before the Outside Date;

 

(c)                                   by written notice from Merchants to BDC, if:

 

(i)                                      any event shall have occurred which is not capable of being cured prior to the Outside Date and would result in any condition set forth in Section 7.01 not being satisfied prior to the Outside Date;

 

(ii)                                   BDC breaches or fails to perform any of its representations, warranties or covenants contained in this Agreement, which breach or failure to perform would give rise to the failure of a condition set forth in Section 7.01 , and such condition is incapable of being satisfied by the Outside Date or such breach has not been cured by BDC within 20 business days after BDC’s receipt of written notice of such breach from Merchants;

 

(iii)                                there has been a Material Adverse Effect on BDC on a consolidated basis as of the Effective Time, as compared to that in existence as of the date of this Agreement;

 

(iv)                               the BDC Board of Directors shall fail to include its recommendation to approve the Merger in the proxy statement;

 

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(v)                                  the BDC Board shall approve any BDC Acquisition Proposal or publicly recommend that the holders of BDC Common Stock accept or approve any BDC Acquisition Proposal; or

 

(vi)                               BDC shall have entered into, or publicly announced its intention to enter into, a definitive agreement, agreement in principle or letter of intent with respect to any BDC Acquisition Proposal.

 

(d)                                  by written notice from BDC to Merchants if:

 

(i)                                      any event shall have occurred which is not capable of being cured prior to the Outside Date and would result in any condition set forth in Section 7.02 not being satisfied prior to the Outside Date; or

 

(ii)                                   Merchants breaches or fails to perform any of its representations, warranties or covenants contained in this Agreement, which breach or failure to perform would give rise to the failure of a condition set forth in Section 7.02 and such condition is incapable of being satisfied by the Outside Date or such breach has not been cured by Merchants within 20 business days after Merchants’ receipt of written notice of such breach from BDC.

 

8.02                         Effect of Termination

 

(a)                                  Subject to the remainder of this Section 8.02 , in the event of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 8.01 , this Agreement shall forthwith become null and void and have no effect, without any liability on the part of Merchants or BDC and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisors, agents, or shareholders and all rights and obligations of any party under this Agreement shall cease, except for the agreements contained in this Section 8.02 and Section 11.09 , which shall remain in full force and effect and survive any termination of this Agreement; provided, however, that nothing contained in this Section 8.02(a) , except for the fees payable pursuant to subsections (b), (c) or (d) , shall relieve any party hereto from liabilities or damages arising out of any fraud or intentional breach by such party of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or other agreements contained in this Agreement.

 

(b)                                  BDC shall pay to Merchants an amount in cash equal to $150,000 (the “Termination Fee”) if:

 

(i)                                      this Agreement is terminated by Merchants pursuant to Section 8.01(c), with the exception of subsection (i) thereof unless in the case that the occurrence of such an event related to subsection (i) is the direct result of a breach of this Agreement by BDC; or

 

(ii)                                   this Agreement is terminated by either party pursuant to Section 8.01(b)(i) as a result of the failure of BDC’s shareholders to approve the Agreement by the requisite vote; or

 

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(iii)                                this Agreement is terminated by either party pursuant to Section 8.01(b)(iii) and (A) prior to the date of such termination, a BDC Acquisition Proposal was made, and (B) prior to the date that is twelve months after such termination, BDC or any of its Subsidiaries enters into any BDC Acquisition Agreement or any BDC Acquisition Proposal is consummated.

 

(c)                                   Any fee due under Section 8.02(b) shall be paid to Merchants by BDC by wire transfer of same day funds:

 

(i)                                      in the case of Section 8.02(b)(i), concurrently with such termination; and

 

(ii)                                   in the case of Section 8.02(b)(ii) or Section 8.02(b)(iii) , on the earlier of the date BDC enters into such Acquisition Agreement or consummates such Acquisition Proposal.

 

(d)                                  In the event that BDC owes the Termination Fee and/or fees and expenses to Merchants pursuant Section 8.02(b) , then the payment of such amounts shall be the sole and exclusive remedy of Merchants for those termination events and shall constitute liquidated damages.

 

(e)                                   Each party to this Agreement acknowledges that the agreements contained in this Section 8.02 are an integral part of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and that, without these agreements, the other party hereto would not have entered into this Agreement. Accordingly, if (i) (A) BDC fails promptly to pay the amounts due pursuant to this Section 8.02 or (B) Merchants fails to comply with any demand for specific performance of this Agreement and completion of the Merger, and (ii) in order to obtain such payment or such specific performance, the aggrieved party shall commence a suit that results in a judgment against the non-performing party for the amounts or relief set forth in this Section 8.02 , then the non-performing party shall pay to the aggrieved party its reasonable costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expenses) in connection with such suit and any appeal relating thereto, together with interest on the amounts set forth in this Section 8.02 at the national prime rate in effect on the date such payment was required to be made.

 

ARTICLE IX.

EFFECTIVE TIME OF THE MERGER

 

Upon the terms and subject to the conditions specified in this Agreement, the Merger shall become effective on the day and at the time specified in the Articles of Merger of Acquisition Corp and BDC as filed with the Indiana Secretary of State (the “Effective Time”). Unless otherwise mutually agreed to by the parties hereto, the Effective Time will occur on the last business day of the month in which following occur: (a) the fulfillment of all conditions precedent to the Merger set forth in Article VII of this Agreement and (b) the expiration of all waiting periods in connection with the bank regulatory applications filed for the approval of the Merger.

 

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ARTICLE X.

CLOSING

 

10.01                  Closing Date and Place

 

So long as all conditions precedent set forth in Article VII hereof have been satisfied and fulfilled, the closing of the Merger (the “Closing”) will take place at 9:00 AM Eastern Time on such day (or if such day is not a business day on which the Indiana Secretary of State accepts filings under the Indiana Business Corporation Law, then on the last day prior to such date that is a business day) as the day of the Effective Time (the “Closing Date”) at a location to be reasonably determined by Merchants.

 

10.02                  Deliveries

 

(a)                                  At the Closing, Merchants will deliver to BDC the following:

 

(i)                                      the officers’ certificate contemplated by Section 7.02(f) hereof;

 

(ii)                                   copies of all approvals by government regulatory agencies necessary to consummate the Merger;

 

(iii)                                copies of the resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of Merchants certified by the Secretary of Merchants relative to the approval of this Agreement and the Merger; and

 

(iv)                               such other documents as BDC or its legal counsel may reasonably request.

 

(b)                                  At the Closing, BDC will deliver to Merchants the following:

 

(i)                                      the officers’ certificates contemplated by Sections 7.01(f) and (h) hereof;

 

(ii)                                   copies of the resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors and shareholders of BDC certified by the Secretary of BDC relative to the approval of this Agreement and the Merger; and

 

(iii)                                such other documents as Merchants or its legal counsel may reasonably request.

 

ARTICLE XI.

MISCELLANEOUS

 

11.01                  Effective Agreement

 

This Agreement and the recitals hereof shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the respective parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations of the respective parties hereto under this Agreement may be assigned by any party hereto without the prior written consent of the other parties hereto. The representations, warranties, covenants

 

44



 

and agreements contained in this Agreement, as well as the documents and instruments referred to herein, are for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and assigns, and they will not be construed as conferring any rights on any other Persons, except for Section 6.10 hereof.

 

11.02                  Waiver; Amendment

 

(a)                                  The parties hereto may by an instrument in writing: (i) extend the time for the performance of or otherwise amend any of the covenants, conditions or agreements of the other parties under this Agreement; (ii) waive any inaccuracies in the representations or warranties of the other parties contained in this Agreement or in any document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto; (iii) waive the performance by the other parties of any of the covenants or agreements to be performed by it or them under this Agreement; or (iv) waive the satisfaction or fulfillment of any condition, the nonsatisfaction or nonfulfillment of which is a condition to the right of the party so waiving to consummate the Merger. The waiver by any party hereto of a breach of or noncompliance with any provision of this Agreement will not operate or be construed as a continuing waiver or a waiver of any other or subsequent breach or noncompliance hereunder.

 

(b)                                  This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented only by a written agreement executed by the parties hereto.

 

11.03                  Notices

 

All notices, requests and other communications hereunder will be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly given if delivered by hand and receipted for, delivered by certified United States Mail, return receipt requested, first class postage pre-paid, delivered by overnight express receipted delivery service, as follows:

 

If to Merchants or Acquisition Corp:

with a copy to (which will not constitute notice):

 

 

Merchants Bancorp

Krieg DeVault LLP

11555 North Meridian Street

One Indiana Square, Suite 2800

Carmel, Indiana 46032

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

ATTN: Michael F. Petrie, Chairman and CEO

ATTN: Michael J. Messaglia

 

 

If to BDC:

with a copy to (which will not constitute notice):

 

 

Bluestem Development Corporation

Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC

101 West Main Street

200 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 1100

Joy, Illinois 61260

Chicago, Illinois 60604

ATTN: James N. Godke

ATTN: Jude M. Sullivan

 

or such substituted address or Person as any of them have given to the other in writing. All such notices, requests or other communications shall be effective: (a) if delivered by hand, when delivered; (b) if mailed in the manner provided herein, five (5) business days after deposit with

 

45



 

the United States Postal Service; and (c) if delivered by overnight express delivery service, on the next business day after deposit with such service with sufficient shipping fees for next business day delivery prepaid.

 

11.04                  Headings

 

The headings in this Agreement have been inserted solely for ease of reference and should not be considered in the interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

 

11.05                  Severability

 

In case any one or more of the provisions contained herein shall, for any reason, be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement, but this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision or provisions had never been contained herein.

 

11.06                  Counterparts; Facsimile

 

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by facsimile, each of which will be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

 

11.07                  Governing Law; Enforcement; Specific Performance; Jury Trial

 

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana and applicable federal laws, without regard to principles of conflicts of law. The parties hereto hereby agree that all claims, actions, suits and proceedings between the parties hereto relating to this Agreement shall be filed, tried and litigated only in the Circuit or Superior Courts of Marion County, Indiana or the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division. In connection with the foregoing, the parties hereto consent to the jurisdiction and venue of such courts and expressly waive any claims or defenses of lack of personal jurisdiction of or proper venue by such courts. The parties agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement was not performed in accordance with its specific terms on a timely basis or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or other equitable relief to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement in any court identified above without the necessity of posting any bond or other security and each of the parties hereby waives the defense in any such suit that the party seeking specific performance has an adequate remedy at law and agrees not to interpose any opposition, legal or otherwise, as to the propriety of specific performance as a remedy. The remedy of specific performance as provided in this paragraph shall be the sole and exclusive remedy of the parties and their respective shareholders under this Agreement, and neither party nor its respective shareholders shall have any other rights or remedies under this Agreement, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVES TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY JUDICIAL PROCEEDING INVOLVING, DIRECTLY, IN ANY MATTERS (WHETHER SOUNDING IN TORT, CONTRACT OR

 

46



 

OTHERWISE) IN ANY WAY ARISING OUT OF, RELATED TO, OR CONNECTED WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTION AGREEMENTS.

 

11.08                  Entire Agreement

 

This Agreement and the Exhibits hereto supersede all other prior or contemporaneous understandings, commitments, representations, negotiations or agreements, whether oral or written, among the parties hereto relating to the Merger or matters contemplated herein and constitute the entire agreement between the parties hereto, except as otherwise provided herein and except for the Mutual Nondisclosure Agreement dated June 20, 2016, by and between BDC and Merchants (the “Confidentiality Agreement”). Upon the execution of this Agreement by all the parties hereto, any and all other prior writings of either party relating to the Merger, will terminate and will be rendered of no further force or effect. The parties hereto agree that each party and its counsel reviewed and revised this Agreement and that the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party will not be employed in the interpretation of this Agreement or any amendments or exhibits hereto.

 

11.09                  Survival of Representations, Warranties or Covenants

 

Except as set forth in the following sentences, none of the representations, warranties or covenants of the parties will survive the Effective Time or the earlier termination of this Agreement, and thereafter Merchants, BDC and all the respective directors, officers and employees of Merchants and BDC will have no further liability with respect thereto. The covenants contained in Section 8.02 shall survive termination of this Agreement. The covenants contained in Sections 2.02 and 6.10 shall survive the Effective Time.

 

11.10                  Expenses

 

Except as provided elsewhere in this Agreement, each party to this Agreement shall pay its own expenses incidental to the Merger contemplated hereby.

 

11.11                  Certain References

 

Whenever in this Agreement a singular word is used, it also will include the plural wherever required by the context and vice-versa, and the masculine or neuter gender shall include the masculine, feminine and neuter genders. Except expressly stated otherwise, all references in this Agreement to periods of days shall be construed to refer to calendar, not business, days. The term “business day” will mean any day except Saturday and Sunday when Merchants Bank, in Carmel, Indiana, is open for the transaction of business.

 

11.12                  Disclosure Schedules

 

The mere inclusion of an item in a party’s Disclosure Schedule as an exception to a representation or warranty shall not be deemed an admission by such party that such item represents a material exception or fact, event or circumstance or that such item is reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Further, while each party will use commercially reasonable efforts to specifically reference each Section of this Agreement under which such disclosure is made pursuant to such party’s Disclosure Schedule, any information disclosed with

 

47



 

respect to one Section shall not be deemed to be disclosed for purposes of any other Section of this Agreement in such party’s Disclosure Schedule unless it is reasonably apparent the disclosed information relates to another Section or Sections of this Agreement notwithstanding the absence of a specific cross-reference.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

48



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Merchants, Acquisition Corp, and BDC have made and entered into this Agreement, as of the day and year first above written and have caused this Agreement to be executed, attested in counterparts and delivered by their duly authorized officers.

 

 

 

MERCHANTS BANCORP

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Michael F. Petrie

 

 

Michael F. Petrie, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

 

MB ACQUISITION CORP

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Michael F. Petrie

 

 

Michael F. Petrie, President

 

 

 

 

 

BLUESTEM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Kevin Conway

 

 

 

Title:

Chairman of the Board

 

[Signature Page to Agreement and Plan of Merger]

 

49


 

EXHIBIT 1.01(e)(i)

ARTICLES OF MERGER

 

OF

 

MB ACQUISITION CORP.

(an Indiana Corporation)

 

WITH

 

BLUESTEM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

(an Illinois Corporation)

 

WITH

 

BLUESTEM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

as the Surviving Corporation

 

In compliance with the requirements of the Indiana Business Corporation Law and the Illinois Business Corporation Act of 1983, each as amended (collectively, the “Acts”), the undersigned corporations, desiring to effect a merger, set forth the following facts:

 

Article I

 

MERGING CORPORATION

 

Section 1 .  The corporation merging is MB Acquisition Corp. (the “Merging Corporation”).

 

Section 2 .  The Merging Corporation is a domestic corporation existing pursuant to the provisions of the Indiana Business Corporations Act, as amended, was incorporated in Indiana on October [X], 2016.

 

Article II

 

SURVIVING CORPORATION

 

Section 1 .  The corporation surviving the merger is Bluestem Development Corporation (the “Surviving Corporation”).  The Surviving Corporation’s name has not been changed as a result of the merger and will remain “Bluestem Development Corporation.”

 

Section 2 .  The Surviving Corporation is a domestic corporation existing pursuant to the provisions of the Illinois Business Corporation Act of 1983, as amended, was incorporated in Illinois on July 3, 1996, and will maintain its principal office at 101 West Main Street, Joy, Mercer County, Illinois 61260.

 

1



 

Article III

 

PLAN OF MERGER

 

The Plan of Merger (the “Agreement”) dated [ · ], [ · ] containing such information as required by the Acts, is set forth in Exhibit A attached hereto and made a part hereof.

 

Article IV

 

MANNER OF ADOPTION AND VOTE

 

Section 1 Action by Merging Corporation

 

A.  Action by Directors .  The Agreement was approved and adopted Board of Directors of MB Acquisition Corp. by written consent on [ · ].

 

B.  Vote of Shareholders .  The sole shareholder of all 100 shares of MB Acquisition Corp. approved of the merger and adopted the Agreement by written consent on [ · ].

 

Section 2 Action by Surviving Corporation

 

A.  Action by Directors .  The Agreement was approved and adopted at a meeting of the Board of Directors of Bluestem Development Corporation duly held and convened on [ · ].

 

B.   Vote of Shareholders .  With respect to Bluestem Development Corporation, the designation, number of outstanding shares, number of votes entitled to be cast by each voting group entitled to vote separately on the merger, and number of shares voted in favor or against or having abstained as to the merger are set forth below:

 

Designation of Voting Group

 

Common Stock

 

 

 

Number of Outstanding Shares

 

10,000

 

 

 

Number of Votes Entitled to be Cast

 

[ · ]

 

 

 

Shares Voted in Favor

 

[ · ]

 

 

 

Shares Voted Against

 

[ · ]

 

 

 

Shares Abstained

 

[ · ]

 

The number of votes cast for approval of the Agreement by the shareholders of Bluestem Development Corporation was sufficient for approval thereof.

 

2



 

Article V

 

EFFECTIVE DATE AND TIME

 

The effective date and time of the merger hereby effectuated shall be [ · ] Eastern Standard Time, [ · ][ · ], 20[ · ].

 

*                                          *                                          *

 

3



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the undersigned Surviving Corporation and Merging Corporation, by their respective officers, acting for and on behalf of such corporations, hereby execute these Articles of Merger; and each of such corporations certifies to the truth of the facts and acts relating to it and the action taken by its respective Board of Directors and shareholders.

 

Dated this [ · ] day of [ · ], 20[ · ].

 

 

MB ACQUISITION CORP.

 

“Merging Corporation”

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

[ · ]

 

 

[ · ]

 

 

 

BLUESTEM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

 

“Surviving Corporation”

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

[ · ]

 

 

[ · ]

 

[Signature Page to Articles of Merger]

 

4



 

 

EXHIBIT 1.01(e)(ii)

 

PLAN OF MERGER

 

THIS PLAN OF MERGER (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into this [ · ] day of [ · ], 20[ · ] by and between MB Acquisition Corp. (“Acquisition Corp”) and Bluestem Development Corporation (the “BDC” or the “Surviving Corporation”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS, Acquisition Corp is an Indiana corporation with its principal office located in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana; and

 

WHEREAS, BDC is an Illinois corporation registered as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, with its principal office located in Joy, Mercer County, Illinois; and

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to a separate Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), dated October  [ · ], 2016, Acquisition Corp and BDC have agreed to a corporate reorganization whereby Acquisition Corp will merge with BDC, with BDC as the surviving entity; and

 

WHEREAS, the boards of directors of each of Acquisition Corp and BDC have determined that it is in the best interests of their respective corporations and their respective shareholders to consummate the merger provided for herein and have approved this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereby make this Agreement and prescribe the terms and conditions of the merger of Acquisition Corp with BDC, with BDC as the surviving entity, and the mode of carrying such merger into effect as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

THE MERGER

 

Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, at the Effective Time (as defined herein), Acquisition Corp shall be merged with BDC, with BDC as the surviving entity (the “Merger”).  BDC shall continue its corporate existence under the laws of the State of Illinois and under the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of BDC. At the Effective Time, the separate corporate existence of Acquisition Corp shall cease.

 

ARTICLE II

 

THE SURVIVING CORPORATION

 

Section 2.1                                    Name and Offices .  Upon and following the Effective Time of the Merger, the name of the Surviving Corporation shall be “Bluestem Development Corporation” and shall continue its corporate existence under the laws of the State of Illinois pursuant to the provisions of and with the effect provided in the Illinois Business Corporation Act of 1983, as amended. The principal office of the Surviving Corporation shall be located at 101 West Main

 

1



 

Street, Joy, Mercer County, Illinois 61260 until such time as the board of directors of the Surviving Corporation designates otherwise.

 

Section 2.2                                    Authorized Shares .  The total number of shares that Surviving Corporation shall have authority to issue is 100,000 shares of common stock.

 

Section 2.3                                    Directors of the Surviving Corporation .  The directors of the Acquisition Corp serving at the Effective Time shall continue to serve as the directors of the Surviving Corporation, until such time as their successors have been duly elected and have qualified or until their earlier resignation, death, or removal as a director.

 

Section 2.4                                    Officers of the Surviving Corporation .  The officers of Acquisition Corp serving at the Effective Time shall continue to serve as the officers of the Surviving Corporation, until such time as their successors shall have been duly elected and have qualified or until their earlier resignation, death or removal from office.

 

Section 2.5                                    Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws .

 

(a)                                  Articles of Incorporation .  The Articles of Incorporation of BDC in existence at the Effective Time shall remain the Articles of Incorporation of the Surviving Corporation following the Effective Time, until such Articles of Incorporation are amended or repealed as provided therein or by applicable law.

 

(b)                                  Bylaws .  The By-Laws of BDC in existence at the Effective Time shall remain the By-Laws of the Surviving Corporation following the Effective Time, until such By-Laws are amended or repealed as provided therein or by applicable law.

 

Section 2.6                                    Effect of the Merger At the Effective Time, the title to all of Acquisition Corp and BDC’s respective assets, real estate and other property owned shall vest in the Surviving Corporation as set forth in Indiana Code Section 23-1-40-6 and Illinois Comp. Stat. § 5/11.50, each as amended, without reversion or impairment. At the Effective Time, all of Acquisition Corp and BDC’s respective liabilities of the shall be assumed by the Surviving Corporation as set forth in Indiana Code Section 23-1-40-6 and Illinois Comp. Stat. § 5/11.50, each as amended.

 

ARTICLE III

 

MANNER AND BASIS OF EXCHANGE

 

Section 3.1                                    Merger Consideration .  Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Merger Agreement, at the Effective Time, each share of BDC common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than (i) shares held as treasury stock of Acquisition Corp and (ii) shares held directly or indirectly by Acquisition Corp, except shares held in a fiduciary capacity or in satisfaction of a debt previously contracted, if any) shall redeemed and cancelled and be converted into the right to receive cash in an amount specified in the Merger Agreement (the “Merger Consideration”).

 

Section 3.2                                    Effect of Conversion .  At and after the Effective Time, each certificate and each book-entry which immediately prior to the Effective Time represented the outstanding

 

2


 

shares of common stock of the BDC shall represent only the right to receive the Merger Consideration.

 

Section 3.3                                    Exchange Procedure .  Each holder of BDC common stock shall, upon (i) surrender each certificate, together with a duly completed and validly executed letter of transmittal and such other documents as may reasonably be requested by Acquisition Corp (or bond or other indemnity satisfactory to Acquisition Corp if any of such certificates are lost, stolen or destroyed) in the case of certificated shares, or (ii) receipt of an “agent’s message” by Acquisition Corp (or such other evidence, if any, of transfer as Acquisition Corp may reasonably request) in the case of book-entry shares, be entitled to receive the Merger Consideration in accordance with the Merger Agreement.

 

ARTICLE IV

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT

 

The obligation of Acquisition Corp and BDC to consummate the Merger contemplated by this Agreement is subject to the receipt of all required approvals of the shareholders of BDC and the receipt of all appropriate orders, consents, approvals and clearances from all necessary regulatory agencies and governmental authorities whose orders, consents, approvals or clearances are required by law for consummation of the Merger, as well as the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement.

 

ARTICLE V

EFFECTIVE TIME

 

Subject to the terms and upon satisfaction of all requirements of law and the conditions specified in this Agreement, the Merger shall become effective on the date and at the time specified in the Articles of Merger filed with the Indiana Secretary of State.

 

ARTICLE VI

TERMINATION

 

Section 6.1                                    Manner of Termination .  This Agreement may be terminated and the transactions contemplated hereby may be abandoned at any time prior to the Effective Time as provided in the Merger Agreement.

 

Section 6.2                                    Effect of Termination .  Upon termination by written notice, this Agreement shall be of no further force or effect, and there shall be no further obligations or liabilities by reason of this Agreement or the termination thereof on the part of either party hereto or their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and shareholders, except as expressly provided in the Merger Agreement, including without limitation: (i) the confidentiality provisions of the Merger Agreement; and (ii) the payment of their respective expenses, as set forth in the Merger Agreement.

 

ARTICLE VII

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 7.1                                    Binding Effect This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

 

3



 

Section 7.2                                    Entire Agreement .  This Agreement together with the Merger Agreement set forth the entire understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and merges and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous understandings with respect to the subject matter hereof.   This Agreement is delivered subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement and in the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and the provisions of the Merger Agreement, the provisions of the Merger Agreement shall control.

 

Section 7.3                                    Notices .  Any notices, request or instruction to be given hereunder to any party hereto shall be in writing and delivered as provided in the Merger Agreement.

 

Section 7.4                                    Amendments; Waivers .  No amendments of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by all parties hereto.  Any waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be in writing, and no waiver of any provision shall be deemed a waiver of any other provision or constitute a continuing waiver.

 

Section 7.5                                    Severability .  In case any one or more of the provisions contained herein shall, for any reason, be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement, but this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision or provisions had ever been contained herein.

 

Section 7.6                                    Governing Law .  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana and applicable federal laws, without regard to principles of conflicts of law.

 

Section 7.7                                    Counterparts .  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by facsimile, each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

 

*     *     *

 

4



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF , MB Acquisition Corp. and Bluestem Development Corporation have made and entered into this Agreement as of the day and year first above written and have caused this Agreement to be executed and attested by their duly authorized officers.

 

 

MB ACQUISITION CORP.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

[ · ]

 

 

[ · ]

 

 

ATTEST:

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

[ · ], Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

 

BLUESTEM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION “
Surviving Corporation”

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

[ · ]

 

 

[ · ]

 

 

ATTEST:

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

[ · ], Secretary

 

 

[Signature Page to Plan of Merger]

 

5



 

EXHIBIT 6.11

 

FIRST AMENDMENT OF

THE JOY STATE BANK

SPLIT DOLLAR AGREEMENT

WITH [                                  ]

 

WHEREAS , The Joy State Bank (the “Company”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bluestem Development Corporation (“BDC”); and

 

WHEREAS , BDC is entering into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger”) with MB Acquisition Corp. (“Acquisition Corp”) and Merchants Bancorp (“Merchants”), whereby BDC will merge with Acquisition Corp, with BDC as the surviving entity, and thereafter BDC will be a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Merchants and the Company will be an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary Merchants; and

 

WHEREAS , the Company entered into a Split Dollar Agreement (the “Agreement”) on July 12, 2000, between the Company and                (the “Insured”); and

 

WHEREAS , Article 7 of the Agreement authorizes the Company to amend or terminate the Agreement, subject to certain conditions provided in Paragraph 2.4; and

 

WHEREAS , Merchants has requested that the Company and the Insured agree to modifications of the Agreement, prior to the Merger, which would allow the Agreement to be terminated by the Company without the restrictions set forth in Paragraph 2.4; and

 

WHEREAS , the parties to the Agreement have agreed to amend the Agreement to remove the conditions in Paragraph 2.4.

 

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the premises contained herein, the Company and the Insured agree to amend the Agreement as follows:

 

1.                                       By deleting Paragraph 2.4; and

 

2.                                       By deleting the paragraph under Article 7 and replacing it with the following:  “This Agreement may be amended or terminated by the Company at any time, subject to the option to purchase provided in Paragraph 2.3 of this Agreement.”

 

The Agreement shall remain the same in all other particulars.

 

(Signature page follows)

 

1



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the Company and the Insured have caused this amendment to be executed on this     day of October, 2016.

 

 

THE JOY STATE BANK

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

INSURED

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

 

Printed:

 

 

(Signature page of First Amendment of Split Dollar Agreement)

 

2




Exhibit 5.1

 

 

October 16, 2017

 

Merchants Bancorp

11555 North Meridian Street, Suite 400

Carmel, Indiana 46032

 

Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-1

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to Merchants Bancorp, an Indiana corporation (“Merchants”), in connection with the preparation of a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-220623) (the “Registration Statement”) initially filed by Merchants with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on September 25, 2017 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Registration Statement relates to the issuance and sale by Merchants of up to 6,388,888 shares of common stock without par value (including up to 833,333 shares issuable upon exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares (the “Shares”).  This opinion is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.

 

In connection with the preparation and rendering of the opinion set forth herein, we have reviewed, examined and relied upon the accuracy of, among other things, copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the following documents:

 

1.                        the Registration Statement;

 

2.                        the form of Underwriting Agreement between Merchants and the underwriters named therein filed as Exhibit 1.1 to the Registration Statement (the “Underwriting Agreement”); and

 

3.                        such other documents, certificates, and corporate records as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion set forth herein.

 

Based on and subject to the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications, assumptions and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares will be, upon issuance, duly authorized and, when the Pricing Committee of the Board of Directors of Merchants has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance of the Shares, and if and when the Shares have been sold and issued upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Registration Statement and the Underwriting Agreement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

This opinion is limited to the Indiana Business Corporation Law, including all applicable Indiana statutory provisions and published judicial decisions interpreting these laws, as in effect on the date hereof.

 



 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.  We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement.  In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act, or the rules or regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

/s/Krieg DeVault LLP

 

 

 

Krieg DeVault LLP

 

 




Exhibit 10.8

 

REVOLVING SUBORDINATED

LOAN AGREEMENT

 

BETWEEN

 

MERCHANTS BANCORP,

an Indiana corporation

 

AND

 

HOME POINT FINANCIAL CORPORATION,

a New Jersey corporation

 

May 31 , 2017

 



 

REVOLVING SUBORDINATED LOAN AGREEMENT

 

This Revolving Subordinated Loan Agreement (“Agreement”) is entered into at Indianapolis, Indiana, effective the 31st day of May, 2017 by and between Home Point Financial Corporation, a New Jersey corporation; Attention: Howard Nathan; e-mail: hnathan@homepointfinancial.com (“Lender”), with a mailing address of 1194 Oak Valley Drive, Suite 80, Ann Arbor 48108, and Merchants Bancorp, an Indiana corporation (“Borrower”), with a principal mailing address of 11555 North Meridian Street, Suite 400, Carmel, Indiana 46032; Attention: Michael J. Dunlap; e-mail: MDunlap@merhantsbankofindiana.com.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in order to induce Lender to make the loan hereunder, as well as for other valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged by the parties hereto, Lender and Borrower hereby agree to the following.

 

SECTION 1. AMOUNT OF LOAN.

 

1.1                                Principal Amount . Borrower hereby promises to pay when due to the order of Lender, in lawful money of the United States of America, the aggregate unpaid principal amount of all advances of funds, up to Thirty Million Dollars ($30,000,000) (the “Maximum Amount”), made by Lender to Borrower hereunder. Borrower shall also pay interest on the unpaid principal amount outstanding at rates in accordance with the terms hereof. Funds may be disbursed by Lender in multiple Advances and repaid by Borrower as follows:

 

(a)                                  Lender shall advance funds to Borrower, subject to the Maximum Amount, as requested in writing by Borrower (a “Draw Notice”) at least 30 days in advance of the proposed date of disbursement, provided, however , that Lender will be obligated to advance funds to Borrower only to the extent that the unpaid principal balance of the Note (as defined below), after taking into account the advance requested in the Draw Notice, does not exceed an amount equal to the sum of (i) ten percent (10%) of the aggregate funded balances of the outstanding warehouse loans extended to borrowers by NattyMac Funding, Inc., an Indiana corporation (“Funding”), (ii) the aggregate equitable interests of Funding in warehouse loans originated by NattyMac, LLC, an Indiana limited liability company (“NattyMac”), in which Funding owns a participation interest (the “Aggregate Warehouse Participation Amount”), and (iii) the aggregate equitable interests of Funding in residential mortgage loans originated by Lender in which Funding owns a participation interest pursuant to the Participation Agreement between Lender and Funding of even date (the “Aggregate Mortgage Loan Participation Amount”).

 

(b)                                  Borrower shall repay Lender an amount set forth in a written notice (a “Repayment Notice”) from Lender, to the extent the unpaid principal amount of the Note exceeds the sum of (i) ten percent (10%) of the aggregate outstanding warehouse loan commitments extended to borrowers by Funding, including amounts advanced thereunder, (ii) the Aggregate Warehouse Participation Amount, and (iii) the Aggregate Mortgage Loan Participation Amount. Borrower may limit or restrict payment if the

 



 

aforementioned criterion is not met. Repayment shall occur at least 30 days from the repayment date (the “Repayment Date”) set forth in such Repayment Notice.

 

(c)                                   The principal balance of the Note shall automatically be reduced on a dollar for dollar basis in the amount of any loss recognized by Funding in the ordinary course of conducting its business as a warehouse lender to mortgage loan originators.

 

(d)                                  Borrower may prepay amounts owed on the Note in full or in part at any time without penalty.

 

1.2                                Use of Proceeds . Borrower shall invest the funds advanced by Lender hereunder in its wholly-owned subsidiary, Merchants Bank of Indiana (“Merchants”), and shall cause Merchants to invest such funds in ownership units of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Funding.

 

SECTION 2. INTEREST.

 

2.1                                Interest .

 

(a)                                  Interest will accrue under the Subordinated Promissory Note of even date herewith executed by and between Borrower and Lender (the “Note”) as described in the Note.

 

(b)                                  Basic Interest (as defined in the Note) shall be payable by Borrower in arrears on the fifteenth (15th) day of each calendar quarter, and at the maturity of the Note, whether by acceleration or otherwise.

 

(c)                                   Additional Interest (as defined in the Note) shall be payable by Borrower to Lender within 30 days of the end of each calendar quarter based upon the net income or loss of Funding during the quarter then ended, and, to the extent applicable, upon the Maturity Date based upon the net income or loss of Funding during the period beginning upon the end of the preceding calendar quarter through the Maturity Date.

 

2.2                                Usury Laws . It is the intention of the parties hereto to comply strictly with all applicable usury laws. All agreements between Borrower and Lender, whether now existing or hereafter arising and whether written or oral, are hereby expressly limited so that in no contingency or event whatsoever, whether by reason of acceleration of the maturity hereof, or otherwise, shall the amount paid, or agreed to be paid to Lender for the use, forbearance, or detention of the money to be loaned hereunder or otherwise or for the payment or performance of any covenant or obligation contained herein or in any other document evidencing, securing, or pertaining to the indebtedness evidenced hereby, exceed the maximum amount permissible under applicable law. If from any circumstance whatsoever fulfillment of any provision hereof or of such other documents, at the time performance of such provision shall be due, shall involve transcending the limit of validity prescribed by law, then ipso facto, the obligation to be fulfilled shall be reduced to the limit of such validity, and if from any such circumstance Lender shall ever receive as interest or otherwise an amount which would exceed the highest lawful rate, such amount which would be excessive interest shall be applied to the reduction of the principal indebtedness of Borrower to Lender, and not to the payment of interest, or if such excessive interest exceeds the unpaid balance of principal hereof, such excess shall be refunded to

 

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Borrower. All sums paid or agreed to be paid by Borrower for the use, forbearance or detention of the indebtedness of Borrower to Lender hereunder shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, be amortized, prorated, allocated and spread throughout the full term of such indebtedness until payment in full in such manner that there will be no violation of applicable laws pertaining to the maximum rate or amount of interest which may be contracted for, charged or received with respect to such indebtedness. Borrower shall not institute any action or file any defense based upon the charging or collecting of usurious interest hereunder unless (i) Borrower shall give Lender written notice of an intent to do so and (ii) Lender shall fail to comply with the terms hereof by making necessary adjustments as required by this Section, and notify Borrower of such compliance within fifteen (15) days after receipt by Lender of such written notice from Borrower. The provisions of this Section shall be given precedence over any other provision contained herein or in any other agreement between the parties hereto that is in conflict with the provisions of this Section.

 

SECTION 3. MATURITY. If not sooner paid by Borrower or accelerated by Lender upon the occurrence of an Event of Default hereunder, the principal amount and accrued and unpaid interest thereon, together with all other costs and expenses for which Borrower is responsible under the Note (collectively, the “Indebtedness”) shall be due on the Maturity Date, as defined in the Note.

 

SECTION 4. COLLATERAL. As collateral and security for the obligations of Borrower hereunder, Borrower shall cause Merchants to grant to Lender a pledge and first-lien security interest in and to all of the issued and outstanding stock of Funding. The pledge and security interest granted hereunder shall be evidenced by, and Borrower shall cause Merchants to execute and deliver, a Stock Pledge Agreement (the “Pledge Agreement”) in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto. Borrower will deliver to Lender prior to the initial advance of funds hereunder the unanimous consent of Merchants’ board of directors in a form satisfactory to Lender authorizing and approving the execution of the Pledge Agreement by Merchants and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby.

 

SECTION 5. SUBORDINATION. This Agreement and the Note shall be subject to the terms of a Subordination Agreement of even date executed among Borrower, Lender and The Huntington National Bank (the “Subordination Agreement”).

 

SECTION 6. WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS. Borrower represents and warrants to Lender as of the date hereof and as of each date on which Lender advances to Borrower hereunder that, as of such date:

 

6.1                                Corporate Organization and Authority . Borrower:

 

(a)                                  is a corporation duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of Indiana;

 

(b)                                  has and possesses all requisite corporate right, power and authority and all necessary licenses and permits to own and operate its properties, to carry on its business as now conducted and as presently proposed to be conducted, and to enter into the Loan Documents and to perform its obligations thereunder;

 

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(c)                                   has taken the necessary action to authorize the execution and delivery of the Loan Documents and the borrowings thereunder;

 

(d)                                  The Board of Directors of Borrower has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Note, the Subordination Agreement and documents contemplated herein and executed in connection with this Agreement will constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of Borrower enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as enforcement is subject to equitable and other limitations applied by courts, and debtor’s rights generally.

 

(e)                                   The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Note and the Subordination Agreement and the compliance by Borrower with all the provisions of this Agreement, the Note and the Subordination Agreement applicable to Borrower:

 

(i)                                      are within the corporate powers of Borrower;

 

(ii)                                   are legal and will not conflict with, result in any breach in any of the provisions of, constitute a default under, or result in the creation of any lien or encumbrance other than as created by this Agreement and any other documents executed in connection with the Loan upon any property of Borrower under the provisions of, any agreement, charter instrument, articles of incorporation, bylaw or other instrument to which Borrower or Merchants is a party or by which Borrower or Merchants may be bound; and

 

(iii)                                do not violate, contravene, or cause a breach or a default under any applicable laws, rules or regulations, or any agreement, contract or instrument to which Borrower or Merchants is a party.

 

(f)                                    There are no limitations in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which Borrower is now a party or by which Borrower may be bound with respect to the payment of principal or interest on any indebtedness of Borrower, including the Note to be executed in connection with this Agreement.

 

SECTION 7. COVENANTS.

 

7.1                                Covenants of Borrower . Borrower hereby covenants and agrees with Lender as of the date hereof and for so long as any amounts remain payable by Borrower hereunder:

 

(a)                                  Borrower shall maintain its corporate existence and good standing in the jurisdiction of its organization.

 

(b)                                  Borrower shall keep or cause to be kept in reasonable detail books and records setting forth an account of the assets and business of Borrower and Funding and, as applicable, shall clearly reflect therein the warehouse loans extended to borrowers by Funding, the repayment of such warehouse loans, and the disposition of the mortgage loans and related collateral securing such loans.

 

(c)                                   Borrower shall deliver to Lender:

 

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(i)                                      Within 30 days of the end of each month, unaudited financial statements of Funding for the month and year-to-date periods then ended;

 

(ii)                                   Within 30 days of the end of each calendar quarter, unaudited financial statements of Borrower for the quarter and year-to-date periods then ended;

 

(iii)                                Within 90 days of the end of each fiscal year, audited financial statements of Borrower; and

 

(iv)                               Promptly upon becoming aware thereof, notice of any potential or existing Event of Default or material event, including the commencement of, or any determination in, any legal, judicial or regulatory proceedings which, if adversely determined, would be reasonably likely to result in a material adverse effect to the business of Borrower or Funding.

 

SECTION 8. ADVANCES OF FUNDS TO BORROWER.

 

8.1                                Obligation to make Advances . The obligation of Lender to make any advance of funds to Borrower hereunder shall be subject to the following conditions precedent:

 

(a)                                  Borrower shall provide Lender on the date of any such advance of funds a certificate, signed by an officer of Borrower with knowledge of the matters set forth therein, certifying that, as of such date, (i) all of the representations and warranties of Borrower contained in Section 6 hereof are true and correct, except to the extent that such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which event, such representations and warranties remain true and correct as of such earlier date, and (ii) Borrower has performed and complied with all agreements, covenants and conditions contained herein and contemplated hereby which are required to be performed or complied with by Borrower.

 

(b)                                  Prior to the initial advance of funds hereunder, Borrower shall have delivered to Lender: (i) a resolution of Borrower authorizing the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Note, the Subordination Agreement and any other instrument or document executed and delivered by Borrower to Lender in connection with the Loan and all acts required to be performed by Borrower hereunder and thereunder; and (ii) a certificate of existence for Borrower issued by the Secretary of State of the state of its formation dated not more than thirty (30) days prior to the date of such initial advance.

 

SECTION 9. EVENTS OF DEFAULT.

 

9.1                                Nature of Events . An “Event of Default” shall exist if any of the following occurs and is continuing:

 

(a)                                  Borrower fails to make any payment of interest or principal on the Note within thirty (30) days after the date when due pursuant to the terms of the Note and the continuation of such failure for a period of ten (10) days after written notice of such failure has been sent to Borrower;

 

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(b)                                  Borrower, Merchants or Lender, as applicable, fails or neglects to perform, keep, or observe, or is otherwise in breach of, any other material term, provision, condition, covenant, representation, warranty, or agreement contained in this Agreement, the Note, the Subordination Agreement or Pledge Agreement (each, a “Loan Document” and collectively, the “Loan Documents”), or in any other present or future agreement between, on the first part, Borrower, Merchants or Funding, and, on the second part, Lender or NattyMac, and as to any default or breach under such other term, provision, condition, covenant, representation, warranty, or agreement that can be cured, has failed to cure such default or breach within ten (10) days after delivery by the non-defaulting party of written notice thereof, provided, however, that Lender will not be obligated to advance any funds to Borrower hereunder during a cure period following a default by Borrower.

 

(c)                                   An event of default has occurred under the Services Agreement of even date herewith between Funding and NattyMac as the result of a material breach thereof which breach has not been cured or remedied within the 30-day period following receipt of notice of such breach.

 

(d)                                  Any material misrepresentation or material misstatement exists now or hereafter in any warranty or representation set forth herein or in any certificate or writing delivered to a party hereto by the other party hereto or any person acting on behalf of a party hereto pursuant to this Agreement or to induce a party hereto to enter into this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

 

(e)                                   Borrower or Lender becomes insolvent or bankrupt, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or consents to the appointment of a trustee, receiver or liquidator; and

 

(f)                                    Bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency or liquidation proceedings are instituted by or against Borrower or Lender and are not dismissed or discharged within sixty (60) days of the filing thereof.

 

SECTION 10. LENDER’S RIGHTS AND REMEDIES.

 

10.1                         Default Remedies . Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default by Borrower, Lender may, subject to the terms and conditions of the Subordination Agreement, at its election and without notice of its election and without demand, do any one or more of the following, all of which are authorized by Borrower:

 

(a)                                  At the option of Lender, declare all of the indebtedness evidenced by the Note and remaining unpaid, including without limitation the entire unpaid principal balance, and any accrued and unpaid interest, without demand or notice, to become immediately due and payable, anything contained in the Note to the contrary notwithstanding. Notwithstanding anything herein or elsewhere to the contrary, Borrower’s liability and Lender’s recourse against Borrower pursuant to this Agreement or under the Note and any other document shall at all times be limited to exercising its rights under the Pledge Agreement.

 

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(b)                                  Cease advancing money or extending credit to or for the benefit of Borrower under this Agreement or under any other agreement between Borrower and Lender.

 

10.2                         Waiver and Amendment . Except as otherwise expressly set forth herein, to the extent permitted by law, Borrower hereby waives demand, notice, protest, notice of acceptance of this Agreement, notice of loans made, credit extended, or other action taken in reliance hereon and all other demands and notices of any description. With respect to any amounts payable to Lender hereunder, Borrower assents to any extension or postponement of the time of payment or any other indulgence, to the addition or release of any party or person primarily or secondarily liable, to the acceptance of partial payments thereon and the settlement, compromise or adjustment of any thereof, all in such manner and at such time or times as Lender may deem advisable. No delay or omission on the part of Lender in exercising any right shall operate as a waiver of such right or any other right. A waiver on any one occasion shall not be construed as a bar to the exercise of any right on any future occasion. All rights and remedies of Lender as to any amount payable to Lender hereunder whether evidenced hereby or by any other instrument or papers shall be cumulative and may be exercised singly, successively or together.

 

10.3                         Demand; Protest . Borrower waives demand, protest, notice of protest, notice of default or dishonor, notice of payment and nonpayment, notice of any default, nonpayment at maturity, release, compromise, settlement, extension, or renewal of accounts, documents, instruments, chattel paper and guarantees at any time held by Lender on which Borrower may in any way be liable.

 

SECTION 11. BORROWER’S RIGHTS AND REMEDIES.

 

A default by Lender or any Affiliate of Lender under any agreement with Funding, Merchants, or Borrower shall excuse Borrower’s performance under this Agreement, the Note, the Pledge Agreement and the Services Agreement for as long as the default exists. For the purpose of this Section, an “Affiliate” shall mean any entity that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with Lender.

 

SECTION 12. MISCELLANEOUS

 

12.1                         Notices . All communications under this Agreement or under the Note executed pursuant hereto shall be in writing and shall be mailed by first class mail, postage prepaid to the addresses of the parties set forth on page one (1) of this Agreement or such address which the parties may give notice of in writing or emailed with return receipt.

 

12.2                         Successors and Assigns . Except as herein provided, this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of Borrower and Lender and any other party thereto and Borrower’s respective successors and assigns. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Lender, without the prior written consent of Borrower, which consent may be withheld in Borrower’s sole discretion, may not assign, transfer or set over to another party the Note or this Agreement, in whole or in part.

 

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12.3                         Amendment and Waiver . This Agreement may be amended, and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived, with (and only with) the written consent of Borrower and Lender.

 

12.4                         Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, and delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by electronic means shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

 

12.5                         Governing Law and Venue . This Loan Agreement is delivered to Lender in the State of Indiana and is executed under and shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana, notwithstanding that Indiana conflicts of law rules might otherwise require the substantive rules of law of another jurisdiction to apply. Borrower and Lender each hereby submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and Federal courts located in the State of Indiana.

 

12.6                         Waiver of Trial by Jury . Any suit, action or proceeding, whether a claim or counterclaim, brought or instituted by any party on or with respect to this Loan Agreement or any other document executed in connection herewith or which in any way relates, directly or indirectly to the Loan Agreement or any event, transaction or occurrence arising out of or in any way connected with the Note or the dealings of the parties with respect thereto, shall be tried only by a court and not by a jury. BORROWER AND LENDER EACH EXPRESSLY WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING. Borrower acknowledges that Borrower may have a right to a trial by jury in any such suit, action or proceeding and that Borrower hereby is knowingly, intentionally and voluntarily waiving any such right. Borrower further acknowledges and agrees that this Section is material to this Loan Agreement and that adequate consideration has been given by Lender and received by Borrower in exchange for the waiver made by Borrower pursuant to this Section.

 

12.7                         Severability . Any provision of this Agreement which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof or thereof or affecting the validity or enforceability of such provision in any other jurisdiction.

 

12.8                         Headings . Any Article and Section headings in the Note are included herein and therein for convenience of reference only and shall not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in the interpretation of this Agreement.

 

12.9                         Gender . Whenever the context so requires, reference herein or in this Agreement to the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender or in either case the neuter and vice versa; and the singular shall include the plural and vice versa.

 

12.10                  No Partnership or Joint Venture . Borrower and Lender expressly agree that the only relationship intended to be created between them in connection with the Loan is that of lender and borrower and that the relationship in no way is intended to create a partnership, joint venture, tenancy in common, or joint tenancy between them.

 

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12.11                  Waiver of Damages . To the extent permitted by applicable law, Borrower and Lender shall not assert, and each hereby waives, any claim against the other, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, the Loan or the use of the proceeds thereof.

 

[ Remainder of page intentionally blank; signatures on following page (s) ]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Borrower and Lender have caused this Agreement to be executed and delivered as of the date first above stated.

 

 

Lender:

 

 

 

HOME POINT FINANCIAL CORPORATION,

 

a New Jersey corporation

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Howard Nathan

 

Name:

Howard Nathan

 

Title:

CFO

 

 

 

 

 

Borrower:

 

 

 

MERCHANTS BANCORP,

 

an Indiana corporation

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Michael J Dunlap

 

Name:

Michael J Dunlap

 

Title:

EVP

 


 

EXHIBIT A

 

PLEDGE AGREEMENT

 

THIS PLEDGE AGREEMENT is executed to be effective as of the      day of              2017, by MERCHANTS BANK OF INDIANA (hereinafter referred to as “Pledgor’), to HOME POINT FINANCIAL CORPORATION, a New Jersey corporation (hereinafter referred to as “Pledgee”).

 

In order to induce Pledgee to extend credit to MERCHANTS BANCORP, an Indiana corporation, the parent company of Pledgor  (“Bancorp”), in the original principal amount of Thirty Million and no 00 Dollars ($30,000,000.00), to be evidenced by a certain Subordinated Promissory Note of even date herewith to be executed by Bancorp in favor of Pledgee (such note and any direct or remote extension, renewal, modification, amendment or replacement of such note are hereinafter referred to as the “Note”), Pledgor hereby pledges to Pledgee, and assigns, transfers and grants to Pledgee a security interest in, all of Pledgor’s right, title and interest in and to the following:

 

(a) One Thousand (1, 000) shares of the common capital stock of NATTYMAC FUNDING, INC., an Indiana corporation (the “Corporation”) (such shares are hereinafter referred to as the “Stock”);

 

(b) All additional shares of stock, debt, obligations or securities at any time pledged or provided to Pledgee as additional collateral pursuant to this Pledge Agreement or acquired by Pledgor with respect to the Stock, including but not limited to all stock dividends (hereinafter referred to as the “Additional Pledged Collateral “);

 

(c) Any and all substitutions and replacements of the Stock and the Additional Pledged Collateral and any and all income accruing from or arising in connection with the Stock and the Additional Pledged Collateral (the Stock, the Additional Pledged Collateral and all such substitutions, replacements and income thereof and therefrom are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Securities”);

 

(d) All certificates and instruments representing the Securities or such additional shares, debt, obligations or securities; and

 

(e) All proceeds of the Securities and any of the foregoing items  (the Securities and such additional shares, obligations, securities, certificates, instruments and proceeds referred to above are sometimes hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Collateral “).

 

Terms, Conditions and Agreements

 

1.  Indebtedness and Obligations Secured .  This Pledge Agreement is given as security for (a) the payment when due of the Note and (b) all extensions, renewals, modifications or amendments of the Note  (the indebtedness, obligations, agreements, commitments and liabilities secured hereby are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Indebtedness”).

 

2.  Maintenance of Collateral.  The security interest hereby granted shall continue until full payment, satisfaction and performance by Pledgor of all Indebtedness.  Before, or at the same time

 



 

as, Pledgor has executed and delivered this Agreement to Pledgee, and upon the written request of Pledgee, Pledgor shall deliver to Pledgee all of the certificates, if any, representing the Securities or any other Collateral.

 

3.  Prohibition Against Transfer and Encumbrances .  Without Pledgee’s prior written consent, Pledgor shall not (i) create, grant, cause or permit any encumbrance, lien, mortgage, security interest, pledge or other similar interest to burden or affect, or attach to, in any manner or respect, any of the Collateral, (ii) allow the sale, conveyance, transfer, or otherwise disposal of, or attempted sale, conveyance, transfer or otherwise disposal of any of the Collateral, whether such event is voluntary, involuntary or by operation of law, (iii) make any covenant with respect to the Stock which is of a nature identical or similar to any of the foregoing covenants and which is enforceable by any party other than Pledgees, (iv) allow the sale, conveyance, transfer, or otherwise disposal of, any of the assets of the Corporation, or (v) allow the issuance of any additional shares of the common capital stock of the Corporation.

 

4.  Events of Default.  Time, and each of the terms, conditions and agreements hereof, are the essence of this Agreement.  Pledgor agrees that any default in the payment of any Indebtedness when due or other event of default under the Loan Agreement shall constitute an Event of Default under this Pledge Agreement.

 

5.  Remedies of Pledgees.  Upon the occurrence of any Event of Default hereunder, Pledgee may exercise any and all remedies available at law or equity.

 

6.  Perfection of Security Interest.  Concurrently herewith, and subject to the terms and conditions of this Pledge Agreement, Pledgor shall deliver to Pledgee the 01iginal share certificates and all other instruments or documents evidencing the Stock together with appropriate stock powers, endorsements and other appropriate instruments of assignment endorsed in blank.  Pledgor authorizes Pledgee, at the expense of Pledgor, to file Uniform Commercial Code financing statements in those public offices deemed necessary or appropriate by Pledgee to perfect Pledgee’s security interest in the Collateral.

 

7.  Voting; Dividends; Distributions .  So long as a default has not occurred under the Note or this Pledge Agreement, Pledgee shall not cause the record transfer of any of the Collateral to Pledgee, and Pledgor shall be entitled (a) to vote the Stock, in person or by proxy, at any annual or special meetings of the shareholders of the Corporation on any issue which may properly come before the meetings; (b) to give consents, waivers and ratifications relative to the Collateral; and (c) to receive all payments under, or cash dividends distributed in respect of, the Collateral.  In the event that during the term of this Pledge Agreement, any stock dividend, reclassification, readjustment, combination, subdivision, or other change is made in the capital structure of the Corporation or the Collateral, or any subscription, warrant or other option is exercisable with respect to the Collateral, as an addition to or in substitution or exchange for any Collateral, all new, substituted or additional securities issued to Pledgor shall be tendered to and held by Pledgee under the terms of this Pledge Agreement in the exact form received, with execution by Pledgor, when necessary or appropriate, in blank endorsements or undated stock powers, in the same manner as the Collateral originally pledged hereunder.  No vote shall be cast or consent, waiver or ratification be given or action taken which would impair the Collateral or be inconsistent with or violate any provision of the Note.

 

8.  Power of Attorney .  Pledgor hereby constitutes and appoints Pledgee and any designee

 



 

officer or agent thereof, with full power of substitution, as its true and lawful attorneys- in-fact with full power and authority in the place and stead of Pledgor and in the name of Pledgor or in Pledgee’s name, from time to time in Pledgee’s discretion, for the purpose of carrying out the terms of this Pledge Agreement, to take any and all appropriate action and to execute any and all documents and instruments which may be necessary or desirable to accomplish the purposes of this Pledge Agreement.  Pledgor hereby ratifies all that any such attorney shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.  This power of attorney is a power coupled with an interest and shall be irrevocable.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Pledgor hereby grants to Pledgee the power and right, on behalf of Pledgor, without notice to or consent by Pledgor, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of a default under the Note or this Pledge Agreement, (a) to ask, demand, collect, receive and give receipts for any and all proceeds of the Collateral  (‘·Proceeds”) and, in the name of Pledgor or in its own name or otherwise;  (b) to take possession of and endorse and collect any check, drafts, notes, acceptances or other instruments for the payment of Proceeds and to file any claim or to take any other action or proceeding in any court of law or equity or otherwise deemed appropriate by Pledgee for the purpose of collecting any and all such Proceeds whenever payable or for the purpose of protecting any right relative to the Collateral; (c) to pay or discharge taxes, assessments and liens levied or placed on or threatened against the Collateral; (d) to defend any suit, action or proceeding brought against Pledgor with respect to any Collateral; (e) to settle, compromise, renew, extend or adjust any obligations evidenced by the Collateral or any suit, action or proceeding described above and, in connection therewith, to give such discharges and releases as Pledgee may reasonably deem appropriate; (f) to sell, transfer, pledge, make any agreement with respect to or otherwise deal with any of the Collateral as fully and completely as though Pledgee were the absolute owner thereof for all purposes, including, without limitation, the execution, in connection with the sale of any of the Collateral, of any endorsements, assignments or other instruments of conveyance or transfer as may be necessary or appropriate; and (g) generally, to do, at Pledgee’s option and at Pledgor ‘s expense, at any time, from time to time, all acts and things which Pledgee deems necessary to protect, preserve or realize upon the Collateral and Pledgee’s security interest therein, in order to effect and intents and purposes of this Pledge Agreement, all as fully and effectively as Pledgor might do.  The powers confined upon Pledgee hereunder are solely to protect Pledgee’s interest in the Collateral and shall not impose any duty upon Pledgee to exercise any such powers.

 

9.  Release of Security Interest .  At such time as the Indebtedness has been paid and performed in full, Pledgee shall automatically and without further action release Pledgee’s security interest in the Collateral then remaining in accordance with the written directions of Pledgor.

 

10.  Representations, Warranties and Covenants of Pledgor.  Pledgor represents, warrants and covenants that Pledgor is currently the sole owner, and shall continue to be the sole owner, of the Collateral, free and clear of all liens, security interests, restrictions, agreements and encumbrances, excepting only this Pledge Agreement.  Pledgor represents, warrants and covenants that it will not create, incur or permit to exist any lien on or security interest in any of the Collateral or any interest therein, except for the lien and security interest created hereby.  Pledgor represents, warrants and covenants that the Securities constitute all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation as of the date hereof and throughout such period that the Indebtedness has not been paid and performed in full.

 

11.   Successors and Assigns.  The rights under this Pledge Agreement shall inure to the benefit of Pledgee and its successors, assigns, heirs, beneficiaries and personal and legal representatives and shall be binding upon Pledgor and its successors, assigns and legal

 



 

representatives.

 

12.  Notices .  All notices and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be sufficient when (a) mailed by certified United States mail, postage prepaid with return receipt requested, or (b) sent by an overnight carrier which provides for a return receipt, if to Pledgor at 11555 N.  Meridian Street, Suite 400, Carmel, Indiana 46032, and if to Pledgee at 1194 Oak Valley Drive, Suite 80, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108, or at such other address within the State of Indiana as may be specified in written notice hereunder by Pledgee or Pledgor.

 

13.  General.   This Pledge Agreement and all rights and obligations hereunder including matters of construction, validity and performance, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana, including without implied limitation the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted and in effect in Indiana and other applicable laws of the State of Indiana.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally blank; signature(s) on following page(s)]

 



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Pledgor has executed this Pledge Agreement on the day and in the year first above written.

 

 

 

 

MERCHANTS BANK OF INDIANA

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Printed:

 

 

Title:

 

 



 

SUBORDINATED PROMISSORY NOTE

 

$30,000,000.00

May 31, 2017

 

Indianapolis, Indiana

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, MERCHANTS BANCORP, an Indiana corporation, having a mailing address of 11555 N. Meridian Street, Suite 400, Carmel, Indiana 46032 (hereinafter referred to as “ Maker ”), promises to pay to the order of HOME POINT FINANCIAL CORPORATION, a New Jersey corporation, having a mailing address of 1194 Oak Valley Drive, Suite 80, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 (hereinafter referred to as “ Lender ”), at such offices or at such other place or to such other party as Lender may from time to time designate, the principal sum of Thirty Million and 00/100 Dollars ($30,000,000.00), or so much thereof as shall be advanced to or for the benefit of Maker, with Basic Interest on the principal balance from time to time remaining unpaid and Additional Interest as provided for in this Subordinated Promissory Note (hereinafter referred to as this “ Note ”).

 

TERMS, PROVISIONS AND CONDITIONS

 

1.                                     Definitions .  In addition to the words and phrases defined elsewhere in this Note, the following terms shall have the meaning indicated when capitalized and used herein:

 

Additional Interest shall mean, for any period of reference, an amount equal to forty-nine percent (49%) of the earnings of the Company during such period.

 

Basic Interest shall mean, for any period of reference during the term of this Note, interest at the LIBOR-Based Rate on the principal balance from time to time remaining unpaid.

 

Basis Points shall mean an arithmetic expression of a percentage measured in hundredths of a percent (i.e. 50 Basis Points equals one half of one percent).

 

Business Day shall mean any day of the week (but not a Saturday, Sunday or holiday) on which the offices of Merchants Bank are open to the public for carrying on substantially all of its banking functions. Unless specifically referenced in this Note as a Business Day, all references to “days” shall be to calendar days.

 

Company shall mean NattyMac Funding, Inc., an Indiana corporation.

 

Event of Default shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9 of the Loan Agreement.

 

LIBOR shall mean, as of the applicable date and time for determination provided herein, a per annum rate of interest equal to the one month market rate offered by leading banks in the London interbank market as of 11:00 a.m., London time, for

 

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United States dollar deposits as reported by the Wall Street Journal , “Money Rates” table (and currently defined as the British Bankers’ Association average of interbank offered rates for dollar deposits in the London market), and if not reported by the Wall Street Journal , then as quoted by such other comparable financial information reporting service used by the Lender at the time such rate is determined.

 

LIBOR-Based Rate shall mean a per annum rate of interest equal to the sum of (a) LIBOR, plus (b) Three Hundred Fifty (350) Basis Points.

 

Loan Agreement ” shall mean that certain Revolving Subordinated Loan Agreement of even date herewith executed by and between Maker and Lender.

 

Maturity Date shall mean March 30, 2018, provided , however , that the Maturity Date will automatically extend for one or more additional terms of one year each unless either party notifies the other party at least 90 days prior to the expiration of the then-effective term of its desire not to extend the Maturity Date for another term, and, provided further , that the Maturity Date will automatically extend for such periods and for as long as there remains outstanding any commitment by the Company to advance funds under any Warehouse Agreement by and between the Company and Lender, or by and between the Company and any of Lender’s affiliates, brokers or correspondents.

 

Merchants Bank shall mean Merchants Bank of Indiana, the parent company of Company.

 

Warehouse Agreement ” shall mean any warehouse line of credit, repurchase facility, mortgage loan purchase and sale agreement, mortgage loan participation purchase and sale agreement, or similar arrangement under which the lender thereunder advances funds to the borrower for the purpose of originating mortgage loans.

 

2.                                   Advances of Funds .  Lender shall advance funds to Borrower under this Note as set forth at Section 1 of the Loan Agreement.

 

3.                                   Interest .  Interest payable by Maker hereunder shall consist of Basic Interest and Additional Interest.

 

3.1                           Basic Interest .  The principal balance of this Note from time to time outstanding shall bear interest at the LIBOR-Based Rate in effect two (2) Business Days prior to the end of each month with each change to become effective on the first day of the following month. Basic Interest shall be calculated daily on the basis of a 360-day year applied to the actual number of days in each interest-payment period.

 

3.2                           Additional Interest .  Maker shall also pay to Lender any accrued Additional Interest for each calendar quarter during the term hereof, and, if applicable, for the partial period expiring on the Maturity Date.

 

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4.                                   Payments of Interest and Principal .

 

4.1                           Interest Payments .  Payments of Basic Interest and Additional Interest shall be made as set forth in Section 2.1 of the Loan Agreement.

 

4.2                           Payment prior to Maturity .  Borrower shall make payments of principal to Lender prior to the Maturity Date as set forth at Section 1.1(c) of the Loan Agreement.

 

4.3                           Payment on Maturity .  All amounts of unpaid principal and accrued interest owing under this Note shall be due and payable on the Maturity Date.

 

4.4                           Prepayment .  Maker shall have the privilege of prepaying this Note in full or in part at any time.

 

5.                                   Cost of Collection .  In addition to all other sums payable under this Note, Maker shall pay to Lender reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred by Lender in connection with the enforcement of any provision contained in this Note.

 

6.                                   Valuation and Appraisement Laws .  All principal, interest and other amounts payable under or with respect to this Note shall be payable without relief from valuation and appraisement laws.

 

7.                                   A pplication of Payments .  Each payment hereunder shall be applied first to the payment of accrued and unpaid Basic Interest, second to the principal balance outstanding under this Note and third to the payment of Additional Interest.

 

8.                                   Timing and Method of Payments .  If the due date of any payment under this Note shall be a day that is not a Business Day, then the due date shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day and such extended time shall be included in the computation of interest.

 

9.                                   Remedies and Limited Recourse .  Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, Lender shall have all of the rights and remedies set forth in Section 10 of the Loan Agreement.

 

10.                            Waiver and Consent .  Presentment, notice of intent to accelerate, notice of acceleration, notice of dishonor and demand, valuation and appraisement, protest and diligence in collection and bringing suit are hereby severally waived by Maker. Maker acknowledges that the time for the payment of this Note, or of any installment hereunder, may be extended from time to time without notice by Lender, and hereby consents to any such extension.

 

11.                            No Waiver .  No waiver of any default or failure or delay to exercise any right or remedy by Lender shall operate as a waiver of any other default or of the same default in the future or as a waiver of any right or remedy with respect to the same or any other occurrence. The acceptance by Lender of any payment after the due date of such payment, or in an amount which is less than the required payment, shall not be a waiver of Lender’s right to require prompt payment when due of all other payments or to exercise any right or remedy with respect to any failure to make prompt payment.

 

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12.                            Waiver of Trial by Jury .  Maker hereby agrees that any suit, action or proceeding, whether a claim or counterclaim, brought or instituted by any party on or with respect to this Note or any other document executed in connection herewith or which in any way relates, directly or indirectly to the Loan Agreement or any event, transaction or occurrence arising out of or in any way connected with this Note or the dealings of the parties with respect thereto, shall be tried only by a court and not by a jury. MAKER, AND LENDER BY ACCEPTANCE OF THIS NOTE, HEREBY EXPRESSLY WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING. Maker acknowledges that Maker may have a right to a trial by jury in any such suit, action or proceeding and that Maker hereby is knowingly, intentionally and voluntarily waiving any such right. Maker further acknowledges and agrees that this Section is material to this Note and that adequate consideration has been given by Lender and received by Maker in exchange for the waiver made by Maker pursuant to this Section.

 

13.                            Notices .  Any written notice permitted or required hereunder shall be effective when (a) mailed by certified United States mail, postage prepaid with return receipt requested or (b) sent by an overnight carrier which provides for a return receipt, or (c) by email with return receipt, to the applicable address specified below:

 

If to Maker:

Merchants Bancorp

 

11555 North Meridian Street

 

Suite 400

 

Carmel, Indiana 46032

 

Attention: Michael J. Dunlap

 

E-mail: MDunlap@merchantsbankofindiana.com

 

 

If to Lender:

Home Point Financial Corporation

 

1194 Oak Valley Drive
Suite 80

 

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108
Attention: Howard Nathan
E-mail: hnathan@homepointfinancial.com

 

or to such other addresses as either Maker or Lender may from time to time specify for itself by notice hereunder. Any notice may be given on behalf of Lender or Maker by such party’s legal counsel.

 

14.                              Legal Tender .  This Note is negotiable and is payable in lawful money of the United States of America which shall be legal tender in payment of all debts and dues, public and private, at the time of payment.

 

15.                              Governing Law .  This Note is delivered to Lender in the State of Indiana and is executed under and shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of[Michigan], notwithstanding that Indiana conflicts of law rules might otherwise require the substantive rules of law of another jurisdiction to apply.

 

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16.                               Invalidity of Any Provision .  If any provision (or portion thereof) of this Note or the application thereof to any person or circumstance shall to any extent be invalid or unenforceable, then the remainder of this Note or the application of such provision (or portion thereof) to any other person or circumstance shall be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

17.                               Loan Agreement .  This Note is made in accordance with and subject to the Loan Agreement.

 

18.                               Terms Generally .  The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms.

 

19.                               Captions .  The captions or headings herein have been inserted solely for the convenience of reference and in no way define or limit the scope, intent or substance of any provision of this Note.

 

20.                               Subordination .  The indebtedness evidenced by this instrument is fully subordinate to the prior payment in full of all obligations of Maker with respect to that certain line of credit loan made by The Huntington National Bank, a national banking association, in favor of Maker in the original principal amount of Fifteen Million and 00/100 Dollars ($15,000,000.00) (as amended, modified, supplemented, extended, renewed, restated, refinanced or replaced The Huntington National Bank or another lender, the “Senior Loan”). Lender hereby agrees upon the request of Maker to execute a separate instrument confirming the subordination of the indebtedness and obligations evidenced by this Note and the Loan Documents to the Senior Loan; provided, however, the execution of such separate instrument shall not be necessary for the continued effectiveness of the subordination herein provided.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally blank; signature on following page]

 

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SIGNATURE PAGE FOR SUBORDINATED PROMISSORY NOTE

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Maker has caused this Note to be executed effective as of the day and the year first above written.

 

 

MERCHANTS BANCORP,

 

an Indiana corporation

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Michael J. Dunlap

 

Printed:

Michael J. Dunlap

 

Title:

EVP

 

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Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We consent to the inclusion in this Registration Statement on Form S-1 of Merchants Bancorp filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission of our report dated July 25, 2017, on our audits of the consolidated financial statements. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts.”

 

/s/ BKD, LLP

 

BKD, LLP

 

Indianapolis, Indiana

October 13, 2017