PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JANUARY [ ], 2025
MERGER PROPOSED — YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT
To the Shareholders of Bremer Financial Corporation:
On November 25, 2024, Old National Bancorp (“Old National”), Bremer Financial Corporation (“Bremer”), and ONB Merger Sub, Inc. (“ONB Merger Sub”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Old National, entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (“merger agreement”) that provides for the acquisition of Bremer and its wholly-owned banking subsidiary, Bremer Bank, a national banking association, by Old National.
Under the merger agreement, ONB Merger Sub will first merge with and into Bremer (the “first step merger”), with Bremer as the surviving corporation in the first step merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Old National. Immediately following the first step merger, and as part of a single, integrated transaction, Bremer will then merge with and into Old National (the “second step merger” and together with the first step merger, the “mergers”), with Old National as the surviving corporation in the second step merger. Immediately following the second step merger, or at a later time as determined by Old National, Bremer Bank will merge with and into Old National’s wholly-owned banking subsidiary, Old National Bank, a national banking association, with Old National Bank as the surviving bank (the “bank merger”).
Under the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the merger agreement, Bremer shareholders will receive (i) cash and (ii) Old National common stock for each of their shares of Bremer Class A common stock and Bremer Class B common stock (together, the “Bremer common stock”). At the effective time of the first step merger, each outstanding share of Bremer common stock (except for dissenting shares, shares of treasury stock or shares owned by Bremer, Old National or ONB Merger Sub, in each case other than shares held in trust accounts, managed accounts, mutual funds and the like, or otherwise held in a fiduciary or agency capacity that are beneficially owned by third parties, or held, directly or indirectly, as a result of debts previously contracted) will be converted into the right to receive (i) $26.22 in cash without interest and (ii) 4.182 shares of Old National common stock. No fractional shares of Old National common stock will be issued in the mergers, and holders of Bremer common stock will be entitled to receive cash in lieu of fractional shares.
Because the merger consideration is comprised of a fixed amount of cash consideration plus a fixed amount of shares of Old National common stock for each share of Bremer common stock, the market value of the merger consideration will fluctuate with the market price of Old National common stock and will not be known at the time Bremer shareholders vote on the merger agreement. Based on the closing stock price of Old National common stock on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, of $[ ] as of [ ], 2025, the latest practicable trading day before the date of this proxy statement/prospectus, the value of the per share merger consideration payable to holders of Bremer common stock was approximately $[ ] as of such date. We suggest that you obtain a current market quotation for Old National common stock, which is currently traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “ONB”.
The mergers cannot be completed unless the merger agreement is adopted and approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of all shares of Bremer common stock entitled to vote thereon. The closing of the mergers is also subject to the receipt of approvals of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the satisfaction of the other conditions specified in the merger agreement.
The merger agreement will be voted on at a special meeting of Bremer shareholders, which will be held virtually via the Internet on [ ], 2025, at [ ] Central Time. Holders of Bremer common stock as of the close of business on [ ], 2025, the record date for the meeting, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the special meeting to approve and adopt the merger agreement as described in this proxy statement/prospectus. Bremer shareholders as of the record date will also be asked to approve an adjournment of the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, as described in this proxy statement/prospectus.
The trustees of the Otto Bremer Trust have entered into a trustee voting agreement with Old National, and each of the directors of Bremer (other than the trustees of the Otto Bremer Trust, who have separately entered into the trustee voting agreement) has entered into a director voting agreement with Old National. In accordance with these voting agreements, the trustees and directors, as applicable, have agreed to vote “FOR” the approval and adoption of the merger agreement, subject to the terms of the trustee voting agreement and director voting agreements, as applicable. As of the record date for the Bremer special meeting, the Otto Bremer Trust and directors collectively and beneficially owned approximately [ ]% of the outstanding shares of Bremer common stock. Additional information regarding the voting process for the Bremer special meeting is included in this proxy statement/prospectus.
The Bremer board of directors has unanimously determined that the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the mergers, are advisable and in the best interests of Bremer and its shareholders, has unanimously approved and adopted the execution, delivery and performance by Bremer of the merger agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, including the mergers, and unanimously recommends that Bremer shareholders vote “FOR” the proposal to adopt and approve the merger agreement and “FOR” the proposal to adjourn the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate.
This document, which serves as a proxy statement for the special meeting of Bremer shareholders and as a prospectus for the shares of Old National common stock to be issued in the mergers to Bremer shareholders, summarizes the special meeting of Bremer shareholders, the mergers, the merger agreement, the documents related to the mergers and other related matters. Please carefully read this entire proxy statement/prospectus, including the “Risk Factors” section, beginning on page 18, for a discussion of the risks relating to the proposed mergers. You can also obtain information about Old National from documents that it has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at no cost at www.sec.gov or from Old National. Contact information for Old National is contained in the attached proxy statement/prospectus.
If you have any questions concerning the mergers or the merger agreement, you should contact Amy J. Dorn, our Corporate Secretary, via (i) mail at Bremer Financial Corporation, 380 St. Peter Street, Suite 500, St. Paul, Minnesota 55102, Attention: Amy J. Dorn, Corporate Secretary, (ii) email at ajdorn@bremer.com or (iii) telephone at (651) 964-7145.
| Jeanne H. Crain President and Chief Executive Officer Bremer Financial Corporation | | | Ronald James Chairman Bremer Financial Corporation | |
NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES REGULATORY AGENCY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THE TRANSACTIONS DESCRIBED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, PASSED UPON THE MERITS OR FAIRNESS OF THE MERGERS OR RELATED TRANSACTIONS OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE DISCLOSURE IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY CONSTITUTES A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
THE SECURITIES TO BE ISSUED IN THE MERGERS ARE NOT SAVINGS OR DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS OR OTHER OBLIGATIONS OF ANY BANK OR NON-BANK SUBSIDIARY OF EITHER OLD NATIONAL OR BREMER, AND THEY ARE NOT INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY.
This proxy statement/prospectus is dated January [ ], 2025, and
is first being mailed or otherwise delivered to Bremer shareholders on or about [ ], 2025.