1 ================================================================================ SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 ------------------------ FORM 10-K/A Amendment No. 1 (MARK ONE) [X] ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 OR [ ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM TO . COMMISSION FILE NO. 0-26660 ------------------------ ESS TECHNOLOGY, INC. (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER) CALIFORNIA 94-2928582 (STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF (I.R.S. EMPLOYER INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION) IDENTIFICATION NO.) 48401 FREMONT BLVD., FREMONT, CALIFORNIA 94538 (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES) (ZIP CODE) Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (510) 492-1088 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: NONE Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: COMMON STOCK, NO PAR VALUE (TITLE OF CLASS) Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes [X] No [ ] Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the Registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [ ] The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, based upon the closing sale price of the Common Stock on January 31, 1997 ($32.375) as reported on the Nasdaq National Market, was approximately $868,886,000. Shares of Common Stock held by each officer and director and by each person who owned 5% or more of the Registrant's outstanding Common Stock on that date have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes. As of January 31, 1997, Registrant had outstanding 38,307,036 shares of Common Stock. ------------------------ DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Portions of the Proxy Statement for Registrant's 1997 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III. ================================================================================ 2 The undersigned hereby amends the following item of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996, as set forth below. The page numbers appearing at the bottom of each of the following pages are the same as those used with respect to the Annual Report on Form 10-K being amended hereby. PART II ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT'S COMMON STOCK AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS The Company's Common Stock has been trading on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol "ESST" since October 6, 1995. The following table sets forth the high and low last reported sales prices for the Common Stock as reported by the Nasdaq National Market during the period indicated. HIGH LOW ---- ---- FISCAL 1995: Fourth Quarter (since October 6, 1995)....................... $39 $14 1/16 FISCAL 1996: First Quarter................................................ $24 $16 Second Quarter............................................... 25 1/4 16 1/4 Third Quarter................................................ 18 1/2 9 1/4 Fourth Quarter............................................... 30 15 1/8 As of January 31, 1997, there were approximately 126 record holders of the Company's Common Stock. The Company has never declared or paid any cash dividends on its Common Stock. The Company currently anticipates that it will retain all future earnings for use in its business and does not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. 14 3 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. ESS TECHNOLOGY, INC. Dated: March 20, 1997 By: /s/ JOHN H. BARNET ------------------------------------ John H. Barnet Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary