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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 11-K

(Mark One)

þ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year end December 31, 2004

OR

o TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (NO FEE REQUIRED)

For the transition period from ______ to ______

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 0-10587

FULTON FINANCIAL AFFILIATES’
401(k) SAVINGS PLAN AND TRUST

(Full title of the Plan)

FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION

One Penn Square
Lancaster, PA 17602
(Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the Plan
and the address of its principal executive office)
 
 

 


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FULTON FINANCIAL AFFILIATES’
401(k) SAVINGS PLAN AND TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2004 and 2003

 


FULTON FINANCIAL AFFILIATES’
401(k) SAVINGS PLAN AND TRUST
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2004 and 2003

CONTENTS

         
    1  
 
       
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
       
 
       
    2  
 
       
    3  
 
       
    4  
 
       
SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULE
       
 
       
SCHEDULE H, LINE 4i — SCHEDULE OF ASSETS (HELD AT END OF YEAR)
    9  

 


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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Retirement Plans Administrative Committee
Fulton Financial Affiliates’
401(k) Savings Plan and Trust
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

We have audited the accompanying statements of net assets available for benefits of Fulton Financial Affiliates’ 401(k) Savings Plan and Trust (the Plan) as of December 31, 2004 and 2003 and the related statements of changes in net assets available for benefits for the years then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Plan’s management. 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 audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the net assets available for benefits of the Plan as of December 31, 2004 and 2003 and the changes in net assets available for benefits for the years then ended in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Our audit was conducted for the purpose of forming an opinion on the basic financial statements taken as a whole. The supplemental schedule of assets (held at end of year) is presented for the purpose of additional analysis and is not a required part of the basic financial statements but is supplementary information required by the Department of Labor’s Rules and Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The supplemental schedule is the responsibility of the Plan’s management. The supplemental schedule has been subjected to the auditing procedures applied in the audit of the basic 2004 financial statements and, in our opinion, is fairly stated in all material respects in relation to the basic 2004 financial statements taken as a whole.

     
 
  /s/ Crowe Chizek and Company LLC

Columbus, Ohio
June 16, 2005

 

1.


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FULTON FINANCIAL AFFILIATES’
401(k) SAVINGS PLAN AND TRUST

STATEMENTS OF NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS
December 31, 2004 and 2003

 
                 
    2004     2003  
ASSETS
               
Cash
  $ 69,012     $ 62,409  
Investments (Note 4)
    24,159,394       21,370,097  
 
               
Receivables
               
Accrued income
    48,297       51,573  
Employer contribution
    424,410       424,071  
Participant contributions
          32,788  
 
           
Total receivables
    472,707       508,432  
 
           
 
               
Total assets
    24,701,113       21,940,938  
 
               
LIABILITIES
               
Administrative expenses payable
    11,930       27,312  
Security transaction payable
    23,631       35,421  
 
           
Total liabilities
    35,561       62,733  
 
           
 
               
Net assets available for benefits
  $ 24,665,552     $ 21,878,205  
 
           

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

2.


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FULTON FINANCIAL AFFILIATES’
401(k) SAVINGS PLAN AND TRUST

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS
Years ended December 31, 2004 and 2003

 
                 
    2004     2003  
Additions to net assets attributed to:
               
Investment income
               
Net appreciation in fair value of investments (Note 4)
  $ 2,144,014     $ 3,743,728  
Interest and dividends
    489,149       255,756  
 
           
 
    2,633,163       3,999,484  
 
               
Contributions
               
Employer contribution
    525,118       486,176  
Employee contributions
    1,222,699       1,139,168  
Employee rollovers
    3,677       26,753  
 
           
 
    1,751,494       1,652,097  
 
           
 
               
Total additions
    4,384,657       5,651,581  
 
               
Deductions from net assets attributed to:
               
Benefits paid to participants
    1,535,895       1,482,366  
Administrative expenses
    57,869       104,265  
 
           
 
    1,593,764       1,586,631  
 
           
 
               
Net increase (decrease) prior to transfer
    2,790,893       4,064,950  
 
               
Transfer to Fulton Financial Corporation
               
Profit Sharing Plan
    (3,546 )      
Transfer due to plan merger (Note 8)
          2,541,662  
 
           
 
               
Net increase (decrease)
    2,787,347       6,606,612  
 
               
Net assets available for benefits
               
Beginning of year
    21,878,205       15,271,593  
 
           
 
               
End of year
  $ 24,665,552     $ 21,878,205  
 
           

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements.

3.


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FULTON FINANCIAL AFFILIATES’
401(k) SAVINGS PLAN AND TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2004 and 2003

NOTE 1 — DESCRIPTION OF PLAN

The following description of the Fulton Financial Affiliates’ 401(k) Savings Plan and Trust (the Plan) provides only general information. Participants should refer to the Plan agreement for a more complete description of the Plan’s provisions.

General: The Plan is a defined contribution plan which covers eligible employees of certain merged bank subsidiaries. The Plan was established in 1991 and provides for retirement, death, and disability benefits. The Plan is subject to the applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA).

Contributions: Eligible employees may elect to make contributions up to a maximum dollar amount prescribed by law. Any participant who has attained age 50 by the end of the Plan year may make catch-up contributions in accordance with Code Section 414(v). Fulton Financial Corporation (the Company) may contribute, at its discretion, a percentage of the employee’s salary deferral contribution, to be determined each year (the employer match). An employer matching contribution of 100% of the first 3% of compensation deferred was made in 2004 and 2003 for all participants except those who were former participants in the Drovers Mechanics Bank Salary Deferral Plan (Drovers 401(k) Plan). The employer matching contribution formula for the former Drovers 401(k) Plan participants is 50% of the first 6% of compensation deferred.

Participant Accounts: Each participant’s account is credited with the participant’s contribution, the employer’s contributions and an allocation of Plan earnings. Allocations are based on participant account balances, as defined. The benefit to which a participant is entitled is the vested benefit that can be provided from the participant’s account.

Retirement, Death and Disability: A participant is entitled to 100% of his or her account balance upon retirement, death or disability.

Vesting: Participants are immediately vested in their voluntary and rollover contributions plus actual earnings thereon. Vesting in the remainder of the accounts is based on years of service. Participants become 100% vested after completion of three years of credited service. Effective June 1, 2003, the Plan was amended to immediately 100% vest former Drovers 401(k) Plan participants in their accounts.

Payment of Benefits: Upon termination of service, death, disability or retirement, a participant may elect to receive an amount equal to the value of the participant’s vested interest in his or her account. Benefit payments are distributed in one of the following forms: a joint and survivor annuity, a lump sum payment or installment payments.

 

(Continued)

4.


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FULTON FINANCIAL AFFILIATES’
401(k) SAVINGS PLAN AND TRUST
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2004 and 2003

 

NOTE 1 — DESCRIPTION OF PLAN (Continued)

Forfeitures: Forfeitures represent the nonvested portion of the participant’s account plus earnings thereon that are not fully distributable to participants who terminate employment before they are 100% vested. Forfeitures are used to reduce the future contributions to the Plan. As of December 31, 2004 and 2003, forfeitures of $0 and $10, respectively were available. Forfeitures used to reduce the employer matching contribution for the plan year ended December 31, 2004 and 2003 were $698 and $21,205, respectively.

NOTE 2 — SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Accounting Method: The Plan’s financial statements are prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Investments: The investments held by the Plan are shown at fair value. Securities which are traded on a national securities exchange are valued at the last reported sales price on the last business day of the year. The Plan’s investments in common trust funds are valued at the aggregate of the fair values of the underlying securities.

Purchases and sales are recorded on a trade date basis.

Use of Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires the plan administrator to make estimates and assumptions that affect certain reported amounts and disclosures, and actual results may differ from these estimates.

Risk and Uncertainties: The Plan provides for various investment options including any combination of certain mutual funds, common stock of the Company, or common/collective trust funds. The underlying investment securities are exposed to various risks, such as interest rate, market and credit risks. Due to the level of risk associated with certain investment securities and the level of uncertainty related to changes in the value of investment securities, it is at least reasonably possible that changes in the values of investment securities will occur in the near term and that such changes could materially affect the amounts reported in the statement of net assets available for benefits and participants’ individual account balances.

Payment of Benefits: Benefits are recorded when paid.

Concentration of Credit Risk: At December 31, 2004 and 2003, approximately 22% and 21%, respectively, of the Plan’s assets were invested in Fulton Financial Corporation common stock.

 

(Continued)

5.


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FULTON FINANCIAL AFFILIATES’
401(k) SAVINGS PLAN AND TRUST
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2004 and 2003

 

NOTE 3 – RIGHTS UPON PLAN TERMINATION

Although it has not expressed any intent to do so, the Company has the right under the Plan to discontinue its contributions at any time and to terminate the Plan subject to the provisions of ERISA. In the event of plan termination, participants would become 100% vested in their accounts.

NOTE 4 – INVESTMENTS

The following presents investments that represent 5 percent or more of the Plan’s net assets.

                 
      December 31, 2004  
      Units or Shares   Fair Value  
Fulton Financial Corporation Common Stock
    234,466     $ 5,465,402  
Fulton Financial Advisors Retirement Common Stock Fund
    29,853       2,824,592  
Fulton Financial Advisors Retirement Fixed Income Fund
    159,324       2,786,324  
Fidelity Advisor Mid Cap Fund
    105,697       2,719,587  
MFS Value Fund
    73,575       1,708,420  
Vanguard 500 Index Fund
    25,018       2,792,971  
Goldman Sachs Financial Square Government
    2,434,866       2,434,866  
American Century Small Company Fund
    273,714       2,794,620  
                 
      December 31, 2003  
      Units or Shares   Fair Value  
Fulton Financial Corporation Common Stock
    212,673     $ 4,657,539  
Fulton Financial Advisors Retirement Common Stock Fund
    32,384       2,834,853  
Fulton Financial Advisors Retirement Fixed Income Fund
    172,125       2,935,580  
Fidelity Advisor Mid Cap Fund
    96,478       2,193,905  
MFS Value Fund
    63,613       1,297,713  
Vanguard 500 Index Fund
    23,352       2,397,823  
Goldman Sachs Financial Square Government
    2,551,840       2,551,840  
American Century Small Company Fund
    254,800       2,130,130  

During 2004 and 2003, the Plan’s investments (including gains and losses on investments bought and sold, as well as held during the year) appreciated in value by $2,144,014 and $3,743,728 as follows:

                 
    2004     2003  
Mutual funds
  $ 1,272,384     $ 2,116,906  
Common trust funds
    297,952       608,029  
Fulton Financial Corporation Common Stock
    573,678       1,018,793  
 
           
 
               
 
  $ 2,144,014     $ 3,743,728  
 
           

 

(Continued)

6.


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FULTON FINANCIAL AFFILIATES’
401(k) SAVINGS PLAN AND TRUST
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2004 and 2003

 

NOTE 5 – TERMINATED PARTICIPANTS

Included in net assets available for benefits are amounts allocated to individuals who have elected to withdraw from the Plan, but who have not yet been paid. Plan assets allocated to these participants were $65,306 at December 31, 2004 and $45,459 at December 31, 2003.

NOTE 6 – PARTIES-IN-INTEREST

Parties-in-interest are defined under Department of Labor Regulations as any fiduciary of the Plan, and party rendering services to the Plan, the employer, and certain others. Certain professional fees for the administration of the Plan were paid by the Company. Fees paid by the Plan to Conrad Seigal, the Plan recordkeeper, totaled $47,456 and $79,890 for 2004 and 2003, respectively. Fees paid by the Plan to Smith Elliott Kearns & Company LLC, the prior auditor for the Plan, totaled $475 and $21,600 for 2004 and 2003, respectively. Fees paid by the Plan to Crowe Chizek and Company LLC, the current auditor, totaled $9,000 in 2004. Fees paid by the Plan to Barley, Snyder, Senft & Cohen LLC, legal counsel for the Plan, totaled $928 and $2,775 for 2004 and 2003, respectively. At December 31, 2004 and 2003, the Plan had investments of $5,465,402 and $4,657,539, respectively, in Fulton Financial Corporation common stock which constitutes a party-in-interest investment. The Plan also has investments of $5,610,916 and $5,770,433 at December 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively, in common trusts funds that are administered by Fulton Financial Advisors, the custodian of the Plan. Approximately $144,848 and $124,474 of cash dividends were paid to the Plan by Fulton Financial Corporation during 2004 and 2003, respectively.

NOTE 7 – TAX STATUS

The Internal Revenue Service has determined and informed the Company, by a letter dated April 16, 2004, that the Plan and related trust are designed in accordance with applicable sections of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).

The Plan has been amended since receiving the determination letter. However, the Plan administrator believes that the Plan is designed and is currently being operated in compliance with the applicable requirements of the IRC.

NOTE 8 – PLAN MERGER

Effective June 1, 2003, the Plan was amended to merge the Drovers and Mechanics Bank Salary Deferral Plan into the Fulton Financial Affiliates’ 401(k) Savings Plan and Trust.

NOTE 9 – SUBSEQUENT EVENT

Effective March 1, 2005, the Plan was amended to merge the First Washington Bank 401(k) Savings Plan into the Fulton Financial Affiliates’ 401(k) Savings Plan and Trust.

 

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SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULE

 


Table of Contents

FULTON FINANCIAL AFFILIATES’
401(k) SAVINGS PLAN AND TRUST
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2004 and 2003

 
             
Name of Plan Sponsor:
  Fulton Financial Corporation    
EIN:
    23-2195389      
Plan number:
    005      
                         
(a)   (b)   (c)   (d)     (e)  
    Identity of issue,   Description of investment including              
    borrower, lessor,   maturity date, rate of interest           Current  
    or similar party   collateral, par or maturity value   Cost     Value  
 
                       
 
      Common Trust Funds                
 
                       
*
  Fulton Financial Advisors   Retirement Fixed Income Fund   $ Ö     $ 2,786,324  
 
                       
*
  Fulton Financial Advisors   Retirement Common Stock Fund     Ö       2,824,592  
 
                       
 
      Mutual Funds                
 
                       
 
  MFS Investment Management   MFS Value Fund     Ö       1,708,420  
 
                       
 
  Goldman Sachs & Co.   Goldman Sachs Financial Square Government Fund     Ö       2,434,866  
 
                       
 
  Fidelity Investments   Fidelity Advisor Mid Cap Value Fund     Ö       2,719,587  
 
                       
 
  Vanguard   Vanguard 500 Index Fund     Ö       2,792,971  
 
                       
 
  American Century Investments, Inc.   American Century Small Company Fund     Ö       2,794,620  
 
                       
 
  Franklin Templeton Investments   Templeton Foreign Fund     Ö       632,612  
 
                       
 
      Common Stock                
 
                       
*
  Fulton Financial Corporation   Common Stock     Ö       5,465,402  
 
                     
 
                       
 
                  $ 24,159,394  
 
                     

 

 
* Party-in-interest

Ö All investment are participant directed, therefore, historical cost is not required.

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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the administrators of the Fulton Financial Affiliates’ 401(k) Savings Plan and Trust have duly caused this annual report to be signed by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

         
    FULTON FINANCIAL AFFILIATES’
401(k) SAVINGS PLAN AND TRUST
 
 
  By:   /s/ Louis J. Yoka
 
       

Date: June 27, 2005

 


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EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION

23.1 Consent of Crowe Chizek and Company LLC