No Objection from Federal Reserve to Company's Capital Plan
Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB) announced today that the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“the Federal Reserve”) did not
object to Fifth Third’s proposed potential capital actions from April 1,
2015 through June 30, 2016 included in its capital plan submitted in
January under the Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (“CCAR”)
process.
In comments related to this announcement, Kevin Kabat, Vice Chairman and
CEO of Fifth Third Bancorp, said, “Our capital plan reflects our strong
capital base, profitability and earnings generation, which support our
proposed capital distributions and strong payout ratios. Our 2015 CCAR
plan is intended to maintain regulatory common equity ratios generally
at current levels, similar to our goals in previous submissions, and
would represent an estimated total payout ratio in the mid to upper end
of our long-term target range. We believe our plan for capital
management and retention is balanced and prudent, as we retain capital
to support asset growth while also providing appropriate capital returns
to our shareholders.”
2015 CCAR Capital Plan
Fifth Third’s capital plan included the following capital actions
related to common dividends and share repurchases for the period
beginning April 1, 2015 and ending June 30, 2016.
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The increase in the quarterly common stock dividend to $0.14 in 2016
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The repurchase of common shares in an amount up to $765 million, which
includes repurchases related to share issuances under employee benefit
plans
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The additional ability to repurchase shares in the amount of any
after-tax gains from the sale of Vantiv, Inc. (“Vantiv”) stock, if
realized.
The Federal Reserve’s non-objection applies only to those actions
proposed in Fifth Third’s CCAR submission to be taken from April 1, 2015
through June 30, 2016. Any actions that Fifth Third assumed as part of
this CCAR submission that it may potentially take subsequent to June 30,
2016 would be subject to a subsequent CCAR plan submission and
non-objection for that subsequent period. Any capital actions, including
those contemplated in the above announced actions, are subject to
evaluation of Fifth Third’s performance, the state of the economic
environment, market conditions, regulatory factors, and other risks and
uncertainties and approval by the Board of Directors at any given time.
Fifth Third has no current information and makes no representations as
to whether, when or in what amounts there may be a) future gains from
the sale of Vantiv stock or b) other capital actions or distributions
requiring future Board approval, future regulatory developments, or
future requisite market conditions.
Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company
headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. As of December 31, 2014, the Company
had $139 billion in assets and operated 15 affiliates with 1,302
full-service Banking Centers, including 102 Bank Mart® locations, most
open seven days a week, inside select grocery stores and 2,586 ATMs in
Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West
Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Georgia and North Carolina. Fifth
Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking,
Consumer Lending, and Investment Advisors. Fifth Third also has a 22.8%
interest in Vantiv Holding, LLC. Fifth Third is among the largest money
managers in the Midwest and, as of December 31, 2014, had $308 billion
in assets under care, of which it managed $27 billion for individuals,
corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Investor
information and press
releases can be viewed at www.53.com.
Fifth Third's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® Global Select Market
under the symbol "FITB."
Forward-Looking Statements
This report contains statements that we believe are “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, and Rule 175 promulgated thereunder, and Section 21E
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Rule 3b-6
promulgated thereunder. These statements relate to our financial
condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance
or business. They usually can be identified by the use of
forward-looking language such as “will likely result,” “may,” “are
expected to,” “is anticipated,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “projected,”
“intends to,” or may include other similar words or phrases such as
“believes,” “plans,” “trend,” “objective,” “continue,” “remain,” or
similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,”
“would,” “should,” “could,” “might,” “can,” or similar verbs. You should
not place undue reliance on these statements, as they are subject to
risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the risk factors
set forth in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K as updated by
our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. When considering these
forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind these risks and
uncertainties, as well as any cautionary statements we may make.
Moreover, you should treat these statements as speaking only as of the
date they are made and based only on information then actually known to
us.
There are a number of important factors that could cause future
results to differ materially from historical performance and these
forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference
include, but are not limited to: (1) general economic conditions and
weakening in the economy, specifically the real estate market, either
nationally or in the states in which Fifth Third, one or more acquired
entities and/or the combined company do business, are less favorable
than expected; (2) deteriorating credit quality; (3) political
developments, wars or other hostilities may disrupt or increase
volatility in securities markets or other economic conditions;
(4) changes in the interest rate environment reduce interest margins;
(5) prepayment speeds, loan origination and sale volumes, charge-offs
and loan loss provisions; (6) Fifth Third’s ability to maintain required
capital levels and adequate sources of funding and liquidity;
(7) maintaining capital requirements and adequate sources of funding and
liquidity may limit Fifth Third’s operations and potential growth;
(8) changes and trends in capital markets; (9) problems encountered by
larger or similar financial institutions may adversely affect the
banking industry and/or Fifth Third; (10) competitive pressures among
depository institutions increase significantly; (11) effects of critical
accounting policies and judgments; (12) changes in accounting policies
or procedures as may be required by the Financial Accounting Standards
Board (FASB) or other regulatory agencies; (13) legislative or
regulatory changes or actions, or significant litigation, adversely
affect Fifth Third, one or more acquired entities and/or the combined
company or the businesses in which Fifth Third, one or more acquired
entities and/or the combined company are engaged, including the
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; (14) ability
to maintain favorable ratings from rating agencies; (15) fluctuation of
Fifth Third’s stock price; (16) ability to attract and retain key
personnel; (17) ability to receive dividends from its subsidiaries;
(18) potentially dilutive effect of future acquisitions on current
shareholders’ ownership of Fifth Third; (19) effects of accounting or
financial results of one or more acquired entities; (20) difficulties
from Fifth Third’s investment in, relationship with, and nature of the
operations of Vantiv, LLC; (21) loss of income from any sale or
potential sale of businesses that could have an adverse effect on Fifth
Third’s earnings and future growth; (22) ability to secure confidential
information and deliver products and services through the use of
computer systems and telecommunications networks; and (23) the impact of
reputational risk created by these developments on such matters as
business generation and retention, funding and liquidity.
You should refer to our periodic and current reports filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, or “SEC,” for further information on
other factors, which could cause actual results to be significantly
different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking
statements.
Fifth Third Bancorp
Investors
Jim Eglseder, 513-534-8424
or
Laura Wehby, 513-534-7407
or
Media
Larry Magnesen, 513-534-8055