Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:FITB) Reaches New 1-Year High on Strong Earnings

Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:FITB) shares hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $50.50 and last traded at $50.4610, with a volume of 11260928 shares. The stock had previously closed at $49.16.

The financial services provider reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.08. Fifth Third Bancorp had a net margin of 18.67% and a return on equity of 13.41%. The company had revenue of $2.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.34 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.85 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 63.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Fifth Third Bancorp Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. Fifth Third Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 47.76%.

Key Stories Impacting Fifth Third Bancorp

Here are the key news stories impacting Fifth Third Bancorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings and metrics beat expectations (non-GAAP EPS $1.08 vs. consensus ~$1.00); revenue roughly in line while NII, fees and lower provisions drove outperformance—this is the primary catalyst for the intraday gain. Fifth Third Bancorp Non-GAAP EPS of $1.08 beats by $0.07, revenue of $2.34B in-line
• Positive Sentiment: Company guidance and commentary point to robust NII and PPNR upside for 2026 (management flagged record NII and fee strength), supporting expectations for higher core earnings next year. Fifth Third Bancorp Posts Q4 Earnings Beat, 2026 Guidance Suggests PPNR Upside: Analyst
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Morgan Stanley reaffirmed/maintained positive stance citing accelerated Comerica integration and expected synergies, which bolsters buy-side confidence around the merger-driven revenue and cost benefits. Fifth Third Bancorp: Accelerated Comerica Integration and Synergies Support Overweight Rating and Above-Consensus Earnings Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Market positioning and investor narrative: bullish research pieces highlight a potential multi‑year inflection tied to the Comerica acquisition, dividend/buyback capacity and institutional accumulation—these support medium-term upside but aren’t immediate earnings drivers. Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB) – MarketBeat coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Skepticism on valuation and merger execution: some sell-side/commentary warns that FITB’s valuation looks full and that loan/deposit growth remains sluggish; concerns about integration risk and flat organic growth could cap upside if synergy timelines slip. Fifth Third: Q4 Calms Fears, But Valuation Is Full

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently commented on FITB. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Fifth Third Bancorp from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on Fifth Third Bancorp from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Fifth Third Bancorp from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Janney Montgomery Scott upped their price objective on shares of Fifth Third Bancorp from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Fifth Third Bancorp from $51.00 to $61.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Fifth Third Bancorp currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $54.00.

Insider Transactions at Fifth Third Bancorp

In other Fifth Third Bancorp news, EVP Jude Schramm sold 2,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.50, for a total value of $109,125.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 129,191 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,265,763.50. This represents a 1.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Fifth Third Bancorp

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new position in Fifth Third Bancorp during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,314,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its position in shares of Fifth Third Bancorp by 8.7% in the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 8,160,367 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $346,326,000 after purchasing an additional 654,746 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in shares of Fifth Third Bancorp by 10.9% during the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 121,225 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,986,000 after purchasing an additional 11,935 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in shares of Fifth Third Bancorp by 103.0% during the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,354,288 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $56,095,000 after buying an additional 687,275 shares during the period. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Fifth Third Bancorp by 11.4% in the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 748,735 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,795,000 after buying an additional 76,582 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.79% of the company’s stock.

Fifth Third Bancorp Stock Up 2.0%

The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $46.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.45. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.13 billion, a PE ratio of 14.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.97.

About Fifth Third Bancorp

Fifth Third Bancorp is a Cincinnati, Ohio–based bank holding company whose primary banking subsidiary operates as Fifth Third Bank. The company provides a broad range of financial services to individual consumers, small businesses, middle-market companies and large corporations. Its business mix includes retail and commercial banking, lending, payment and card services, treasury and cash management, and wealth management and investment advisory services delivered through a combination of branch locations, commercial offices and digital platforms.

On the consumer side, Fifth Third offers deposit accounts, consumer loans, mortgages, auto financing and credit card products, along with digital banking and mobile services.