UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): January 22, 2021
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) | ||||||||||||
| , | , | |||||||||||||||||||
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) | |||||||||||||||||||
(800 ) 972-3030
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below)
| Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||||||||||||||
| The | Stock Market LLC | |||||||||||||||||||
| Depositary Shares Representing a 1/1000th Ownership Interest in a Share of 6.625% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series I | The | Stock Market LLC | ||||||||||||||||||
| The | Stock Market LLC | |||||||||||||||||||
| The | Stock Market LLC | |||||||||||||||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
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,” “potential,” “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 filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). 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. We undertake no obligation to release revisions to these forward-looking statements or reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document.
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) effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic; (2) deteriorating credit quality; (3) loan concentration by location or industry of borrowers or collateral; (4) problems encountered by other financial institutions; (5) inadequate sources of funding or liquidity; (6) unfavorable actions of rating agencies; (7) inability to maintain or grow deposits; (8) limitations on the ability to receive dividends from subsidiaries; (9) cyber-security risks; (10) Fifth Third’s ability to secure confidential information and deliver products and services through the use of computer systems and telecommunications networks; (11) failures by third-party service providers; (12) inability to manage strategic initiatives and/or organizational changes; (13) inability to implement technology system enhancements; (14) failure of internal controls and other risk management systems; (15) losses related to fraud, theft, misappropriation or violence; (16) inability to attract and retain skilled personnel; (17) adverse impacts of government regulation; (18) governmental or regulatory changes or other actions; (19) failures to meet applicable capital requirements; (20) regulatory objections to Fifth Third’s capital plan; (21) regulation of Fifth Third’s derivatives activities; (22) deposit insurance premiums; (23) assessments for the orderly liquidation fund; (24) replacement of LIBOR; (25) weakness in the national or local economies; (26) global political and economic uncertainty or negative actions; (27) changes in interest rates; (28) changes and trends in capital markets; (29) fluctuation of Fifth Third’s stock price; (30) volatility in mortgage banking revenue; (31) litigation, investigations, and enforcement proceedings by governmental authorities; (32) breaches of contractual covenants, representations and warranties; (33) competition and changes in the financial services industry; (34) changing retail distribution strategies, customer preferences and behavior; (35) difficulties in identifying, acquiring or integrating suitable strategic partnerships, investments or acquisitions; (36) potential dilution from future acquisitions; (37) loss of income and/or difficulties encountered in the sale and separation of businesses, investments or other assets; (38) results of investments or acquired entities; (39) changes in accounting standards or interpretation or declines in the value of Fifth Third’s goodwill or other intangible assets; (40) inaccuracies or other failures from the use of models; (41) effects of critical accounting policies and judgments or the use of inaccurate estimates; (42) weather-related events, other natural disasters, or health emergencies; and (43) the impact of reputational risk created by these or other 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.
Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
Item 2.03 Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation
under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant
On January 22, 2021, Fifth Third Bancorp (“Fifth Third”) entered into a new share repurchase agreement with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“MSCO”) pursuant to which Fifth Third will purchase approximately $180 million of its outstanding common stock.
Fifth Third is repurchasing the shares of its common stock as part of its 100 million share repurchase program previously announced in a press release on June 18, 2019 and a current report on Form 8-K filed on June 20, 2019.
Under the Master Confirmation dated as of July 29, 2015, supplemented by a Supplemental Confirmation dated January 22, 2021 with a notional amount of $180 million, (together, the “Repurchase Agreement”) between Fifth Third and MSCO, Fifth Third will pay an aggregate of $180 million to MSCO on January 26, 2021, and expects to receive a substantial majority of the shares underlying the Repurchase Agreement by January 26, 2021. The actual number of shares of Fifth Third common stock to be delivered by MSCO will be based generally on a discount to the average of the daily volume-weighted average NASDAQ prices of Fifth Third’s common stock during the term of the Repurchase Agreement. At settlement, MSCO may be obligated to deliver additional shares of Fifth Third’s common stock to Fifth Third, or Fifth Third may be obligated to make a delivery of common stock or a payment of cash to MSCO at Fifth Third’s election. Fifth Third expects the settlement of the transaction to occur on or before March 31, 2021.
The Repurchase Agreement is subject to certain customary adjustments and termination provisions. In addition, upon the occurrence of certain extraordinary events, MSCO is entitled to terminate the Repurchase Agreement, in which case Fifth Third may receive fewer shares of its common stock than expected.
The foregoing description of the Repurchase Agreement is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by the terms of the Repurchase Agreement, a copy of which will be filed as an exhibit to Fifth Third’s Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2021.
MSCO and certain of its affiliates have performed, and in the future may perform, various financial advisory and other services for Fifth Third and Fifth Third’s affiliates for which they have received, and may in the future receive, customary fees and expenses.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| FIFTH THIRD BANCORP | ||||||||
| (Registrant) | ||||||||
Date: January 25, 2021 | /s/ BRYAN PRESTON | |||||||
| Bryan Preston | ||||||||
| Senior Vice President and Treasurer | ||||||||