8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 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): February 17, 2023

 (Exact name of the registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware		001-36636	05-0412693
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)		(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
One Citizens Plaza
Providence,	RI		02903
(Address of principal executive offices)			(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (203) 900-6715

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:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, $0.01 par value per share	CFG	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/40th interest in a share of 6.350% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series D	CFG PrD	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/40th interest in a share of 5.000% Fixed-Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series E	CFG PrE	New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.405) or Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.12b-2).

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.  ☐

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On February 17, 2023, Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing that its board of directors has increased the capacity of the Company’s common share repurchase program by an additional $1.15 billion. This is incremental to the $850 million of capacity remaining as of December 31, 2022 under the prior June 2022 authorization, of which $400 million will be utilized during first quarter 2023.

The press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1. The information furnished pursuant to this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities under that Section and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act.

Item 9.01   Financial Statements and Exhibits.

	Exhibit Number	Description
(d)	Exhibit 99.1	Citizens Financial Group, Inc. press release dated February 17, 2023
	Exhibit 104	Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

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.

CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
By:	/s/ John F. Woods
	John F. Woods
	Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer

Date:  February 17, 2023

EX-99.1

February 17, 2023

Media: Peter Lucht -781.655.2288

Investors: Kristin Silberberg - 203.900.6854

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Announces $1.15 billion Increase in Share Repurchase Authorization

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CFG or the “Company”) today announced that its board of directors has increased the capacity of the Company’s common share repurchase program by an additional $1.15 billion. This is incremental to the $850 million of capacity remaining as of December 31, 2022 under the prior June 2022 authorization, of which $400 million will be utilized during first quarter 2023.

“We are pleased to report that our board has approved a sizeable increase to our share repurchase authorization,” said John Woods, Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer. “With this increase in authorization, we continue to expect that our total payout ratio, including common dividends, will approach 100% for 2023. Additionally, we continue to target a medium-term dividend payout ratio in the thirty-five to forty percent range. The authorization and our targeted capital return plans reflect our robust capital levels, the strength of our franchise, and confidence in our ability to deliver strong financial performance and attractive returns to shareholders, while continuing to invest across our businesses.”

The Company will assess potential changes to its capital distributions as conditions warrant. Citizens’ common stock repurchases may be executed in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, including under Rule 10b5-1 plans and accelerated share repurchase and other structured transactions. Common stock dividends are subject to consideration and approval by Citizens’ Board of Directors. The timing and exact amount of common share repurchases and common stock dividends will be subject to various factors, including the company’s capital position, financial performance, capital impacts of strategic initiatives, market conditions, receipt of required regulatory approvals and other regulatory considerations.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $226.7 billion in assets as of December 31, 2022. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,400 ATMs and approximately 1,100 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate

finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statement that does not describe historical or current facts is a forward-looking statement. These statements often include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “goals,” “targets,” “initiatives,” “potentially,” “probably,” “projects,” “outlook,” “guidance” or similar expressions or future conditional verbs such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” and “could.”

Forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of management, and on information currently available to management. Our statements speak as of the date hereof, and we do not assume any obligation to update these statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those contained in such statements in light of new information or future events. We caution you, therefore, against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. While there is no assurance that any list of risks and uncertainties or risk factors is complete, important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include the following, without limitation:

•Negative economic, business and political conditions, including as a result of the interest rate environment, supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures and labor shortages, that adversely affect the general economy, housing prices, the job market, consumer confidence and spending habits;

•The rate of growth in the economy and employment levels, as well as general business and economic conditions, and changes in the competitive environment;

•Our ability to implement our business strategy, including the cost savings and efficiency components, and achieve our financial performance goals, including through the integration of Investors and the HSBC branches;

•The effects of geopolitical instability, including as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions on Russia and other actions in response, on economic and market conditions, inflationary pressures and the interest rate environment, commodity price and foreign exchange rate volatility, and heightened cybersecurity risks;

•Our ability to meet heightened supervisory requirements and expectations;

•Liabilities and business restrictions resulting from litigation and regulatory investigations;

•Our capital and liquidity requirements under regulatory capital standards and our ability to generate capital internally or raise capital on favorable terms;

•The effect of changes in interest rates on our net interest income, net interest margin and our mortgage originations, mortgage servicing rights and mortgages held for sale;

•Changes in interest rates and market liquidity, as well as the magnitude of such changes, which may reduce interest margins, impact funding sources and affect the ability to originate and distribute financial products in the primary and secondary markets;

•The effect of changes in the level of checking or savings account deposits on our funding costs and net interest margin;

•Financial services reform and other current, pending or future legislation or regulation that could have a negative effect on our revenue and businesses;

•Environmental risks, such as physical or transitional risks associated with climate change, and social and governance risks, that could adversely affect our reputation, operations, business, and customers.

•A failure in or breach of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of our third-party vendors or other service providers, including as a result of cyber-attacks; and

•Management’s ability to identify and manage these and other risks.

In addition to the above factors, we also caution that the actual amounts and timing of any future common stock dividends or share repurchases will be subject to various factors, including our capital position, financial

performance, capital impacts of strategic initiatives, market conditions, receipt of required regulatory approvals and other regulatory considerations, as well as any other factors that our Board of Directors deems relevant in making such a determination. Therefore, there can be no assurance that we will repurchase shares from or pay any dividends to holders of our common stock, or as to the amount of any such repurchases or dividends.

More information about factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the “Risk Factors” section in Part II, Item 1A of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2022 and Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CFG-IR

XML

Document and Entity Information Document	Feb. 17, 2023
Document and Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP INC/RI
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Central Index Key	0000759944
Document Type	8-K
Document Period End Date	Feb. 17, 2023
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity File Number	001-36636
Entity Tax Identification Number	05-0412693
Entity Address, Address Line One	One Citizens Plaza
Entity Address, City or Town	Providence,
Entity Address, State or Province	RI
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	02903
City Area Code	203
Local Phone Number	900-6715
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Common Stock [Member]
Document and Entity Information [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	Common stock, $0.01 par value per share
Trading Symbol	CFG
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Series D Preferred Stock [Member]
Document and Entity Information [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/40th interest in a share of 6.350% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series D
Trading Symbol	CFG PrD
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Series E Preferred Stock [Member]
Document and Entity Information [Line Items]
Title of 12(b) Security	Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/40th interest in a share of 5.000% Fixed-Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series E
Trading Symbol	CFG PrE
Security Exchange Name	NYSE