New York, Feb 1, 2026, 05:23 EST — Market closed
- FITB closed up Friday, just before a merger milestone due Sunday, when markets will be shut
- Traders are focused on Monday for confirmation that the Comerica deal will close as expected
- Bank stocks hinge on rate expectations and this week’s U.S. data releases
Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) shares closed Friday up 0.8%, hitting $50.22 as investors focused on the upcoming Feb. 1 closing of its $10.9 billion all-stock deal to acquire Comerica Incorporated. A regional bank ETF dipped roughly 0.3% during the session. (SEC)
The closing date is crucial—it shifts the narrative from “pending approvals” to actual execution. The companies project that the merged bank will hold roughly $290 billion in assets, with the intense system integration and rebranding scheduled for later this year. “We are thrilled to have all material approvals secured,” said Tim Spence.
Donald Trump tapped Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve, a move traders quickly linked to potential shifts in policy. Meanwhile, the Producer Price Index, a key measure of wholesale inflation, climbed 0.5% in December. “Maybe some of the angst is just the fact that you’ve got uncertainty,” said Terry Sandven from U.S. Bank Asset Management. On the credit front, Fitch Ratings confirmed its senior unsecured and subordinated debt ratings for Fifth Third. (Reuters)
Monday brings two key questions: will the bank release a straightforward “deal closed” statement before the bell? And will the wording reveal any clues about timing or cost concerns? The other angle is how much of the merger’s impact is already baked into a stock that’s been moving more like a rates proxy.
Late last week, Fifth Third returned to the long-term funding markets. According to a prospectus supplement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the bank is issuing $2 billion in fixed-to-floating rate senior notes — split evenly between $1 billion at 4.566% due 2032 and another $1 billion at 5.141% due 2037 — aiming to net roughly $2 billion. The fixed-to-floating structure means the coupon starts fixed, then later shifts to a floating rate linked to SOFR, a benchmark grounded in overnight Treasury-backed borrowing costs. (SEC)
Fifth Third leaned heavily on higher interest income this past quarter. The bank’s fourth-quarter net interest income — the spread between what it earns on loans and pays on deposits — rose 6% to $1.53 billion. Net income available to common shareholders jumped to $699 million, or $1.04 per share. “In 2025, we opened 50 branches in our high-growth Southeast markets,” Spence said. (Reuters)
There’s a downside, though. If inflation remains stubborn and bond yields climb, bank stocks could take a hit—even absent any company-specific setbacks. The firms have signaled a Sunday closing, but the details still allow for delays if closing conditions aren’t met or if Washington’s budget battle stretches beyond a weekend funding gap. (Barron’s)
Outside of merger news, traders are zeroing in on Monday’s manufacturing survey from the Institute for Supply Management. Then Friday brings the U.S. jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Feb. 6, 8:30 a.m. EST), both key to gauging interest rate moves — and by extension, how much momentum bank stocks like FITB might carry into the week. (Institute for Supply Management)
