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): March 12, 2018
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
OHIO
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
| 001-33653 | 31-0854434 | |
| (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) |
| Fifth Third Center 38 Fountain Square Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio |
45263 | |
| (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):
| ☐ | 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)) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in 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,” “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 amended from time to time 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) deteriorating credit quality; (2) loan concentration by location or industry of borrowers or collateral; (3) problems encountered by other financial institutions; (4) inadequate sources of funding or liquidity; (5) unfavorable actions of rating agencies; (6) inability to maintain or grow deposits; (7) limitations on the ability to receive dividends from subsidiaries; (8) cyber-security risks; (9) Fifth Third’s ability to secure confidential information and deliver products and services through the use of computer systems and telecommunications networks; (10) failures by third-party service providers; (11) inability to manage strategic initiatives and/or organizational changes; (12) inability to implement technology system enhancements; (13) failure of internal controls and other risk management systems; (14) losses related to fraud, theft or violence; (15) inability to attract and retain skilled personnel; (16) adverse impacts of government regulation; (17) governmental or regulatory changes or other actions; (18) failures to meet applicable capital requirements; (19) regulatory objections to Fifth Third’s capital plan; (20) regulation of Fifth Third’s derivatives activities; (21) regulatory objections to Fifth Third’s resolution plan; (22) deposit insurance premiums; (23) assessments for the orderly liquidation fund; (24) changes in 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 Vantiv Holding, LLC, a subsidiary of Worldpay, Inc. or other investments
or acquired entities; (39) difficulties from or changes in Fifth Third’s investment in, relationship with, and nature of the operations of Vantiv Holding, LLC, a subsidiary of Worldpay, Inc.; (40) changes in accounting standards or interpretation or declines in the value of Fifth Third’s goodwill or other intangible assets; (41) inaccuracies or other failures from the use of models; (42) effects of critical accounting policies and judgments or the use of inaccurate estimates; (43) weather related events or other natural disasters; and (44) 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 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. Copies of those filings are available at no cost on the SEC’s Web site at www.sec.gov or on our Web site at www.53.com. We undertake no obligation to release revisions to these forward-looking statements or reflect events or circumstances after the date of this report.
| Item 8.01 | Other Events |
Offering of Senior Notes. On March 12, 2018, Fifth Third entered into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, and RBC Capital Markets, LLC for the sale of $650 million in principal amount of its 3.950 % Senior Notes due 2028 (the “Senior Notes Offering”). On March 14, 2018, Fifth Third entered into a Supplemental Indenture with Wilmington Trust Company, as Trustee, which modifies the existing Indenture for Senior Debt Securities dated as of April 30, 2008 between Fifth Third and the Trustee. The Supplemental Indenture and the Indenture define the rights of the 3.950 % Senior Notes due 2028 (the “Senior Notes”), which Senior Notes are represented by two Global Securities dated as of March 14, 2018.
The Senior Notes Offering is described in Fifth Third’s prospectus supplement dated March 12, 2018, together with the related prospectus dated March 28, 2016, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Rule 424(b) on March 13, 2018.
The Underwriting Agreement, the Supplemental Indenture and the Global Securities representing the Senior Notes contain various representations, warranties and agreements by Fifth Third, conditions to closing, indemnification rights and obligations of the parties, and termination provisions. The descriptions of the Underwriting Agreement, the Supplemental Indenture and the Global Securities, and other documents relating to this transaction do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of such securities and documents, forms or copies of which are attached hereto as exhibits and incorporated herein by reference.
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The Senior Notes being sold in the Senior Notes Offering were registered by Fifth Third pursuant to an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (SEC File No. 333-210429) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2016.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits |
(d) Exhibits
Exhibits below relate to Registration Number 333-210429 on Form S-3 of Fifth Third Bancorp and are filed herewith for incorporation by reference in such Registration Statement:
4.2 – Form of 3.950% Senior Notes due 2028.
5.1 – Opinion of Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP regarding legality of the 3.950% Senior Notes due 2028.
23.1 – Consent of Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP (included in opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1).
23.2 – Consent of H. Samuel Lind, Associate General Counsel (included in opinion filed as Exhibit 5.2).
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) | ||||||
| March 14, 2018 | /s/ JAMES C. LEONARD | |||||
| James C. Leonard | ||||||
| Executive Vice President and Treasurer | ||||||