Fifth Third (FITB) Announces 9% Dividend Hike: Worth a Look?

FITB LAZ MAIN

Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB - Free Report) has raised its quarterly common stock dividend by about 9% to 24 cents per share. The dividend will be paid on Jul 15, to shareholders of record as of Jun 28, 2019.

Fifth Third’s robust business model reflects the company’s commitment toward returning value to shareholders with its strong cash-generation capabilities. Prior to this revision, the company had raised its quarterly dividend to 22 cents per share in December 2018, marking a 22% hike.

In 2018, Fifth Third submitted a capital plan to the Federal Reserve Board, seeking approval for dividend hike and common stock repurchases. This move followed the Fed’s approval of dividend hike and stock buyback after the completion of stress tests to assess banks’ financial position.

Considering last day’s closing price of $27.88 per share, the dividend yield is currently valued at 3.44%. Additionally, the company has approved a new share-repurchase program of 100 million shares, replacing the existing authorization of 2018 which had around 22 million shares remaining.

Investors interested in this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock can have a look at the bank’s fundamentals and growth prospects. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Revenue Growth: Fifth Third continues to make steady progress toward bolstering its revenues. The company has expanded its non-interest income base, which now represents more than 34% of total revenues, and expects fee income to be up in the near term. Also, it is focused on strategic investments through North Star initiatives, which will likely result in revenue growth, expense savings and operational excellence.

The company’s projected sales growth (F1/F0) of 10.73% indicates constant upward momentum in revenues.

Earnings Per Share Strength: This banking giant has witnessed earnings growth of 9.2% in the last three-five years. Additionally, the company’s long-term (three-five years) estimated EPS growth rate of 7.17% promises rewards for investors over the long run. Good news is that the company pulled off an average positive earnings surprise of 5.47% over the trailing four quarters.

Stock Looks Undervalued: Fifth Third seems undervalued as compared with the industry. Its price-to-book and price-to-earnings ratios are below the respective industry averages.

Share Price Movement: Fifth Third’s shares have gained around 18.5%, year to date, compared with 10.5% growth recorded by the industry.

 

Some other finance stocks which raised their dividends during the current quarter include Lazard Ltd. (LAZ - Free Report) , Main Street Capital Corporation (MAIN - Free Report) and First Midwest Bancorp .  Lazard raised its quarterly dividend by 7%, while First Midwest Bancorp increased by 17%. Also, Main Street Capital has announced a 2.5% rise in its common stock dividend.

This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019

Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.

These companies are changing the world – and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated +98%, +119% and +164% gains in as little as 1 month.

Click here to see these breakthrough stocks now >>

Zacks Names "Single Best Pick to Double"

From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.

It’s a little-known chemical company that’s up 65% over last year, yet still dirt cheap. With unrelenting demand, soaring 2022 earnings estimates, and $1.5 billion for repurchasing shares, retail investors could jump in at any time.

This company could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.

Free: See Our Top Stock and 4 Runners Up >>