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Investing.com - Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:FITB) will become the new financial agent for the Direct Express prepaid debit card program, according to Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, which reiterated its Market Perform rating and $47.00 price target on the stock.
The five-year term for managing the program will begin September 9, 2025, as confirmed by Fifth Third management during a recent presentation. The Direct Express program currently manages benefits for 4.5 million federal benefit recipients.
The program was previously announced to be transitioning to BNY from its current manager CMA, but Fifth Third disclosed in a filing that it would be taking over the relationship instead.
KBW estimates this development could be 3-4% accretive to Fifth Third’s earnings per share on a full-year basis, assuming the bank optimizes deposits by reducing certificates of deposit with non-interest-bearing accounts.
The deposits from the Direct Express program are expected to begin arriving at Fifth Third in mid-2026, according to management’s presentation.
In other recent news, Fifth Third Bancorp has reported a potential loss of up to $200 million due to alleged fraud involving a commercial borrower. The bank discovered fraudulent activity related to an asset-backed finance loan, which may result in a non-cash impairment charge between $170 million and $200 million in the third quarter of 2025. Meanwhile, Fifth Third Bancorp has acquired DTS Connex, a cash management software provider for multi-location businesses. DTS Connex will continue to operate independently as a wholly owned subsidiary. Additionally, Fifth Third Bancorp has announced a strategic partnership with Eldridge to offer private credit solutions to its Commercial Bank clients. In terms of analyst ratings, Piper Sandler reiterated its Overweight rating on Fifth Third Bancorp, citing strong customer balance sheets. Truist Securities also raised its price target for the bank to $48.00, maintaining a Buy rating due to an improved net interest income outlook. These developments reflect a mix of challenges and strategic moves for the Cincinnati-based bank.
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