Citizens Financial Group appoints new president, CFO to exit

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CFG) has announced a significant executive change with the promotion of Brendan Coughlin to President. The news comes alongside the announcement that John Woods, Vice Chair and Chief Financial Officer, will depart the company in August 2025. According to InvestingPro analysis, Citizens Financial currently appears undervalued, with the stock trading at an attractive P/E ratio of 11.9x and maintaining a solid 4.5% dividend yield. The company has consistently paid dividends for 12 consecutive years, demonstrating strong shareholder commitment.

Coughlin, who has been with Citizens for over two decades, will continue to oversee Consumer Banking, Citizens Private Bank, and Wealth Management. His expanded role now includes Enterprise Data & Analytics and Marketing. He has been credited with spearheading innovative projects and contributing to the bank’s growth, particularly in launching merchant point-of-sale financing partnerships and expanding the consumer franchise. Under his leadership, Citizens Private Bank was nationally launched, recently achieving $8.7 billion in high-quality deposits and $5.2 billion in assets under management (AUM).

Bruce Van Saun, Chairman and CEO of Citizens, praised Coughlin’s leadership and expressed confidence in his ability to propel the bank forward. Coughlin acknowledged the confidence placed in him by Van Saun and the Board and expressed his commitment to the bank’s objectives and stakeholders.

John Woods, who will be leaving to pursue another opportunity, has been with Citizens for eight years and has played a crucial role in developing the bank’s long-term financial strategy. Van Saun commended Woods for his contributions to the bank’s success and wished him well in his future endeavors.

Citizens Financial Group, with $220.1 billion in assets as of March 31, 2025, is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions. It offers a range of banking products and services to various customer segments and has a significant presence with approximately 3,100 ATMs and 1,000 branches across 14 states and the District of Columbia. For deeper insights into Citizens Financial’s performance and prospects, including 8 additional exclusive ProTips and comprehensive financial analysis, visit InvestingPro, where you’ll find detailed research reports and expert analysis covering over 1,400 US stocks.

The company will begin a formal search for Woods’ replacement, both internally and externally, to ensure a smooth transition. The information regarding these executive changes is based on a press release statement from Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

In other recent news, Citizens Financial Group reported first-quarter 2025 earnings with an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.77, surpassing analyst expectations of $0.75. The company’s revenue aligned with forecasts, reaching $1.94 billion. The bank executed $200 million in stock buybacks and returned $386 million to shareholders. RBC Capital Markets adjusted its price target for Citizens Financial from $50 to $44, maintaining an Outperform rating, while DA Davidson lowered its target from $53 to $49, reaffirming a Buy rating. JPMorgan maintained a Neutral rating with a steady price target of $43. Analysts highlighted Citizens Financial’s strategic initiatives, such as expanding its private banking services and selling non-core student loans, as key factors in its performance. The bank’s Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio stood at 10.6%, demonstrating its strong capital position. Despite economic uncertainties, Citizens Financial is expected to continue its strategic growth initiatives, with a focus on growing fee-based revenues and managing capital effectively.

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