This story was originally published on Banking Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Banking Dive newsletter. Texas remains the most targeted state for bank mergers and acquisitions this year, further bolstered by Fifth Third’s announcement this week that it will acquire Dallas-based Comerica for $10.9 billion. U.S. bank M&A activity hit a four-year high in the third quarter, with 52 bank deals announced, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data through Sept. 30. Tha ...

Market Overview - U.S. equities experienced a pullback on October 7, 2025, following a seven-day winning streak, with major indexes retreating as investors reacted to corporate news, political uncertainty, and a reassessment of AI sector valuations [1][9] - The S&P 500 declined by 0.4%, the Nasdaq Composite fell by 0.7%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped by 105 points or 0.2%, indicating a pause after a strong rally driven by AI advancements and expectations of easier monetary policy from the Federal Reserve [2][9] Economic and Political Context - The ongoing U.S. government shutdown, now in its seventh day, has delayed the release of key economic data, including the September jobs report, creating uncertainty in the market and complicating Federal Reserve policy decisions [3][9] - Safe-haven assets, such as gold, saw increased demand, with futures surging above $4,000 per ounce, reflecting investor caution amid inflation pressures and geopolitical tensions [3] Corporate Developments - Oracle's shares dropped over 5% due to lower-than-expected margins in its cloud business and losses on Nvidia chip rentals, contributing to the Nasdaq's decline [5] - Tesla's stock fell 4.4% after introducing a low-cost version of its Model Y SUV, raising concerns about margin compression [5] - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) shares rose nearly 4% following a partnership with OpenAI, which is purchasing several generations of AMD's AI chips [5] - AppLovin's shares surged 7.6% after a significant drop the previous day, as the SEC investigated its data-collection practices [5] - Constellation Brands' stock increased over 3% after reporting smaller-than-expected quarterly sales declines, although it lowered its full-year profit outlook [5] - IBM's stock jumped 3% after announcing a partnership with Anthropic, highlighting ongoing interest in AI collaborations [5] - Comerica's shares rose 13.7% following an acquisition agreement by Fifth Third Bancorp valued at $10.9 billion, while Fifth Third's stock fell 1.4% [5] Upcoming Events - The third-quarter earnings season is set to begin, with major banks like JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo scheduled to report results, with analysts estimating a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 7.9% for S&P 500 companies [7] - Earnings reports from Saratoga Investment and Penguin Solutions are anticipated, with projections of $0.67 per share on revenue of $32.39 million and $0.31 per share on revenue of $341.26 million, respectively [8]

Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB ) announced its acquisition of Comerica (NYSE: CMA ) for $10.9B, combining the two regional banks to create something of a " super regional bank ." FITB fell slightly on the news, while Comerica jumped up nearHarrison is a financial analyst who has been writing on Seeking Alpha since 2018 and has closely followed the market for over a decade. He has professional experience in the private equity, real estate, and economic research industry. Harrison also has an academic back ...

Key Takeaways Fifth Third will acquire Comerica in an all-stock deal worth $10.9 billion, closing in early 2026.The impending merger expands FITB's footprint to 17 of the 20 fastest-growing U.S. markets. FITB targets $850M in annual cost synergies and expects the deal to lift EPS 9% by 2027. In one of the most consequential banking moves of 2025, Fifth Third Bancorp ((FITB) entered a definitive merger agreement to acquire Comerica Incorporated ((CMA) in an all-stock transaction valued at $10.9 billion. The ...

Fifth Third CEO Tim Spence said discussions to buy regional bank Comerica started a few weeks ago when the latter company's CEO Curtis Farmer called to discuss a deal, Spence told Reuters in an interv... ...

Morgan Stanley raised its rating on Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:FITB) to Overweight from Equalweight, citing a "compelling upside" from its proposed acquisition of Comerica (NYSE:CMA). Fifth Third (NASDAQ:FITB) said on Monday that the $10.9B deal will be immediately accretive to ...

Core Viewpoint - Fifth Third Bancorp has agreed to acquire Comerica in an all-stock transaction valued at $10.9 billion, creating the ninth largest bank in the US with approximately $288 billion in assets [1][2]. Group 1: Transaction Details - Comerica stockholders will receive 1.8663 Fifth Third shares for each share they hold, equating to $82.88 per share based on Fifth Third's closing stock price on October 3, 2025, which represents a 20% premium to the ten-day volume-weighted average stock price of Comerica [1]. - Post-merger, Fifth Third shareholders will own about 73% of the merged entity, while Comerica shareholders will hold 27% [2]. Group 2: Strategic Rationale - The merger is expected to be "immediately accretive" to shareholders and aims to enhance efficiency, return on assets, and return on tangible common equity ratios [3]. - By combining Fifth Third's retail banking and digital capabilities with Comerica's middle market banking franchise, the merged entity seeks to strengthen its position in high-growth markets, operating across 17 markets including the Southeast, Texas, and California [3][4]. Group 3: Future Projections and Leadership - By 2030, over half of Fifth Third's branches are projected to be located in the Southeast, Texas, Arizona, and California [4]. - The merger will create two $1 billion recurring and high return fee businesses: commercial payments and wealth and asset management, with Comerica's chief banking officer leading the wealth & asset management business [4]. - Three Comerica Board members will join Fifth Third's board after the transaction closes [4]. Group 4: Timeline and Strategic Goals - The merger is expected to be finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2026, pending shareholder and regulatory approvals [5]. - Fifth Third Bank's leadership views this combination as a pivotal moment to accelerate their strategy in high-growth markets and deepen commercial capabilities [5].

A couple of regional banks are teaming up to break into the Top 10 list of the biggest banks in America, continuing a trend of upward mobility in the industry. Fifth Third said Monday that it struck a $10.9 billion, all-stock deal to acquire Comerica, a buyout that would create the country’s ninth-largest bank with roughly $288 billion in assets. READ ALSO: Tesla Steers Toward Mass Market … Sort Of and Bummed Consumers Predict Shrinking Labor Market, Spiking Inflation A Surging of Merging Back in the lat ...

Japan’s Nikkei 225 hit a new record, lifted by optimism over possible government spending and tax cuts under the country’s soon-to-be first female prime minister.The Nikkei was trading up 0.3% to 48,098, following a nearly 5% surge on Monday after the ruling Liberal Democrats chose Sanae Takaichi as their new leader. Investors are hopeful that Takaichi, who admires the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, will introduce policies that support markets and stimulate Japan’s economy.Other markets in Asia were mixed. ...

The S&P 500 climbed 0.4% to set an all-time high following mixed trading on Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 63 points, or 0.1%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.7% to its own record. A frenzy around AI has been one of the main reasons Wall Street has been hitting record after record, though that's also raising worries that prices have potentially shot too high. Much of the furor around AI in the last couple weeks has come from OpenAI, which has quickly grown into a $500 billion company. I ...