FIFTH THIRD BANCORP

This overview of MD&A highlights selected information in the financial results of the Bancorp and may not contain all of the information that is important to you. For a more complete understanding of trends, events, commitments, uncertainties, liquidity, capital resources and critical accounting policies and estimates, you should carefully read this entire document. Each of these items could have an impact on the Bancorp’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, refer to the Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms in this report for a list of terms included as a tool for the reader of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The abbreviations and acronyms identified therein are used throughout this MD&A, as well as the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Net interest income, net interest margin, net interest rate spread and the efficiency ratio are presented in MD&A on an FTE basis. The FTE basis adjusts for the tax-favored status of income from certain loans and leases and securities held by the Bancorp that are not taxable for federal income tax purposes. The Bancorp believes this presentation to be the preferred industry measurement of net interest income as it provides a relevant comparison between taxable and non-taxable amounts. The FTE basis for presenting net interest income is a non-GAAP measure. For further information, refer to the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section of MD&A.

The Bancorp’s revenues are dependent on both net interest income and noninterest income. For the year ended December 31, 2024, net interest income on an FTE basis and noninterest income provided 66% and 34% of total revenue, respectively. The Bancorp derives the majority of its revenues within the U.S. from customers domiciled in the U.S. Changes in interest rates, credit quality, economic trends and the capital markets are primary factors that drive the performance of the Bancorp. As discussed later in the Risk Management section of MD&A, risk identification, measurement, monitoring, control and reporting are important to the management of risk and to the financial performance and capital strength of the Bancorp.

Net interest income is the difference between interest income earned on assets such as loans, leases and securities, and interest expense incurred on liabilities such as deposits, other short-term borrowings and long-term debt. Net interest income is affected by the general level of interest rates, the relative level of short-term and long-term interest rates, changes in interest rates and changes in the amount and composition of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities. Generally, the rates of interest the Bancorp earns on its assets and pays on its liabilities are established for a period of time. The change in market interest rates over time exposes the Bancorp to interest rate risk through potential adverse changes to net interest income and financial position. The Bancorp manages this risk by continually analyzing and adjusting the composition of its assets and liabilities based on their payment streams and interest rates, the timing of their maturities and their sensitivity to changes in market interest rates. Additionally, in the ordinary course of business, the Bancorp enters into certain derivative transactions as part of its overall strategy to manage its interest rate and prepayment risks. The Bancorp is also exposed to the risk of loss on its loan and lease portfolio as a result of changing expected cash flows caused by borrower credit events, such as loan defaults and inadequate collateral.

Noninterest income is derived from wealth and asset management revenue, commercial payments revenue, consumer banking revenue, capital markets fees, commercial banking revenue, mortgage banking net revenue, other noninterest income and net securities gains or losses. Noninterest expense includes compensation and benefits, technology and communications, net occupancy expense, equipment expense, loan and lease expense, marketing expense, card and processing expense and other noninterest expense.

FDIC Special Assessment

In response to the bank failures that occurred in the first half of 2023, the FDIC issued a final rule for a special deposit insurance assessment on banking organizations with greater than $5 billion in assets to recover the losses to the Deposit Insurance Fund associated with protecting uninsured depositors. As of December 31, 2024, the Bancorp’s estimate of its allocation of the special assessment was $252 million, based on the most recent information provided by the FDIC. As a result of this special assessment, the Bancorp recorded expense of $28 million and $224 million during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, related to this estimate. The Bancorp currently expects to pay the special assessment to the FDIC over a total of ten quarterly assessment periods, which began with the first quarter of 2024. The estimate of the cost associated with protecting the uninsured depositors will continue to be subject to periodic adjustment until the final loss amount is determined by the FDIC.

47 Fifth Third Bancorp

Accelerated Share Repurchase Transactions

During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Bancorp entered into and settled accelerated share repurchase transactions totaling $625 million. Refer to Note 24 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on share repurchase activity.

Senior Notes Offerings

On January 29, 2024, the Bancorp issued and sold $1.0 billion of fixed-rate/floating-rate senior notes which will mature on January 29, 2032. The senior notes will bear interest at a rate of 5.631% per annum until January 28, 2031. From January 29, 2031 until maturity, the senior notes will bear interest at a rate of compounded SOFR plus 1.840%.

On September 6, 2024, the Bancorp issued and sold $750 million of fixed-rate/floating-rate senior notes which will mature on September 6, 2030. The senior notes will bear interest at a rate of 4.895% per annum until September 5, 2029. From September 6, 2029 until maturity, the senior notes will bear interest at a rate of compounded SOFR plus 1.486%.

Refer to Note 17 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for more information.

Transfer of Securities

In January 2024, the Bancorp transferred $12.6 billion (amortized cost basis) of securities from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity to reflect the Bancorp’s change in intent to hold these securities to maturity in order to reduce potential capital volatility associated with investment security market price fluctuations. The transfer included U.S. Treasury and federal agencies securities, agency residential mortgage-backed securities and agency commercial mortgage-backed securities. Refer to the Investment Securities subsection of the Balance Sheet Analysis section of MD&A for more information.

CFPB Settlements

On July 9, 2024, the Bank and the CFPB agreed to resolve previously outstanding litigation which alleged violations of the Consumer Financial Protection Act, the Truth in Lending Act and Truth in Savings Act. The Bank agreed to the entry of a Stipulated Final Judgment and Order, pursuant to which the Bank, without admitting or denying any of the allegations in the suit except as specified in the order, agreed to pay a civil monetary penalty of $15 million, agreed to maintain existing policies around its consumer sales incentives, agreed to create a compliance plan to ensure its account opening practices comply with law and the order and agreed to provide a redress plan to remediate certain customers with checking, savings, or credit card accounts opened beginning January 1, 2010 and ending December 31, 2016.

Concurrently, the Bank also agreed to entry of a Consent Order related to a since-discontinued program in its auto lending business that placed collateral protection insurance on certain automobile loans. Under this Consent Order, without admitting or denying any of the findings of fact or conclusions of law (except to establish jurisdiction), the Bank agreed to pay a $5 million civil monetary penalty related to those issues, maintain existing policy changes related to its auto servicing practices, agreed to create a compliance plan to ensure its compliance with the order and provide a redress plan to remediate certain customers within a redress period beginning July 21, 2011 and ending December 31, 2020.

Refer to Note 19 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on these settlements.

Key Performance Indicators

The Bancorp, as a banking institution, utilizes various key indicators of financial condition and operating results in managing and monitoring the performance of the business. In addition to traditional financial metrics, such as revenue and expense trends, the Bancorp monitors other financial measures that assist in evaluating growth trends, capital strength and operational efficiencies. The Bancorp analyzes these key performance indicators against its past performance, its forecasted performance and with the performance of its peer banking institutions. These indicators may change from time to time as the operating environment and businesses change.

The following are some of the key indicators used by management to assess the Bancorp’s business performance, including those which are considered in the Bancorp’s compensation programs:

•CET1 Capital Ratio: CET1 capital divided by risk-weighted assets as defined by the Basel III standardized approach to risk-weighting of assets

•Return on Average Tangible Common Equity (non-GAAP): Tangible net income available to common shareholders divided by average tangible common equity

•Return on Average Common Equity, Excluding AOCI (non-GAAP): Net income available to common shareholders divided by total equity, excluding AOCI and preferred stock

•Net Interest Margin (non-GAAP): Net interest income on an FTE basis divided by average interest-earning assets

•Efficiency Ratio (non-GAAP): Noninterest expense divided by the sum of net interest income on an FTE basis and noninterest income

•Earnings Per Share, Diluted: Net income allocated to common shareholders divided by average common shares outstanding after the effect of dilutive stock-based awards

•Nonperforming Portfolio Assets Ratio: Nonperforming portfolio assets divided by portfolio loans and leases and OREO

•Net Charge-off Ratio: Net losses charged-off divided by average portfolio loans and leases

48 Fifth Third Bancorp

•Return on Average Assets: Net income divided by average assets

•Loan-to-Deposit Ratio: Total loans divided by total deposits

•Household Growth: Change in the number of consumer households with retail relationship-based checking accounts