8-KOther EventsExhibits & Filings

FIFTH THIRD BANCORP 8-K Report, Temporary Suspension of Trading Under Employee Benefit Plans (Jul 28, 2010)

Filed July 28, 2010For Securities:FITBFITBOFITBPFITB-PIFITB-PMFITB-PAFITBIFITB-PK

Summary

Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) filed an 8-K report on July 28, 2010, to announce a temporary suspension of trading under its employee benefit plan, specifically the Fifth Third Bancorp Master Profit Sharing Plan. This "blackout period" is necessitated by a transition of the plan's recordkeeping to a new service provider. Investors should note that this filing primarily concerns internal administrative changes related to employee benefits and does not represent a material financial event, a change in business operations, or any new strategic initiatives for the company. The blackout period is scheduled to begin on September 3, 2010, and conclude during the week of September 19, 2010. During this time, participants in the plan will be restricted from accessing their account balances, making investment changes, or initiating loans and distributions.

Key Highlights

  • 1Fifth Third Bancorp is implementing a temporary blackout period for its Master Profit Sharing Plan.
  • 2The blackout period is due to a transition in the plan's recordkeeping to a new service provider.
  • 3This restriction applies to plan participants, including directors and executive officers.
  • 4The blackout period is scheduled to commence on September 3, 2010, and end during the week of September 19, 2010.
  • 5During the blackout, participants cannot access account balances, make investment changes, or request loans/distributions.
  • 6The filing is in compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley Act Section 306 and SEC Regulation BTR regarding trading restrictions.
  • 7Information about the exact start and end dates of the blackout period is available from Fifth Third's Corporate Secretary.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main purpose of this 8-K filing is to inform investors and relevant parties about a temporary suspension of trading ('blackout period') within Fifth Third Bancorp's employee benefit plan (Master Profit Sharing Plan). This suspension is required to facilitate a transition to a new recordkeeping service provider for the plan.

The blackout period affects participants of the Fifth Third Bancorp Master Profit Sharing Plan. This includes all plan participants, and specifically, directors and executive officers of Fifth Third Bancorp are formally notified due to Sarbanes-Oxley Act regulations.

The blackout period is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on September 3, 2010, and is expected to end during the week of September 19, 2010. The exact end date will be communicated.

During the blackout period, participants will be unable to perform several actions related to their plan accounts. These include checking account balances, transferring or diversifying investments, changing future contribution rates, obtaining loans or distributions, and making or changing beneficiary elections.