Fifth Third Bank Introduces Sponsor Leveraged Finance Team

Former CapitalSource Finance veteran, longtime Fifth Third Structured Finance
Manager to lead new private equity lending team

CINCINNATI, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Fifth Third Bancorp (Nasdaq:
FITB) has announced today the formation of a focused private equity lending
team, Fifth Third Sponsor Leveraged Finance. The team will provide cash flow
financings to a select group of private equity clients and will target
businesses with $10 million to $50 million in earnings before interest, taxes
depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).

Managing Directors Brian Crabb and Josh VanManen will lead the team. Crabb
comes to Fifth Third Bank with experience in the leveraged environment from
Heller Financial, GE Capital, and most recently, CapitalSource Finance.
VanManen joins the team from Fifth Third Bank's Structured Finance business,
where he most recently ran the group's Western Region team in Denver.

"Fifth Third Sponsor Leveraged Finance marks a new foray into middle market
private equity lending for Fifth Third Bank," said Crabb. "At a time when
sources of debt for private equity deals have been severely diminished, we are
excited to enter this arena with a dedicated and focused effort. With the
capital strength of Fifth Third Bank and the knowledge and experience of our
team, we believe there is a real opportunity to provide our clients with the
products, knowledge and support that they need and deserve."

For more information about Fifth Third Sponsor Leveraged Finance, visit
www.53.com.

Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered
in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Company has $111 billion in assets, operates 16
affiliates with 1,306 full-service Banking Centers, including 100 Bank Mart®
locations open seven days a week inside select grocery stores and 2,372 ATMs
in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West
Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Georgia and North Carolina. Fifth Third
operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer
Lending, and Investment Advisors. Fifth Third also has a 49% interest in Fifth
Third Processing Solutions, LLC. Fifth Third is among the largest money
managers in the Midwest and, as of September 30, 2009, has $184 billion in
assets under care, of which it managed $25 billion for individuals,
corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Investor information and press
releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third's common stock is traded on
the NASDAQ® National Global Select Market under the symbol "FITB." Member
FDIC.

SOURCE Fifth Third Bancorp

Whitney Ellis, Fifth Third Bancorp, +1-513-534-6791