FIFTH THIRD'S COMERICA MERGER LIFTS INTEREST INCOME 49%

Fifth Third Bancorp's integration of Comerica is already reshaping its income statement. Net interest income jumped 49% year-over-year in the third quarter, the clearest sign yet that the merger is paying off for $FITB. Yet adjusted earnings per share of $1.13 told a rosier story than the GAAP figure: reported EPS came in at just $0.90, dragged down by one-time merger charges the bank is still absorbing less than a year after closing the deal.