Argus analyst Stephen Biggar initiated Fifth Third (FITB) with a Buy rating and a price target of $36, citing its strong fee-based income in asset management, sound credit quality, and above-peer efficiency ratio. The analyst further notes that while the bank's credit loan growth has been constrained, its net interest margins rose 8bps in the most recent quarter amid the rising interest rate environment, and he expects that trend to produce a high single-digit growth in net interest income this year. Biggar points to Fifth Third's recent acquisition announcement of MB Financial (MBFI) as a further catalyst, expanding its position with "significant retail and commercial assets in the Chicago" while boosting its earnings by 7% in the second year after the closing.