NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's) Nov. 29, 2005--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today that its ratings on Fifth Third Bancorp (Fifth Third; NASDAQ: FITB; A+/Stable/A-1) remain unchanged following the announcement that Neal Arnold has stepped down as the executive in charge of the company's investment advisor, payment processing, mortgage, and consumer lending businesses. Those businesses will now report to George A. Schaefer, Jr., President and CEO of Fifth Third on an interim basis. We do not expect the management change to have an impact on the ratings or outlook on Fifth Third. Moreover, we anticipate that the management change will be smooth and that the company will remain committed to its current strategy and to maintaining its strong financial
