Fifth Third assumed with an Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley analyst Manan Gosalia assumed coverage of Fifth Third with an Equal Weight rating with an unchanged price target of $37 as he initiated coverage of 12 midcap banks and took over coverage of several others. Gosalia prefers to be positioned in names that are best-equipped to manage the headwinds from tightening liquidity conditions as rates rise, and has Underweight ratings on three that will see the most funding pressure due to idiosyncratic factors, the analyst tells investors.