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Oct 17, 2025 4:00 PM

Why Everyone's Suddenly Watching Regional Banks Again

Regional bank stocks rebounded Friday, clawing back part of the previous day's steep losses as a round of better-than-expected earnings helped ease—but not erase—credit fears that had roiled the sector.

The SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:KRE) rose 1.1% by 2 p.m. ET, after plunging 6.2% on Thursday, its worst single-day drop since April.

The bounce was led by upbeat results from several small and mid-sized lenders, which offered reassurance on earnings quality and credit trends.

Better-Than-Expected Earnings Across The Board

Several regional banks posted stronger earnings per share (EPS) and revenue than analysts had forecast.

According to Benzinga Pro platform, Huntington Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ:HBAN) reported EPS of $0.41, beating the $0.37 estimate, with year-over-year growth of 24.2%. Revenue came in at $2.13 billion, a 13.9% increase from last year and 4.6% above forecasts.

Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:FITB) earned $0.93 per share, ahead of the ...