Which Banks are the Best and Which are the worst

When looking at this sector, it is a very difficult sector to invest in. I dont think any of the banks will be nationalized as the voters in the US think that may be a little to socialistic for their tastes. Looking at these companies, I like to hedge downside and look for big moves. Anything tied to financials will have quite a bit of volatility for some time so there are a few ways to trade it. If you are looking to make or lose money quick there are the options markets. Wait for earnings of the banks you like the least or like the best and buy March call or put options. There are also the Direxion levered ETNs. These are levered three times but are spread over a large portion of financials, so you don't have it all riding on one stocks. If you are really adventurous you can buy call and put options on these, but would not recommend it as you have a better chance of losing your money. The best way is to pick your most and least favorite stock an buy your favorite and short your least favorite. This will hedge your bet on the stock and not expose you to as much risk. If it were me, I would buy Northern Trust as this bank is into the high end investor and looks to be very well positioned. My least favorite is Bank of America or Citi. Since there is talk of splitting up Citi, I would go with BAC as my least and short it. You can pick whichever stocks you want in this environment, but it is a good way to play it in high volatility.