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Four potentially strong banks to park your deposits

Posted Aug 15th 2008 1:46PM by Peter Cohan (RSS feed)
Filed under: Consumer Experience, Personal Finance

I have been concerned about the strength of the banks insured by the FDIC. One commenter asked whether there were any good banks. To that end, I have identified four that might be among the more solid. I did this by screening for regional banks with profit margins over 30%, a stock market capitalizations above $500 million, and a recent improvement in operating performance accompanied by a rise in stock price.

Here are four to consider. The list below includes their name, location, and (net profit margin):

City Holdings (NASDAQ: CHCO) Charleston, WV (33.7%)
First Midwest Bankcorp (NASDAQ: FMBI) Itasca, IL (32.6%)
Valley National (NYSE: VLY) Wayne, NJ (34.4%)
Prosperity Bancshares (NASDAQ: PRSP) Houston, TX (35.0%)

If you're nervous about where your money is currently deposited, these four might be worth considering. But before you move your money, it would be worth reading their most recent annual reports and quarterly financial statements. Red flags to watch out for include negative cash flow; rising charge-offs and loan loss reserves, and lawsuits.

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He has no financial interest in the securities mentioned.