10 Best Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now

Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) will release its quarterly earnings report on Friday, and some investors are already concerned about the potential for a disappointment. With mortgage rates having risen sharply in recent weeks, the banking giant is facing a likely decline in refinancing activity, and a drop in new purchase mortgages could be right around the corner, choking off a vital source of earnings for Wells Fargo.

Still, Wells Fargo has put together a good track record of holding its own even in tough economic conditions. Shareholders seem optimistic as the stock has performed quite well lately. Let's take an early look at what's been happening with Wells Fargo over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its quarterly report.

Stats on Wells Fargo

Analyst EPS Estimate

$0.92

Change From Year-Ago EPS

Top 10 Sliver Companies To Watch In Right Now: Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL)

Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL) is a bank holding company. The Company provides full-service banking and lending to locally owned businesses, professional firms, real estate developers and investors, local non-profit organizations, high net worth individuals and other consumers through its three wholly owned subsidiary banks (the Banks): Bank of Nevada (BON), operating in Southern Nevada; Western Alliance Bank (WAB), operating in Arizona and Northern Nevada, and Torrey Pines Bank (TPB), operating in California. In addition, the Company�� non-bank subsidiaries, Shine Investment Advisory Services, Inc. (Shine) and Western Alliance Equipment Finance (WAEF), offer an array of financial products and services to small to mid-sized businesses and their proprietors, including financial planning, custody and investments, and equipment leasing nationwide. It operates in four segments: Bank of Nevada, Western Alliance Bank, Torrey Pines Bank and Other.

The Company provides a range of banking services, as well as investment advisory services, through its consolidated subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2011, WAL owned an 80% interest in Shine. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a 24.9% interest in Miller/Russell & Associates, Inc. (MRA), an investment advisor. MRA provides investment advisory services to individuals, foundations, retirement plans and corporations.

Lending Activities

Through the Company�� banking segments, the Company provides a variety of financial services to customers, including commercial real estate loans, construction and land development loans, commercial loans, and consumer loans. Loans to businesses consisted 89.2% of the total loan portfolio at December 31, 2011. Loans to finance the purchase or refinancing of commercial real estate (CRE) and loans to finance inventory and working capital that are additionally secured by CRE make up the majority of its loan portfolio. These CRE loans are secured by apartment buildings, professional of! fices, industrial facilities, retail centers and other commercial properties. As of December 31, 2011, 49% of its CRE loans were owner-occupied. Owner-occupied commercial real estate loans are loans secured by owner-occupied nonfarm nonresidential properties for which the primary source of repayment (more than 50%) is the cash flow from the ongoing operations and activities conducted by the borrower who owns the property. Non-owner-occupied commercial real estate loans are commercial real estate loans for which the primary source of repayment is nonaffiliated rental income associated with the collateral property.

Construction and land development loans include multi-family apartment projects, industrial/warehouse properties, office buildings, retail centers and medical facilities. Commercial and industrial loans include working capital lines of credit, inventory and accounts receivable lines, mortgage warehouse lines, equipment loans and leases, and other commercial loans. Commercial loans are primarily originated to small and medium-sized businesses in a variety of industries. Consumer loans are generally offered at a higher rate and shorter term than residential mortgages. Its consumer loans include home equity loans and lines of credit, home improvement loans, credit card loans, and personal lines of credit. As of December 31, 2011, its loan portfolio totaled $4.68 billion, or approximately 68.4% of its total assets.

Investment Activities

All of the Company�� investment securities are classified as available-for-sale (AFS) or held-to-maturity (HTM). As of December 31, 2011, the Company had an investment securities portfolio of $1.48 billion, representing approximately 21.7% of its total assets. As of December 31, 2011, its investment securities portfolio consisted of the United States Government sponsored agency securities, Municipal obligations, Adjustable-rate preferred stock, Mutual funds, Corporate bonds, Direct the United States obligation and government-! sponsored! enterprise (GSE) residential mortgage-backed securities, private label residential mortgage-backed securities, Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) investments, Trust preferred securities, Private label commercial mortgage-backed securities, and Collateralized debt obligations.

Sources of Funds

The Company offers a variety of deposit products, including checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts and other types of deposit accounts, including fixed-rate, fixed maturity retail certificates of deposit. As of December 31, 2011, the deposit portfolio consisted of 27.5% non-interest bearing deposits and 72.5% interest-bearing deposits. Non-interest bearing deposits consist of non-interest bearing checking account balances. In addition to its deposit base, it has access to other sources of funding, including Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) and Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) advances, repurchase agreements and unsecured lines of credit with other financial institutions.

Financial Products and Services

In addition to traditional commercial banking activities, the Company offers other financial services to customers, including Internet banking, wire transfers, electronic bill payment, lock box services, courier, and cash management services. Through Shine, a full-service financial advisory firm, the Company offers financial planning and investment management.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Investment Biker]

  Investment Summary: This article is on Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL), a growth-oriented commercial lender in the Southwest. The banks looks set to improve profitability supported by economic recovery in Last Vegas, industry-leading revenue performance and operating leverage supported by expense control. The credit profile of the bank looks excellent with limited exposure to residential mortgage and well poised to grow its loan portfolio by 20% annually over the next 3 years. It is also well set on a path to credit recovery with improving fundamentals that justifies premium valuation going forward.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: National Bank of Greece SA (NBGA)

National Bank of Greece SA (the Bank) is a Greece-based financial institution. It provides a range of financial services including retail and commercial banking, asset management, brokerage, investment banking, insurance and real estate at a global level. Its segments are: Retail Banking, which mainly offers different types of loans, deposits and investment products; Corporate and Investment Banking, which includes financial and investment advisory services, deposit accounts, loans, foreighn exchange and trade service activities; Global Markets and Asset Management, which includes all treasury activities, private banking, asset management, custody services, private equity and brokerage; Insurance; International Banking Operations; Turkish Banking Operations, as well as Other. In September 2013, state-owned Hellenic Financial Stability Fund acquired an 84.39% interest in the Company. On December 30, 2013, it sold a 66% of its subsidiary National Pangaea REIC to Invel Real Estate II BV. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By cody56]

  National Bank of Greece (ETE),(NBGA),(NBG) is a global banking and financial service company with its headquarters in Athens, Greece. The bank offers financial products, and services, brokerage, insurance, asset management, shipping finance, leasing and factoring markets. It was founded by Swiss banker Jean-Gabriel Eynard and George Starvros in 1841 as a commerical bank. From its inception until the establishment of the Bank of Greece in 1928, it had the right to issue banknotes. The bank listed on the Athens Stock Exchange right after its founding in the 1880s.

• [By codyeustice1@google]

  National Bank of Greece (ETE),(NBGA),(NBG) is a Greece global banking and financial service company with its headquarters in Athens, Greece. The bank offers financial products, and services, brokerage, insurance, asset management, shipping finance, leasing and factoring markets. It was founded by Swiss banker Jean-Gabriel Eynard and George Starvros in 1841 as a commerical bank. From its inception until the establishment of the Bank of Greece in 1928, it had the right to issue banknotes. The bank listed on the Athens Stock Exchange right after its founding in the 1880s.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (RBS)

The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (RBS), incorporated on March 25, 1968, is a holding company of a global banking and financial services group. The Company operates in the United Kingdom, the United States and internationally through its two principal subsidiaries: The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (the Royal Bank) and National Westminster Bank Plc (NatWest). Both the Royal Bank and NatWest are clearing banks. In the United States, the Company�� subsidiary Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (Citizens) is a commercial banking organization. The Company�� business segment include UK Retail, UK Corporate, Wealth, Global Transaction Services, Ulster Bank, US Retail & Commercial, Global Banking & Markets (GBM), RBS Insurance, Central items, Non-Core Division and Business Services. In February 2012, Ensign Group, Inc. acquired $21.5 million seven-year term loan from RBS Asset Finance, Inc., an affiliate of the Company. In May 2012, The Paragon Group of Companies PLC announced the acquisition of further unsecured consumer loans, through its Idem Capital Securities subsidiary, from the Company.

In September 2011, the Company sold Hilton Glasgow City hotel to Topland Group. In October 2011, Paragon Group of Companies PLC acquired a portfolio of unsecured consumer loans from Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc. In December 2011, the Company sold its tenanted pub business to Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company (Management) Limited (S&NPC), a subsidiary of Heineken N.V.

As of December 31, 2011, the Royal Bank and NatWest had 627 and 1,493 retail branches, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Ulster Bank has a foot print of 236 branches and a network of business banking offices across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. US Retail & Commercial had 1,519 retail banking offices (including in-store branches) covering Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.

UK Retail

The Company offers a range of banking products and related financial services to the personal market. It serves customers through the RBS and NatWest networks of branches and automated teller machines (ATMs) in the United Kingdom, telephony, online and mobile.

UK Corporate

The Company is a provider of banking, finance, and risk management services to the corporate and small and medium enterprises (SME) sector in the United Kingdom. It offers a range of banking products and related financial services through a nationwide network of relationship managers, and also through telephone and Internet channels. The product range includes asset finance through the Lombard brand.

Wealth

The Company provides private banking and investment services in the United Kingdom through Coutts & Co and Adam & Company. It also offers offshore banking through RBS International, NatWest Offshore and Isle of Man Bank, and international private banking through Coutts & Co Ltd.

Global Transaction Services

The Company offers global payments, cash and liquidity management, and trade finance and commercial card products and services. Through the network and partner bank agreements, GTS is able to support and connect customers across 128 countries.

Ulster Bank

Ulster Bank is retail and business bank in Northern Ireland. It provides a range of financial services. As of December 31, 2011, the Retail Markets division, which had a network of 236 branches, operated in the personal and financial planning sectors. The Corporate Markets division provides services to SME business customers, corporates and institutional markets.

US Retail and Commercial

The Company provides financial services through the Citizens and Charter One brands. US Retail & Commercial is engaged in retail and corporate banking activities through its branch network in 12 states in the United States and through non-branch offices in othe! r states.!

Global Banking and Markets

The Company is a banking partner to corporations and financial institutions globally, providing a range of debt and equity financing, risk management and investment services to its customers. The division is organized along six principal business lines: money markets, rates flow trading, currencies, equities, credit and mortgage markets, and portfolio management and origination.

RBS Insurance

The Company provides a range of general insurance products to consumers through a range of brands, including Direct Line, Churchill and Privilege. It also provides insurance services for third party brands through its UKI Partnerships business. In the commercial sector, its NIG and Direct Line for Business operations provide insurance products for businesses through brokers or direct respectively. Through its international division, RBS Insurance sells general insurance, mainly motor, in Germany and Italy. In addition to insurance services, RBS Insurance continues to provide support and reassurance to millions of the United Kingdom motorists through its Green Flag breakdown recovery service and Tracker stolen vehicle recovery and telematics business. On 15 February 2012, a new corporate brand, Direct Line Group, was announced.

Central Functions

Central Functions consist of corporate functions, such as treasury, funding and finance, risk management, legal, communications and human resources. The Centre manages the Company�� capital resources and regulatory projects and provides services to the operating divisions.

Non-Core Division

Non-Core Division manages separately assets, which the Company intends to run off or dispose of. The division contains a range of businesses and asset portfolios from the GBM division, higher risk profile asset portfolios, including excess risk concentrations, and other illiquid portfolios. It also includes a range of other portfolios and businesses, inclu! ding regi! onal markets businesses.

Business Services

Business Services supports the customer-facing businesses and provides operational technology, customer support in telephony, account management, lending and money transmission, global purchasing, property and other services. It also leverages its purchasing power and is the Company's center for managing large-scale and complex change.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Even more interesting is the prospect that Toronto-Dominion might seek to buy Citizens Bank, which is owned by Royal Bank of Scotland (NYSE: RBS  ) . Rumors of a potential $13 billion deal for Citizens surfaced back in October, but thus far, nothing has happened to substantiate those rumors. With RBS facing scrutiny from the U.K. government to reorganize, it might be looking to divest its U.S. operations, and the move could greatly enhance TD's presence in the States. But TD's top executive said earlier this year that a potential acquisition of Citizens wouldn't necessary match well with the bank's usual guidelines for buyouts.

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc (RBS) slipped 7.2 percent for the worst performance on the FTSE 100. Marks & Spencer Group Plc (MKS) paced a decline among retailers. BT Group Plc (BT/A) climbed 1 percent after Citigroup Inc. raised its recommendation on the shares.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  Royal Bank of Scotland is a provider of financial services to consumers and companies around the world. The company has recently appointed a new CEO who may offer positive change. The stock has been fairly volatile for most of the year and is currently about 10 percent from yearly highs. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been mixed while revenues have been rising which has led to mixed feelings among investors in the company. Relative to its peers and sector, Royal Bank of Scotland has been a poor year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what Royal Bank of Scotland does this coming quarter.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: Cenkos Securities PLC (CNKS)

Cenkos Securities plc (Cenkos) is an independent, specialist institutional securities group, focused on growth companies and investment funds. The Company�� principal activities comprise of corporate broking and advisory and institutional equities. Corporate Broking and Advisory segment reflects the corporate finance, corporate broking and market making services provided to growth companies and investment funds. Institutional Equities segment reflects the institutional equities team who provide research-driven investment recommendations and execution capabilities to institutional clients. Cenkos earns fees from primary and secondary equity fund raising, acting as a key intermediary between growth companies or investment funds and institutional providers of capital. Revenue in Corporate Broking and Advisory segment is made up of placing commissions on fund raisings, corporate finance fees and retainer income, market making profits and commissions on secondary market transactions. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Trista Kelley]

  Cenkos Securities Plc (CNKS) is running the spinoff and the share sale. Royal DSM NV (DSM), the world�� largest maker of vitamins, holds about 9 percent of SiS, while U.K. venture-capital trust Downing LLP owns 16.7 percent, Moon said. Provexis stockholders received one share of Science in Sport for every 100 shares of Provexis.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: Wells Fargo & Company(WFC)

Wells Fargo & Company, through its subsidiaries, provides retail, commercial, and corporate banking services primarily in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Community Banking; Wholesale Banking; and Wealth, Brokerage, and Retirement. The Community Banking segment offers deposits, including checking, market rate, and individual retirement accounts; savings and time deposits; and debit cards. Its loan products comprise lines of credit, auto floor plans, equity lines and loans, equipment and transportation loans, education loans, residential mortgage loans, health savings accounts, and credit cards. This segment also provides equipment leases, real estate financing, small business administration financing, venture capital financing, cash management, payroll services, retirement plans, loans secured by autos, and merchant payment processing services; purchases sales finance contracts from retail merchants; and a family of funds, and investment managemen t services. The Wholesale Banking segment offers commercial and corporate banking products and services, including commercial loans and lines of credit, letters of credit, asset-based lending, equipment leasing, international trade facilities, trade financing, collection services, foreign exchange services, treasury and investment management, institutional fixed-income sales, commodity and equity risk management, insurance, corporate trust fiduciary and agency services, and investment banking services. This segment also provides banking products for commercial real estate market, and real estate and mortgage brokerage services. The Wealth, Brokerage, and Retirement segment offers financial advisory, brokerage, and institutional retirement and trust services. As of December 31, 2010, the company served its customers through approximately 9,000 banking stores in 39 States and the District of Columbia. Wells Fargo & Company was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in San Franci sco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Banks are getting on board
  Some of the biggest banks are taking this threat very seriously, perhaps because they themselves have been the victims�of cyber hacking over the past year. Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) recently took second place in the Keynote mobile banking�ratings report, receiving special kudos for its privacy and security efforts. Wells has been quite active in this area and has made it a priority to stress communications between the bank and its customers in order to keep its mobile security tight.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: Westpac Banking Corp (WEBNF)

Westpac Banking Corporation is a banking company. It operates through three divisions: Australian Financial Services (AFS), Westpac Institutional Bank (WIB) and Westpac New Zealand. AFS consists of Westpac�� retail and business banking operations in Australia, and includes Westpac Retail & Business Banking (Westpac RBB), St.George Banking Group and BT Financial Group Australia (BFTG). Westpac RBB is responsible for sales and service for consumer, small-to-medium enterprise customers and commercial customers under the Westpac brands. St.George is responsible for sales, and service for its consumer, business and corporate customers in Australia under brands, such as St.George and BankSA. BTFG is Westpac�� Australian wealth management division. In January 2014, the Company completed the acquisition of Lloyds Banking Group Plc�� Australian asset finance business, Capital Finance Australia Limited, and its Australian corporate loan portfolio, BOS International (Australia) Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australia stocks rose early Thursday, with miners leading the way higher after a positive production report from Rio Tinto Ltd. (AU:RIO) (RIO) , while overall sentiment got a lift from U.S. gains overnight. The S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) improved by 0.6% to 5,274.30, with shares of Rio Tinto rising 2.2% after reporting record high iron-ore shipments for 2013 and a sold gain for copper output. Rio's peers also advanced, with BHP Billiton Ltd. (AU:BHP) (BHP) up 1.7%, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (AU:FMG) (FSUMF) ahead by 3.2%, and Oz Minerals Ltd. (AU:OZL) (OZMLF) adding 2.4%. Among the gold producers, Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) surged 7.2% as J.P. Morgan raised its rating on the shares to overweight from neutral. Banks weren't as lucky, however, with Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (AU:ANZ) (ANEWF) down 0.3%, while Westpac Banking Corp. (AU:WBC) (WEBNF) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (AU:CBA) (CBAUF) lost 0.7% each as Citibank downgraded the trio t

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks nudged modestly higher early Thursday, with a rebound for financials offsetting weakness in the resource space. The S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) advanced 0.1% to 5,361.80, as banks and brokers gained after losing ground late in the previous session on concerns about the health of major Chinese banks. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (AU:CBA) (CBAUF) and Macquarie Group Ltd. (AU:MQG) (MCQEF) rose 0.7% apiece, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (AU:ANZ) (ANEWF) added 0.5%, and Westpac Banking Corp. (AU:WBC) (WEBNF) improved by 0.5%. On the downside, losses for gold futures overnight sent Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) down 1.3% and Evolution Mining Ltd. (AU:EVN) (CAHPF) 2.3% lower. The broader mining sector was also lower, with Alumina Ltd. (AU:AWC) (AWCMF) off 2.8%, BHP Billiton Ltd. (AU:BHP) (BHP) down 0.5%, and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (AU:FMG) (FSUMF)

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Stocks in Australia fell early Thursday, pressured by a drop in the country's currency to a three-month low below 90 U.S. cents, and by losses on Wall Street overnight on concerns about tapering of monetary stimulus. The S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) fell 28 points, or 0.5%, to 5,246, led by losses in the heavily weighted financial sector. There, shares of Westpac Banking Corp. (AU:WBC) (WEBNF) lost 1.2%, National Australia Bank Ltd. (AU:NAB) (NAUBF) declined 1%, and Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (AU:ANZ) (ANEWF) shed 0.7%. Shares of Qantas Airways Ltd. (AU:QAN) (QUBSF) sank 14% after the company warned it expects to post an underlying loss before tax of $250 million to $300 million for the six months ending Dec. 31. The carrier said trading conditions saw a marked deterioration, particularly in November with both passenger loads and yields "below the already negative trends for the year to date."

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Stocks in Australia gave up ground early Tuesday before the country's central bank issued its final interest-rate decision of the year. The S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) shed 0.2% to 5,271.10, with financial stocks mixed ahead a widely expected decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia to leave its benchmark rate at 2.5%. Westpac Banking Corp. shares (AU:WBC) (WEBNF) gave up 0.3% and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (AU:CBA) (CBAUF) shed 0.1%, but National Australia Bank Ltd. (AU:NAB) (NAUBF) tacked on 0.3%. Gold stocks were hit, dropping after gold futures fell by more than 2% overnight on concerns about a pullback in monetary stimulus by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Shares of gold miner Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) lost 6.4%, Evolution Mining Ltd. (AU:EVN) (CAHPF) fell 6.7%, and Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd. (AU:KCN) (KSKGF) slid 9.7%.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: Bank of Communications Co Ltd (BKFCF)

Bank of Communications Co., Ltd. is principally engaged in banking and related financial services. The Bank's business is divided into four segments: personal banking, including personal savings, bank card, personal lending, payment and settlement, investment services, insurance services and wealth management; corporate banking, comprised of cash management, supplying chain financing, investment banking, financial institutional banking and asset custody services; international banking, consisting of foreign exchange wealth management, document settlement, remittance and bill services, trade finance and offshore banking, and e-banking, including personal online banking, enterprise online banking, mobile banking, telephone banking and self-help banking. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong stocks opened lower Tuesday, after China's central bank reportedly drained 48 billion yuan ($7.9 billion) from the money market on Tuesday through bond-repurchase agreements. The Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) moved lower by 0.3%. Banks retreated, as China Merchants Bank Co., (HK:3968) (CIHHF) declined 2.2%, Bank of Communications Co. (HK:3328) (BKFCF) fell 1.6%, China Minsheng Banking Corp. (HK:1988) (CMAKY) lost 1.4%, and China Citic Bank Corporation (HK:998) (CHCJY) dropped 1.2%. China's Dongfeng Motor Group Co. (HK:489) , currently in negotiations to buy a stake in PSA Peugeot Citroen, suspended trading of its H-shares in Hong Kong markets. The state-owned car maker didn't clarify the reason in the announcement. On Monday, the company said in a filing that its commercial-vehicle unit has been served with a request for arbitration by a Brazilian firm, which is seeking damages of approximately 1.67 billion Brazilian reals ($700 million) for Dongfeng's failure to establish a joint venture with the firm. On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index (CN:SHCOMP) gave up 0.5% to 2,125.54.