Most respected bank on Wall Street. It has been hit hard by the financial crisis, however it has weathered more severe panics. Should benefit from wealthy clients and best investment bank in the world.

Second top bank in the world faces problems due to overall weakness in the market, however should gain in the coming months when the economy stabilizes.

Best bank with respect to government support. It was able to buyout Bear Sterns at a distressed price and has also recently acquired Washington Mutual, a Savings and Loan with strong geographical ties to Florida, a state JP Morgan was looking to expand towards.

The largest bank in the world which has played a conservative approach towards risky investments and has benefited as a result. Although it has dropped in price this year, it has been strong due to its commercial banking and asset management divisions.

Large commercial bank which acquired Countrywide Financial and Merrill Lynch within one year. It has now become an investment bank with a core commercial business. Although revenue will be down considerably in the coming quarters it will stand to benefit from its strategic acquisitions.

Japanese bank which is buying a twenty percent stake in the Morgan Stanley. It is also less exposed to financial troubles in the US because of its high capital requirements in Japan.

Peapack Gladstone Bank located in New Jersey serves wealthy clients. This is considered a speculative stock pick even though it carries less risk than the larger banks.

Barclays Capital recently bought distressed assets of Lehman Brothers and has become one the top banking institutions in the UK.