Strongest/Weakest Banks

[Dover]

Here are some lists to peruse. If you have a good source of info on bank ratings, please add it:


Weis Ratings:
http://www.weissratings.com/HL_Bank.asp

Ambest
http://www.ambest.com/banks/bankingmore.html

FDIC Bank ratings links:
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/bank/index.html

Enter your bank's name here:
http://www.thestreet.com/tsc/ratings/screener.html
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/safesound/select.asp?insttype=0

Who is depending heavily on FHLB Advances?
http://us1.institutionalriskanalytics.com/demo/screen_fhlb.asp

And this old DU thread about choosing a 'safe' bank
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=114&topic_id=34912

[Wapsie B]

1. I know Weiss rakes insurance companies over the coals really well.

They're one rating service life insurers don't usually talk about which leads me to believe they uncover things that the boys at Dun & Bradstreet and Standard & Poors never see.

Thanks for the links!

[Dover]

2. Who is next?

'Who Is Next' lists 7 banks in 'danger zone'
SFGATE
Kathleen Pender

Wednesday, July 16, 2008


//snip//


Bove ranked the 107 banks and thrifts with more than $5 billion in assets by two measures of risk. (There are almost 8,500 U.S. banks and thrifts, but these 107 represent about 79 percent of industry assets.)

The first measure looked at each bank's nonperforming assets as a percentage of its loans at the end of the first quarter. Nonperforming assets include nonperforming loans, foreclosed assets and loans that are more than 90 days past due.

Bove said a ratio over 5 percent "represents danger." Yet only seven of the 107 institutions were over the 5 percent threshold.

The institutions (and their ratios) were Downey Financial (13.9 percent), Corus Bankshares (13.2 percent), Doral Financial (12.8 percent), IndyMac Bancorp (10.5 percent), FirstFed Financial (6.7 percent), Oriental Financial Group (6.12 percent) and Bank United Financial (5.4 percent).

IndyMac is by far the largest of these. Washington Mutual, one of the nation's 10 largest financial institutions, was 12th on Bove's list, with a ratio of 3.9 percent.

Bove's second chart looked at each institution's nonperforming assets as a percent of equity. On this list, a ratio above 40 percent is in the danger zone.

Eleven companies made this list: IndyMac was first, with a ratio of 146.2 percent. Next were Downey Financial, Doral Financial, BFC Financial, BankUnited Financial, Corus Bankshares, FirstBanCorp., FirstFed Financial, Flagstar Bancorp and Santander BanCorp. Last was Washington Mutual, at 40.6 percent...cont'd

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/15/BUNK11PLV9.DTL