10 Best Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Investors around the world are weighing the implications of a Republican-engineered standstill on raising the U.S. Treasury's borrowing power, and it wouldn't be surprising if major financial market dealers on Wall Street are in the process of re-thinking their political allegiances.

Will America's largest banks, hamstrung by a new regulatory era imparted by the Obama administration, be forced to taper their support of the Republican party and embrace a Democratic caucus that has been accused of vilifying the financial services industry?

If the U.S. government's credibility survives the latest bout of budget brinkmanship with a last minute deal to raise the federal debt limit, financial heavyweights such as Goldman Sachs (GS), JPMorgan  (JPM), Bank of America  (BAC) and Citigroup  (C) may conclude it is in their self-interest to stand behind an often adversarial Democratic Party in upcoming mid-term and presidential elections.

Such a scenario, while counterintuitive, would actually be in line with recent trends in the political largess of Wall Street's most powerful players.

The last time major financial intermediaries were staring down an abyss of total collapse -- the 2008 financial crisis -- their lobbying budgets and employee contributions tilted decidedly toward the Democratic party and presidential candidate Barack Obama, who was running on a platform that counted financial regulation as a centerpiece issue.

Hot Safest Companies For 2015: GAIN Capital Holdings Inc (GCAP)

GAIN Capital Holdings Inc. (GAIN Capital) is an independent provider of online forex trading. GAIN Capital offers online trading services, specializing in foreign exchange (FX), contracts for difference (CFDs) and equities to retail and institutional traders worldwide. GAIN Capital provides execution, clearing, custody and technology products and services to an institutional client base, including asset managers, broker/dealers and other financial services firms. GAIN Capital�� trading services include FOREX.com, GAIN GTX, GAIN Securities and Asset Management. In September 2012, it acquired Open E Cry, LLC from optionsXpress Holdings, Inc., which is a subsidiary of The Charles Schwab Corporation. Effective September 24, 2013, GAIN Capital Holdings Inc acquired the entire share capital of Global Futures & Forex Ltd, a provider of retail forex and derivative trading services.

FOREX.com

GAIN Capital�� FOREX.com is used by self-directed retail traders and professional money managers in over 140 countries worldwide. FOREX.com provides a range of trading interfaces, such as FOREXTrader PRO, Website Trading, FOREXTrader Mobile and MetaTrader4.

GAIN GTX

GAIN GTX offers a range of automated and manual strategies on both the buy and sell side. Automated trading strategies can be programmed and executed using a Java or Financial Information Exchange (FIX)-based Academic Performance Index (API). It is used by individual traders, hedge funds and financial institutions.

GAIN Securities

GAIN Securities is a brokerage firm offering customers access to a full suite of investment products and trading services, including equities, equity and FX options, exchange traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds and fixed income. It is used by individual investors.

Asset Management

GAIN Capital's Managed Forex Account Program (MAC) is offered by GAIN Capital Asset Management LLC (GCAM, LLC). MAC provides qualified institutional i! nvestors access to the FX market.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By The GeoTeam]

  We also look for companies going through defining events that can significantly change their growth trajectory. One of these situations is a transformative acquisition, such as one that Gain Capital Holdings (GCAP) is in the process of consummating. We coded GCAP a GeoBargain on June 6, 2013, at $5.30. On June 12, 2013 we released our bullish thesis for GCAP on Seeking Alpha, "Double Your Gains With Gain Capital Holdings." Fast forward just 3 months from the time of our release and the stock has lived up to our title, returning investors over 100% so far.

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap stocks FXCM Inc (NYSE: FXCM), Gain Capital Holdings Inc (NYSE: GCAP) and up and coming�Indo Global Exchanges PteLtd (OTCMKTS: IGEX) all offer online trading platforms to retail or institutional traders and investors. Certainly if you have found yourself trading more lately or if markets become more volatile, trading platforms are going to be the big winners.�With that in mind, here is a close look at these three small cap trading platform stocks:�

10 Best Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: BNP Paribas SA (BNP)

BNP Paribas SA is a France-based bank group with four core businesses: Retail Banking, Corporate & Investment Banking, Investment Solutions and Other Activities. Retail Banking comprises the French retail banking division, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro in Italy, BeLux Retail Banking, Europe-Mediterranean, all BNP Paribas Group retail banking businesses out of Euro Zone: in the United States, in Asia, in the Mediterranean Basin and Africa, in Turkey, Central and Eastern Europe, personal finance and equipment solutions. The Corporate & Investment Banking business provides to its clients financing, advisory and capital markets services. The Investment Solutions division offers private banking, asset management, securities services, real estate and insurance services. In November 2013, the Company launched 'Hello Bank!', a mobile, digital bank operating in France, Belgium and Germany. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  BNP Paribas SA (BNP), Societe Generale SA (GLE) and Credit Agricole SA (ACA), France�� largest banks by market value, reported second-quarter profit that exceeded analysts��estimates. Paris-based Societe Generale, which said income more than doubled from a year earlier, trades at 10.8 times projected earnings, 64 percent below its 2009 high. Credit Agricole trades at 8.6 times projected profit and BNP Paribas at 10.7 times, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (the Bank) is engaged in the provision of a range of banking and financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate and institutional clients. The Bank is a provider of integrated financial services, including retail, business and institutional banking, superannuation, life insurance, general insurance, funds management, broking services and finance company activities. Its operating segments include Retail Banking Services, Business and Private Banking, Institutional Banking and Markets, Wealth Management, New Zealand, Bankwest and Other. Its retail banking services include home loans, consumer finance, retail deposits and distribution. Its business and private banking include corporate financial services, regional and agribusiness banking, local business banking, private bank and equities and margin lending. The Bank and its subsidiaries ceased to be a substantial holder in Ten Network Holdings Limited, as of September 12, 2012. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jan Schalkwijk]

  M-Pesa, the system that revolutionized mobile payments in Kenya and beyond, is not capital intensive for Safaricom, but the company has to pay 10% of revenues to Vodafone, which runs the system's technology backbone. Safaricom is planning to take this job on itself going forward, which should increase profitability, though there would be some operational risk if they can't deliver the same level of service. M-Pesa has now spawned M-Shwari, which is the same concept but adds mobile banking services such as the provision of credit. This new service is delivered in partnership with the unlisted Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA).

• [By Toshiro Hasegawa]

  Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) fell 1.1 percent to A$73.73. Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (ST) retreated 1.1 percent to S$3.78 today after posting earnings.

• [By Yoshiaki Nohara]

  Panasonic Corp., Japan�� largest consumer electronics maker, climbed 6.8 percent after posting profit that beat estimates. STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co. (067250) jumped 15 percent in Seoul after agreeing to restructure it debt. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), the nation�� biggest lender, fell 1.5 percent, pacing losses among the nation�� financial shares on a report the government will impose a new tax on banks.

• [By Michael Ugulini]

  Investors can take away that Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) is experiencing growth in all brands as noted by the company's President of Commercial Operations, Mr. Andy Thomas in an August Earning's Call, "For the first time in CBA's history, CBA's quarterly growth was propelled by growth in all brand families and across all CBA sales divisions. Our overall plus 12% STR growth came from a healthy blend of plus 23% growth for Kona, plus 14% growth for Redhook, and plus 1% growth for Widmer Brothers; all accompanied by the continued expansion of Omission in our international markets."

10 Best Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: LCNB Corp (LCNB)

LCNB Corp. (LCNB), incorporated on December 12, 1998, is a financial holding company. The Company�� principal activity is the ownership of LCNB National Bank (the Bank). The Bank is a full service community bank offering a range of commercial and personal banking services. Deposit services include checking accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal (NOW) accounts, savings accounts, Christmas and vacation club accounts, money market deposit accounts, Classic 50 accounts (a senior citizen program), individual retirement accounts, and certificates of deposit. Loan products offered include commercial and industrial loans, commercial and residential real estate loans, construction loans, various types of consumer loans, and Small Business Administration loans. In January 2014, Eaton National Bank & Trust Co. merged with LCNB Corp.'s wholly-owned subsidiary, LCNB National Bank.

The Bank's residential mortgage lending activities consist primarily of loans for purchasing or refinancing personal residences, home equity lines of credit, and loans for commercial or consumer purposes secured by residential mortgages. Consumer lending activities include automobile, boat, home improvement and personal loans. The Bank also offers indirect financing through various automotive, boat, and lawn and garden dealers. The Trust and Investment Management Division of the Bank performs complete trust administrative functions and offers agency and trust services, retirement savings products, and mutual fund investment products to individuals, partnerships, corporations, institutions and municipalities.

Security brokerage services are offered by the Bank through arrangements with LPL Financial LLC, a registered broker/dealer. Licensed brokers offer a full range of investment services and products, including financial needs analysis, mutual funds, securities trading, annuities, and life insurance.

Other services offered include safe deposit boxes, night depositories, travelers' checks, money! orders, cashier's checks, bank-by-mail, automated teller machines (ATMs), cash and transaction services, debit cards, wire transfers, electronic funds transfer, utility bill collections, notary public service, personal computer based cash management services, around-the-clock telephone banking, PC Internet banking, and other services tailored for both individuals and businesses. LCNB�� primary market area consists of Warren, Butler, and Clinton Counties and portions of Hamilton, Clermont and Montgomery Counties in Southwestern Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  LCNB (NASDAQ: LCNB) shares touched a new 52-week low of $16.57. LCNB shares have dropped 4.80% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 18.57% in the same period.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LYG)

Lloyds Banking Group plc, incorporated on October 21, 1985, is a holding company. The Company is a financial services group providing a range of banking and financial services, primarily in the United Kingdom, to personal and corporate customers. The Company operates in four segments: Retail, Commercial Banking, Wealth, Asset Finance and International and Insurance. Retail provides banking, mortgages and other financial services to personal customers in the United Kingdom. Commercial Banking provides banking and related services to business clients, from small businesses to large corporate. Wealth, Asset Finance and International provides private banking and asset management and asset finance in the United Kingdom and overseas and operates the Company�� international retail businesses. Insurance provides long term savings, protection and investment products in the United Kingdom and Europe and provides general insurance to personal customers in the United Kingdom.

Retail

The Retail division operates the retail bank in the United Kingdom and is a provider of current accounts, savings, personal loans, credit cards and mortgages. This includes a range of current accounts including packaged accounts and basic banking accounts. It is also the provider of personal loans in the United Kingdom, as well as being the United Kingdom�� credit card issuer. Retail is the private sector savings provider in the United Kingdom. It is also a general insurance and bancassurance distributor, offering a range of long-term savings, investment and general insurance products.

Commercial Banking

The Commercial Banking division supports the Company�� business clients from small businesses to corporate. Commercial Banking provides support to corporate clients through the provision of core banking products, such as lending, deposits and transaction banking services whilst also offering clients expertise in capital markets (private placements, bonds and syndicated loans), ! financial markets (foreign exchange, interest rate management, money market and credit) and private equity.

Wealth, Asset Finance and International

Wealth, Asset Finance and International consists of the Company�� the United Kingdom and international wealth businesses, the Company�� the United Kingdom and international asset finance and online deposit businesses along with its international retail businesses. The Wealth business consists of private banking and asset management. Wealth�� private banking operations cater to the range of wealth clients from affluent to Ultra High Net Worth within the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, and internationally. Asset Finance consists of a number of leasing and speciality lending businesses in the United Kingdom, including Lex Autolease and Black Horse Motor and Personal Finance along with its leasing and specialty lending businesses in Australia and its European online deposit business. The international business comprises its non-core banking business outside the United Kingdom, with the exception of corporate business written through the Commercial Banking division. This primarily consists of Ireland, Retail Europe and Asia.

Insurance

The Insurance division provides long-term savings, protection and investment products and general insurance products to customers in the United Kingdom and Europe. The United Kingdom Life, Pensions and Investments business provides long-term savings, protection and investment products distributed through the bancassurance, intermediary and direct channels of the Lloyds TSB, Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows brands. The European Life, Pensions and Investments business distributes products primarily in the German market under the Heidelberger Leben and Clerical Medical brands. The General Insurance business is a distributor of home insurance in the United Kingdom, with products sold through the branch network, direct channels and strategic corporate! partners! . It operates primarily under the Lloyds TSB, Halifax and Bank of Scotland brands.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kevin Godbold]

  So this series aims to identify appealing FTSE 100 investment opportunities, and today I'm looking at�Lloyds Banking Group� (LSE: LLOY  ) (NYSE: LYG  ) , the U.K.-focused financial services and banking company.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: Westpac Banking Corp (WBK)

Westpac Banking Corporation (Westpac), incorporated on August 23, 2002, is a banking organization. Westpac provides a range of banking and financial services, including retail, business and institutional banking, and wealth management services. It operates through three divisions: Australian Financial Services (AFS), Westpac Institutional Bank (WIB) and Westpac New Zealand. AFS encompasses Westpac�� retail and business banking operations in Australia, and includes the businesses of Westpac Retail & Business Banking, St.George Banking Group and BT Financial Group Australia (BFTG). Westpac RBB is responsible for sales and service for Westpac�� consumer, small-to-medium enterprise customers and commercial customers in Australia under the Westpac brands. St.George is responsible for sales, and service for its consumer, business and corporate customers in Australia under the St.George, BankSA, Bank of Melbourne and RAMS brands. BTFG is Westpac�� Australian wealth management division. WIB delivers a range of financial services to commercial, corporate, institutional and government customers with connections to Australia and New Zealand. Westpac New Zealand is responsible for the sales and service of banking, wealth and insurance products for consumers, business and institutional customers in New Zealand. 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.

Westpac RBB

Westpac RBB�� activities are conducted through its network of branches and business banking centers, home finance managers (HFMs) and specialized consumer and business relationship managers, with the support of cash flow, financial markets and wealth specialists, customer service centers, automated teller machines (ATMs) and Internet channels.

St.George

Consumer activities are conducted through a networ! k of branches, third party distributors, call centers, automated teller machines (ATMs), electronic funds transfer point-of-sale (EFTPOS) terminals and Internet banking services. Business and corporate customers are provided with a range of banking and financial products and services, including specialist advice for cash flow finance, trade finance, automotive and equipment finance, property finance, transaction banking and treasury services. Sales and service activities for business and corporate customers are conducted by relationship managers through business banking centers, Internet and customer service centre channels.

BTFG

BTFG�� funds management operations include the manufacturing and distribution of investment, superannuation and retirement products; investment platforms, such as Wrap and Master Trusts, and private banking and financial planning. Its Insurance solutions cover the manufacturing and distribution of life, general and lenders mortgage insurance. BTFG�� brands include Advance Asset Management, Ascalon, Asgard, BT, BT Investment Management (64.5% owned by Westpac), BT Select, Licensee Select, Magnitude, Securitor and the advice, private banking and insurance operations of Bank of Melbourne, BankSA, St.George and Westpac.

Westpac Institutional Bank (WIB)

WIB operates through industry relationship and specialist product teams, with knowledge in transactional banking, financial and debt capital markets, specialised capital, margin lending, broking and alternative investment solutions. Customers are supported through branches and subsidiaries located in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, United Kingdom and Asia.

Westpac New Zealand

Westpac conducts its New Zealand banking business through two banks in New Zealand; Westpac New Zealand

Limited, and Westpac Banking Corporation. Westpac New Zealand operates through network of branches and ATMs across both the North and South Islands. Business an! d institu! tional customers are served through relationship and specialist products teams. Banking products are provided under the Westpac and WIB brands, while insurance and wealth products are provided under Westpac Life and BT brands.

Westpac�� other business divisions includes Pacific Banking, which provides banking services for retail and business customers in seven Pacific countries. Branches, ATMs, telephone banking and Internet banking channels are used to deliver its business activities in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Tonga, Solomon Islands and Samoa. Pacific Banking�� financial products include personal savings accounts, business transactional accounts, personal and business lending products, business services and a range of international products; Group Services which include technology, banking operations, legal and property services; Treasury which focuses on management of the Group�� interest rate risk and funding requirements, and Core Support which include functions performed centrally including finance, risk and human resources.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividend]

  Westpac Banking (WBK) has a market capitalization of $444.52 billion. The company employs 36,000 people, generates revenue of $33.259 billion and has a net income of $5.444 billion. Westpac Banking�� earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $17.537 billion. The EBITDA margin is 52.73 percent (the operating margin is 49.28 percent and the net profit margin 33.57 percent).

• [By Fede Zaldua]

  Most Australian banks seem to comply with (1) and (2). On the other hand, Australian banks have a loan to deposit ratio of 120% and around 9% of their funding is short term foreign funding. This means that their results shall be severely damaged by a steep depreciation of the local currency. A good example of a bank that is easy to short from the US (since it trades in the New York Stock Exchange) is the Westpac Banking Corporation (WBK). Westpac generates 90% of its revenues domestically and sells for 2014 13.1 times earnings and 2.1 times its 2014 expected book value. That said, there is one problem that you will find when you short Westpac's shares: The bank pays a +5% cash dividend yield.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  More than a handful of international companies had strong performances over the past year. Australia-based Westpac Banking (NYSE: WBK  ) , for example, soared 54% -- and still yields a fat 5.4%. It's been hampered, though, by the slowdown in China, as China uses many commodities produced by Australia. Some worry about a housing slowdown hurting the company, too.

• [By Bryan Perry]

  Lloyds has several catalysts working in its favor. The bank has been busily disposing of assets that it views as non-core — the latest being a $1.45 billion ($1.37 billion U.S.) disposition of Australian operations to Aussie banking giant Westpac (WBK). In addition, Lloyds said it hopes to pay out as much as 70% of earnings as a dividend by 2016, which as a high-yield editor, has my full attention. This puts shares on a prospective yield for 2016 of more than 7% if earnings come in as projected.

10 Best Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: Community Bank System Inc (CBU)

Community Bank System, Inc., incorporated on April 15, 1983, which wholly owns five subsidiaries: Community Bank, N.A. (the Bank), Benefit Plans Administrative Services, Inc. (BPAS), CFSI Closeout Corp. (CFSICC), First of Jermyn Realty Company, Inc. (FJRC) and Town & Country Agency LLC (T&C). The Bank operates as a community bank providing a range of banking and financial services to retail, commercial, and municipal customers. As of December 31, 2012, the Bank operates 179 full-service branches throughout 35 counties of Upstate New York, where it operates as Community Bank, N.A. and five counties of Northeastern Pennsylvania, where it is known as First Liberty Bank & Trust, offering a range of commercial and retail banking services. BPAS provides administration, consulting and actuarial services to sponsors of employee benefit plans. In December 2013, the Company announced that it has acquired eight branch-banking locations across its Northeast Pennsylvania markets from Bank of America, N.A.Five of the branches are located in Luzerne County, one is located in Lackawanna County and two are located in Carbon County.

On July 20, 2012, the Bank completed its acquisition of 16 retail branches in Central, Northern and Western New York from HSBC Bank USA, N.A. (HSBC), acquiring approximately $106 million in loans and $697 million of deposits. On September 7, 2012, it completed its acquisition of three branches in Western New York from First Niagara Bank, N.A. (First Niagara), acquiring approximately $54 million of loans and $101 million of deposits.

Lending Activities

As of December 31, 2012, the Bank�� loan portfolio included consumer mortgage loans, business lending, Consumer indirect, Consumer direct and Home equity. Consumer indirect and direct loans consist of personal loans originated both in the branch network and in automobile, marine and recreational vehicle dealerships. Approximately 68% of loans outstanding as of December 31, 2012, were made to consumers ! borrowing on an installment, line of credit or residential mortgage loan basis. The consumer mortgage portion of the Company�� loan portfolio is comprised of fixed (98%) and adjustable rate (2%) residential lending and includes no exposure to subprime, Alt-A or other higher-risk mortgage products. The combined total of general-purpose business lending, including agricultural-related and dealer floor plans, as well as mortgages on commercial property, is characterized as the Company�� business lending activity.

Investment Activities

As of December 31, 2012, the Bank�� investment securities included held-to-maturity, available-for-sale and Other securities. As of December 31, 2012, its held-to-maturity portfolio included U.S. Treasury and agency securities, Obligations of state and political subdivisions, Government agency mortgage-backed securities, Corporate debt securities and Other securities. Its Other Securities included Federal Home Loan Bank common stock, Federal Reserve Bank common stock and Other equity securities.

Sources of Funds

The Bank utilizes a variety of funding sources to support the earning asset base. Overall funding is comprised of three primary sources that possess a variety of maturity, stability, and price characteristics: deposits of individuals, partnerships and corporations (IPC deposits), municipal deposits that are collateralized for amounts not covered by FDIC insurance (public funds) and external borrowings. The various types of deposits offered by the Bank include Noninterest checking deposits, Interest checking deposits, Regular savings deposits, Money market deposits and Time deposits. Borrowing sources for the Company include the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLBNY) and Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as well as access to the brokered certificate of deposit (CD) and repurchase markets through relationships with primary market security dealers.

Subsidiary Activities

The Compan! y�� sub! sidiary, BPAS owns three subsidiaries, Benefit Plans Administrative Services LLC (BPA), a provider of defined contribution plan administration services; Harbridge Consulting Group LLC (Harbridge), a provider of actuarial and benefit consulting services, and Hand Benefits & Trust Company (HB&T), a provider of Collective Investment Fund administration and institutional trust services. HB&T owns two subsidiaries, Flex Corp. (Flex), a provider of administration, servicing and marketing of various flexible employee benefit programs and Hand Securities, Inc. (HSI), an introducing broker dealer. The Company also wholly owns two unconsolidated subsidiary business trusts formed for the purpose of issuing mandatorily redeemable preferred securities.

The Bank owns subsidiaries, such as CBNA Insurance Agency, Inc. (CBNA Insurance), CBNA Preferred Funding Corporation (PFC), CBNA Treasury Management Corporation (TMC), Community Investment Services, Inc. (CISI), First Liberty Service Corp. (FLSC), Nottingham Advisors, Inc. (Nottingham), Brilie Corporation (Brilie), and Western Catskill Realty, LLC (WCR). CBNA Insurance is a full-service insurance agency offering primarily property and casualty products. PFC primarily acts as an investor in residential real estate loans. TMC provides cash management, investment, and treasury services to the Bank. CISI provides broker-dealer and investment advisory services. FLSC provides banking-related services to the Pennsylvania branches of the Bank. Nottingham provides asset management services to individuals, corporate pension and profit sharing plans, and foundations. Brilie and WCR are inactive companies.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Community Bank System Inc. (CBU) operates as the bank holding company for Community Bank, N.A. that provides banking and financial services to retail, commercial, and municipal customers. August 21st the company increased its quarterly dividend 3.7% to $0.28 per share. The dividend is payable October 10, 2013 to shareholders of record as of September 16, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 3.3%.