As no surprise to investors, financial stocks are one of the most volatile sectors in the market today. While some folks are optimistic about the state of the banking industry in 2012, right now, some of the biggest names in finance are looking rather bleak.
I watch more than 5,000 publicly traded companies with my Portfolio Grader tool, ranking companies by a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. This week, I’ve got 10 blue-chip financial stocks to sell.
Here they are, in alphabetical order. Each one of these stocks gets a “D” or “F” according to my research, meaning it is a “sell” or “strong sell.”
Banco Santander (NYSE:STD) is a financial group that operates in Europe, Latin America and the United States. Despite a global operation, STD stock has dropped 26% since the start of 2011.
In September, Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) created turmoil among its clientele by proposing monthly charges for the use of debit cards, then pulled the proposal in early November. BAC stock has lost an incredible 57% year-to-date.
Barclays (NYSE:BCS) is a provider of retail banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking and wealth management. BCS finds its way on this list after posting a loss of 28% year-to-date.
Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) is an international diversified financial services holding company. Despite being a household name, C stock has decreased nearly 38% compared to gains by the broader markets.
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) is a global investment banking, securities and investment management company. Like other blue-chip financial stocks, GS has lost big — 40% since the start of 2011.
HSBC Holdings (NYSE:HBC) is a global banking and financial service provider. HBC stock is down 22% year-to-date.
Itau Unibanco Holding (NYSE:ITUB) is a Brazilian bank. ITUB stock has disappointed shareholders in 2011, losing 22% in 11 months.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) is a national bank with branches in 23 states. JPM stock is down 22% since the start of 2011.
Royal Bank of Scotland Group (NYSE:RBS) is a global banking and financial services group based in the U.K. RBS stock has declined 42% year-to-date.
UBS (NYSE:UBS) is an international provider of wealth management, asset management and investment banking services. Another huge name in the banking industry, UBS is down nearly 25% year-to-date.
Get more analysis of these picks and other publicly traded stocks with Louis Navellier’s Portfolio Grader tool, a 100% free stock-rating tool that measures both quantitative buying pressure and eight fundamental factors.
