NEW YORK (
) -- Financial stocks showed a slightly more positive trend Friday after selling off all week. The
Financial Select Sector SPDR
(XLF) - Get Report
was in up a nickel in mid-morning trading to $14.16.
Citigroup was one of the better performers among U.S. large caps, up 1.06% in late morning trading to $3.91 following a positive report by Sandler O'Neill + Partners. Sandler analyst Jeff Harte wrote that the bank remains his top pick, as it was at the start of the year.
Harte cited several factors for his bullishness, including a strong tangible book valuation relative to peers, a buildup of "excess risk-based capital" that would allow for a share repurchase and improved financial disclosures. Harte also contends that Citigroup's international businesses remain strong, and that he does not believe current management will "drop the ball on risk management discipline," as their predecessors did in 2007 and 2008. Finally, Harte sees the potential for increased investment in Citigroup from institutional investors.
Citigroup also
plans to add 130 employees in Asia
to a unit that provides back office services to money managers, according to a report by
Dow Jones Marketwatch
.
Bank of America
(BAC) - Get Report
shares were keeping pace with Citigroup Friday morning, and were up 1.28%, to $13.23, shortly before midday. Bank of America has been the worst performer among U.S. banking giants since second quarter earnings were announced last month.
Shares of the other two U.S. banking giants,
Wells Fargo
(WFC) - Get Report
and
JPMorgan Chase
(JPM) - Get Report
, as well as investment banks
Goldman Sachs
(GS) - Get Report
and
Morgan Stanley
(MS) - Get Report
were all lower, though by less than one percent.
Among European banks,
Barclays PLC
(BCS) - Get Report
was one of the stronger performers, after seeing its shares hit hard earlier in the week on reports it would lay off staff in its investment bank due to a weak business environment. Barclays shares were up 2.44%, to $19.70, even as U.S.-listed shares of other European banks, such as
Royal Bank of Scotland
(RBS) - Get Report
were lower.
Another notable mover Friday was private equity goliath
Blackstone Group
(BX) - Get Report
. Blackstone had been one of the few gainers Thursday after it got an upgrade from Goldman Sachs, but its shares were down more than 2% Friday following news it would buy energy company
Dynegy Inc.
(DYN)
for $547 million.
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--
Written by Dan Freed in New York
.
Disclosure: TheStreet's editorial policy prohibits staff editors, reporters and analysts from holding positions in any individual stocks.
