Leslie Norton, Barron’s analyst/journaist recommended People’s United Financial, as a winner in the credit crunch:

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http://trackthepros.com/categories.php?category_id=641

a.  The cash-rich Bridgeport, Conn.-based regional stands out for the strength of its balance sheet, lack of subprime-mortgage exposure and prospects for still-stronger returns. People’s is so well-capitalized that it’s hunting for acquisitions, as other lenders are watching their share prices and franchises shrink.

b. The stock slid as low as 14.58 after the company bought a Vermont bank, Chittenden, for $1.9 billion. That purchase made it the largest New England regional, with $21 billion in assets and 300-plus branches.

c. People’s has one of the highest capital ratios around; Tier One capital (equity and unredeemable preference shares) was a whopping 16.5% of assets — 2.75 times what the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. deems “well-capitalized. This puts the bank’s total cash holdings at $2.5 billion, or